Kreeft, Peter Christianity for Modern Pagans-Pascal’s Pensees, Ignatius Press, 1996
Blaise Pascal (b. 1623 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, d. 1662 in Paris) was a French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal
His Pensees are insightful and passionate and in apologetics compare to Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and The Confessions by St. Augustine (p.17). Pascal #417: “Not only do we only know God through Jesus Christ, but we only know ourselves through Jesus Christ; we only know life and death through Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ we cannot know the meaning of our life or our death, of god or of ourselves.” Outline p.19-21 1. Problems: wretchedness, vanity, injustice, irrationality, alienation, death, sin, selfishness. Book goes from problem to solution. Truths: Man is happy with God and wretched without God. Augustine: Confessions “Thou hast made us for Thyself; and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” Also 2 cities: City of God and City of the World. Salvation and Sin. Today people are not convinced of sin and resent being told they are sinners as guilt-ridden and judgmental. “The world thinks men are good and saints better. Pascal knows men are sinners, and saints are miracles”p.43 Pascal uses wretchedness and happiness in their deep, ancient meanings (objective state) rather than in their shallows modern meanings(subjective feeling). Happiness can include suffering in long view. Psychology can make us feel good, but religion can make us good. p.27 Consciousness of Sin is needed before Salvation. Religion is not contrary to reason.p.28 “The root of most atheism is not argument but attitude, not intellection but feeling, not love of truth but fear of truth.” P. 28 Christ’s promise is all that seek him will find him. Seeking is an act of will. One thing that can delay finding God is ignorance. There apologetics can help. Pascal shows that Christianity is:
1. Psychologically respectable, because it understands the truths about man.
2. Psychologically attractive, because it promises true happiness, the good of man
3. Objectively true, tell the truth about God (apologetics)
“Christianity is not a hypothesis, it is a proposal of marriage. P. 31
“Our intellect lives off our will and emotions, as a plant lives off the earth.” P.32 Christianity rational obstacles (ignorance and misunderstanding); irrational (hate and fear).
Rational thinkers go from problem to cure. Wretchedness to happiness or goodness.p.33
Socrates taught to humble and think not to answer. The heart desires love. To love a dog we must become more doggie like. P 34. The Christian spy’s mission- talking like and ordinary person, although you have deeper motives. Also see Percy’s book Lost in the Cosmos. #420 “If he exalts himself, I humble him. If he humbles himself, I exalt him. An I go on contradicting him until he understands.” JC did this. We are neither angels nor beasts, sages nor fools but both .p.38 Need to assess person’s point of view and note- that may be true for that point of view but not from another. An illusion is better removed by self investigation. A direct attack may embitter the person. Humor, humility, gentleness aid. Thus look for person’s point of view and point out consequences of it.
#629 “Man’s dualism is so obvious that some people have thought we had two souls.”
# 678 Man is neither angel nor beast, and it is unfortunately the case that anyone trying to act the angel acts the beast.” # 121 “ It is dangerous to explaining too clearly to man how like he is to the animals without pointing out his greatness.- Man must not be allowed to believe that he is equal to animals or to angels, nor to be unaware of either, but he must. know both.” P.52 Angel like: Pantheism, new age humanism; Animal like: Marxism, Freudianism, Behaviorism, Darwinism. #75 “Ecclesiastes shows that man without God is totally ignorant and inescapably unhappy.” #53 “Man is vile enough to bow down to beasts and even worship them” #131 “Whence it is clearly evident that man through grace is made like unto God and shares his divinity, and without grace he is treated like the beasts of the field.” P. 55 Man’s nature is double: body and spirit, good and bad, exalted and wretched, a thinking reed that passes. Who is more beautiful Madonna with her blasphemies or Mother Teresa with her wrinkles? # 149 on Wretchedness p. 55-71
Vanity: p.73 painting makeup; p.47 not living in the present; p.79 wearing masks; p. 81 love for beauty or wit; p.82#413 “Anyone who wants to know the full extent of man’s vanity has only to consider the causes and effects of love. The cause is “I know not what”.” The effects can be large. p.107-113 #131 Vanity of dogmatism, skepticism. Here is the dilemma: If we deny reason, we must use our reason to do so. Some reason insists on doubt, but our nature insists on assuming innate principles. Both nature and reason must learn faith (p. 112). We assume our minds and memory are reliable to live.
P.138#68 lost in the cosmos and p.120-6#199 on disproportion of man. P.113 syllogism:
1. If man had never been uncorrupted, he would have no idea of perfect truth or bliss.
2. But man does have and idea and a desire of perfect truth and bliss.
3. Therefore man has once been uncorrupted. (this supports the fall)
p.142#152 “Between us and heaven or hell there is only life half-way the most fragile thing in the world.” Our life is like a membrane on Earth, the porch, between heaven and hell.
The essence of sin in self-love or selfishness, ‘me first’ or pride. This is different from self respect, which values all self’s, as we are made in God’s image. The original sin is an unpopular doctrine, yet is similar to the doctrines of Freud- and the seeking pleasure principle. The innocence of babes is in their helplessness, not the virtue in their souls. They want what they want when they want it. P.148 Secular morality is a plan for the fulfillment of selfishness. P. 149-154 #978 Self love and deception and flattery. Many of our social actions are based on deception. Consider entertainment and advertizing without deception.p.154 p.157 “ The bias towards self is the beginning of all disorder, in war, politics etc. We are born unfair. –No religion except our own has taught that man is sinful, no philosophical sect has said so, so none has told the truth.” P.161#616 “ Concupiscence has become natural for us and has become second nature. Thus there are two natures in us, one for good and the other bad.” Concup: means strong desire, or desire for pleasure or sex.
“Freud is best known for his theories of the unconscious mind and the defense mechanism of repression and for creating the clinical practice of psychoanalysis for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Freud is also renowned for his redefinition of sexual desire as the primary motivational energy of human life, as well as his therapeutic techniques, including the use of free association, his theory of transference in the therapeutic relationship, and the interpretation of dreams as sources of insight into unconscious desires.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frued 1856-1939. The pleasure principle is a psychoanalytic concept, originated by Sigmund Freud. The pleasure principle states that people seek pleasure and avoid pain, i.e., people seek to satisfy biological and psychological needs.[1] The counterpart is the reality principle, which defers gratification when necessary. An individual’s id follows the pleasure principle and rules early life, but, as one matures, one learns the need to endure pain and defer gratification, because of the exigencies and obstacles of reality. In Freud’s words, “an ego thus educated has become reasonable; it no longer lets itself be governed by the pleasure principle, but obeys the reality principle, which also at bottom seeks to obtain pleasure, but pleasure which is assured through taking account of reality, even though it is pleasure postponed and diminished”. It is also called hedonism as by Democritus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasure_principle_(psychology) The Pleasure Principle (song), a 1987 single by Janet Jackson, p.161#617 our desire to be God.
The two most popular Pseudo solutions: Diversion and Indifference. Childs question: Why doesn’t anyone have any time? Where did all the time go? Because of technology (time saving devices) we should have more free time than our ancestors p.167. Why do we keep ourselves so busy then? We don’t have to keep our selves busy but we do. We are afraid to look at ourselves and listen to our hearts. In silence we can seek God and see the gap between Him and us. p.168. p. 169#70” If our condition we truly happy we should not need to divert ourselves form thinking about it.” Often the person or society who has the most diversions and amusements is not the happiest but the unhappiest. Freud noted this in Civilization and Its Discontents. Our society, USA has high rates of depression, divorce, suicide, drugs, violence. We don’t want to divert ourselves form happiness, only unhappiness. Some diversions don’t really satisfy and make us happy: examples alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling, riches etc. They leave with an unhealthy desire for more. P. 172-77#136 Diversion. “He must create some target for his passions and then arose his desire- for the object he has created” P. 172 King effect: He has many diversions but if often more fearful than the peasant. He has more to worry about. The more goods he has, the more that can be taken, and that needs to be safeguarded. P. 181: This is the formula for advertizing: Create a target for passion, then arouse it. The garden of Eden: The snake said See this beautiful apple; Eat it and it will make you like God. Our society runs on advertizing. Psychology has a low percent of orthodox Christians only 9%(p.185). p.184#130 diversion of property and belongings. The If only syndrome( then I will be happy) p.180. The most depressions and suicides occur during vacations. P.182. Diversion acts like a sedative. P.186
Indifference p.-98#427 You can love and hate a person at the same time but not be indifferent to a person and love him. The devils allies are darkness, fog, sleep and death. The Lord’s is passion and light. Indifference in Rome- decadent, sophisticated, skeptical, relativistic, jaded, bored, promiscuous- resulted in its decline.p.188; ID slogans: live and let live, anything goes, do your own thing, different strokes for diff. folks. Don’t be afraid of spiritual warfare, it’s not physical. God usually gives signs to those who seek him. If you don’t seek you may not find. In order to intelligently discredit Christianity you must first sincerely try it. Skeptic’s prayer. God if you exist show yourself to me. I am seeking.(Jer. 29:13) Irony: Nonbelievers often get upset over small things and forget the big things(moral issues, eternal life).p.193;203#632 “Man’s sensitivity to little things and insensitivity to the greatest things are marks of a strange disorder” Great saints were made out or great sinners but not out of a wimp. The apologist must find that little flame of passion from some worldly cause and connect to it. Rom. 1:18 “The truth they know by natural reason is what they hold down or suppress because of their unrighteousness.
#160 p.211 “There are three sorts of people: Those who have found God and serve him, those who are busy seeking and have not yet found him; those who live without either seeking or finding him.” The real division is between seekers (lovers) and on seekers. Thus the heart and not the head determines our destiny. Proofs of God are psychologically weak but logically strong. If nature proved God clearly we would not have to seek for him so hard. P.215, 311. “What they gained through curiosity they lost thru pride”.#190 We do not find God we are found by Him. P.216 #739 “Truth is so obscured nowadays and lies are so well established (movies, media, colleges) that unless we love the truth we shall never recognize it.” Truth seeking depends on the heart and will. P.218:Three levels of reality: Body (carnal) mind and heart. Carnal= power, wealth or physical. The heart and Jesus exceeds all(love goodness , charity). John 1:38 Jesus asked of the early disciples “What seek thou? Where do you abide? Come and see!” # 280 It is a long way between knowing God and loving Him”
AI and computers: p.225#741 “The adding machine produces effects closer to thought than anything done be animals, bit it does nothing to justify the assertion that it has a will like the animals.” Computers don’t ask questions unless programmed to do so by men and they don’t disobey. P.226 And even if computers did think, they do not love. See J. W. Krutch’s chapter “The stubborn Fact of Consciousness” in The Measure of a Man.
Heart: Pascal likens the heart to the intuitive mind (right brain). 1 Cor. 13:13faith hope and love – but the greatest of these is love. Solomon says- Prov. 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence for from it springs the issues of life.” P.229#210 Heart
Reason and faith: The rationalist and skeptics are opposites. P.216#173 “If we submit everything to reason our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we offend the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous” #269 Philosophers and most the religions of the world have taken reason for their guide. Christian alone have taken their rules from those which God left for us and thus outside of themselves. Faith is distinctive, reason is not. The bible is a special revelation from God and a gift. Why God Hides p. 245 The prophets say he will be not fully accepted. He came to give light as a gift, not to force light on us. A gift must appeal to freedom. #235 “ Jesus came to blind those who have clear sight and to give sight to the blind; to heal the sick and let the healthy die; to call sinners to repentance, and to leave the righteous to their sins; to fill the hungry with good things and send the rich away empty.” #234 “God wishes to move the will rather than the mind. Perfect clarity would help the mind and harm the will.” P.248#236a “He gives exactly the right amount of light. If He gave less, even the righteous would be unable to find him. If he gave more, even the wicked would find him, against their will.” P.250#781 see 1Cor. 1:18-2:16 on wise and foolish. P.254 some said you could not see Gods face and live. #149 “Wishing to appear to only those who seek him with all their heart and hidden from those who shun him with all their heart. –There is enough light for those who desire to see and enough darkness for those of contrary disposition.” See Mat. 11:27 “Neither does any know the Father save the son and whosoever the son willith to reveal him.” Is. 45:15 “Verily Thou art a God that hidest thyself.” Reliability of the scriptures: p.263-6: Prophesies fulfilled and miracles are good support as is Jesus resurrection. 2 errors: to take all scripture literally or all spiritually p261. Since 500 people witnessed the resurrected Jesus, how can they all be deceived or deceivers?p.266 not likely.
Jews unique in history: p.268-71 The Jews have the longest history and genealogies of any people. Although persecuted widely and taken too other nations, their traditions and people are preserved. Their moral laws are very rigorous and the oldest and longest preserved and observed without changes. The early books of the bible are among the oldest known books of the world. This all makes them a very unique people. Jesus was a Jew and had no intent of starting a new religion. He came to fulfill the Jewish law not change it.p.270 #454 p.271-2 The Jews knew of sin and that a messiah-savoir was promised in the old testament.
Miracles and uniqueness of Christianity: p. 372-6; Miracles are an essential and noted part of the Christian faith, but not of most other faiths, like Buddhism, Taoism, Islam. C.S. Lewis has a book, Miracles. However miracles are not needed to address our major problem, sin. Repentance is needed. #215 “For a religion to be true it must have know our nature; it must have known its greatness and smallness, and the reason for both. What other religion but Christianity has known both?” What religion offers redemption for our sins? P.277 “Christianity puts into martyr’s lips hymns of triumph and into believers lives joy unspeakable” 1 Pet. 1:6-8 #399 “If man was not made for ‘God, why is he only happy in God?” p.287 In Christianity the religion points to the founder. Christ says come to me; I am the way truth and life. Buddha said look not to me, look to my teachings (dhama). Deism has a creator without a redeemer. Its God is aloof. P.286
#192 “Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness.” He is also our redeemer.p.280. This gives no pride because we are united to God wholly by grace, not by our nature of unworthness.”
#398 “The philosophers did not prescribe feelings proportionate to the two states. “Some inspired impulses of pure greatness, and this is not the true state of man. Some impulses of abasement, and this in no the true state of man” p.282 Philosophies of abasement include: those that teach that man is only an animal controlled by desires and nature. Those of greatness include: Pantheism, Humanism Plato? Pantheism teaches God’s immanence without transcendence. Pantheism denies God is as good and states he is not a separate being- he is a power for universal force. Christianity #399 p. 283-5
The Wager: #418 p 293-306 Life forces us to bet one way or another on God. Death turns agnosticism into atheism. God either exists or not; and I can believe or not. There are good reasons that God exists, but if you are not convinced you still must decide (ref. 2).
20. Pascal’s Wager: This is an argument of best choice. (ref 2 P.85-6)
Where will you place your Bet? If you place it with God and are right you win eternity in heaven. If you were wrong you loose some selfish pleasure. If you place it against God, you get some additional selfish pleasure, but loose eternal life and are condemned to hell. Some say this wording is venal and selfish. It can be worded more positively in that in serving God you get to focus on higher motives of goodness, justice, service and love of others. Rom. 1:19-23 explains this. There is also the Prayer of the Skeptic: “God, I don’t know whether you exist or not, but if you do, please show me who you are.” (Also there is the challenge to read John’s gospel in the Bible)
We can know God exists without knowing exactly what he is (p.296). It is true that there is an infinite number, but we do not know what it is. We do not know if it is odd or even. But all numbers are. Both theism and atheism are leaps of faith without 100% proof. Suppose you were offered a lottery ticket for free or for a small price of some obedience. If you won the lottery you get a million dollars. You have to hold and trust the ticket for some time. The odds of winning the lottery are very good, say about 50/50. Most would accept this lottery offer and the prize is eternal life and happiness, worth more than a million dollars. If you hold and trust the ticket you get additional confirmations and gifts along the way. (p.301). The wager is not wholly a leap in the dark, but is partially testable and confirmable along the way of life. Ps. 5:12 “For surely, O Lord you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” 1John 3:21-2: “If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask because we obey his commands and do what pleases him” Mat. 8:36 “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”
Christ: #190 p.311 Proofs give temporary confirmation. “What they gained by curiosity they lost through pride. That is the result of knowing God without Christ” The heart must be won. #309 p,312 “A purely objective comparison of Christ to all other sages show no equality, every on a human level, no other such combination of (a) greatness, profundity of mystery, (b) simplicity and naturalness of person, and (c) clarity and penetration of teaching. Buddha was great and simple but not as clear. Socrates was simple and clear but not as great and mysterious. The greatest philosophers, like Aquinas, are sometimes both profound and clear but not simple.” P.313 “Christ’s miracles most simply and absolutely distinguish him form all other sages and prove his divinity.” #417 “Not only do we only know God through Jesus Christ; w only know ourselves through Jesus Christ.” “Christ is our only clear window to God. Jn. 1:18 “No one has ever seen God; only the son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” Jn. 14:6 “No one come to the Father but by me.” The cross of Christ is the greatest power in the universe. 1Cor. 1:18 “-it is the power of God. For it is written; I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will bring to nought.” The Church: #372 p.319 the Mystery of Jesus: #919 p.327-30
My notes: Man’s Problems: wretchedness(animal of desires, selfish, unhappy), vanity, injustice, irrationality, alienation, death, sin, selfishness. The pleasure principle is a psychoanalytic concept, originated by Sigmund Freud. The pleasure principle states that people seek pleasure and avoid pain, i.e., people seek to satisfy biological and psychological needs.[1] Freud is also renowned for his redefinition of sexual desire as the primary motivational energy of human life. Animal like beliefs: Marxism, Freudianism, Behaviorism, Darwinism. Man is like a blade of grass in the universe that passes away. A problem with Moral Subjectivists: They often talk of moral values instead of moral laws. Then there is no true right and wrong. Can anyone really live that way, without a sense of right and wrong?
The Wager: #418 p 293-306 Life forces us to bet one way or another on God. Death turns agnosticism into atheism. Do you know the law of non-contradiction? God either exists or not; and I can believe or not. There are good reasons that God exists, but if you are not convinced you still must decide (ref. 2).
Power in the Cross: Belonging, brotherhood, conquering problems, real wisdom, eternal life. Eph. 3:12 “ In Him and through Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ps. 5:12 “For surely, O Lord you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” 1John 3:21-2: “If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask because we obey his commands and do what pleases him” Mat. 8:36 “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”
2 Kreeft, Peter & Tacelli, R. K Handbook of Christian Apologetics, IVP Academic, Ill. 1994
Chap. 3, 20 Arguments for the existence for God: Individually some of the arguments below are weak, however when the 20 are taken together they form a very strong case for the existence of a creator-sustainer God.(p.49)
There are good rational arguments for God’s existence and for the Christian definition of God. Thus God becomes very probable by reason. It is also difficult to disprove God. One can be a good scientist or philosopher and be a Christian, as there have been many great ones before. “Brilliant minds reject Christianity because they don’t want it to be true, because it is no longer fashionable or because it commands obedience, repentance and humility”(p.42). Believing in evolution and materialism has benefits for a reputable scientist and many do believe and exert peer pressure. (see the movie “No Intelligence Allowed”)
Most agree Jesus existed was good and wise teacher. But he claimed to be God, and before Abraham. Here are the only alternates to: Jesus claimed divinity
A. He meant it literally
1. It is true- He is Lord
2. It is false
a. He knew is was false- a liar How could he have so many disciples and do miracles?
b. He didn’t know it was false – a lunatic, same as above and resurrection proved also.
B. he meant it non-literally, mystically – he is a Guru, does not fit with being a Jew, a historical religion and miracles. His resurrection was witnessed by many persons and written in the Gospels. The stone was rolled away, there is no corpse, and the tomb was empty. p.195