Why so pensive, Pascal?

Blaise Pascal by Augustin Pajou, Louvre
Blaise Pascal by Augustin Pajou, Louvre

I find the various philosophical arguments for the existence of God intriguing speculations rather than cast-iron proofs. However, in Pascal’s Pensées there appears one compelling argument that ditches the speculation and goes for a straight, honest wager. It goes like this

  • If you believe in God
    • and God exists, you gain everything.
    • and God does not exist, you loose nothing.
  • If you do not believe in God
    • and God does not exist, you gain nothing.
    • and God does exist, you loose everything.

    Continue reading “Why so pensive, Pascal?”

Creationism eats itself, while theology seeks understanding

In the same way that aliens from outer space always choose to invade the United States, creationists also find themselves a happy home there. And, in the same way that now South Africa has its own blockbuster alien invasion (albeit with a quantum leap in social analysis beyond the unknowingly self-parodying Independence Day), the ID UFOs are coming for the rest of us.

The first line in Europe’s defence has unfortunately fallen to Prof. Ellen van Wolde, chair of Old Testament exegesis at Radboud University Nijmegen. The Torygraph went for the headline “God is not the Creator, claims academic: The notion of God as the Creator is wrong, claims a top academic, who believes the Bible has been wrongly translated for thousands of years”, which certainly talks up her research. Continue reading “Creationism eats itself, while theology seeks understanding”