Man is neither angel nor beast, and it is unfortunately the case that anyone trying to act the angel acts the beast. -Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal
In defence of doubt
As Christians, we tend to have this utopian belief that a true believer will never have any doubts about matters of faith. Thus, when a brother or sister has the courage to admit to doubt, we react with something akin to panic. Why do we react like this? Isn't it because deep down we ourselves … Continue reading In defence of doubt
Knowing our own wretchedness
I am quite well aware that I am an imperfect person. Such awareness means that I am a truly humble Christian, doesn’t it? Or am I mistaking complacency for humility? Perhaps I should come right out and call it lukewarmness. That is what God called it when He told me what He thought of me … Continue reading Knowing our own wretchedness
Blaise Pascal on the prophecies
If a single man had written a book foretelling the time and manner of Jesus's coming and Jesus had come in conformity with these prophecies, this would carry infinite weight. But there is much more here. There is a succession of men over a period of 4,000 years, coming consistently and invariably one after the … Continue reading Blaise Pascal on the prophecies
No evidence for this hypothesis
The hypothesis that the Apostles were knaves is quite absurd. Follow it out to the end and imagine those twelve men meeting after Jesus's death and conspiring to say that he had risen from the dead. This means attacking all the powers that be. The human heart is singularly susceptible to fickleness, to change, to … Continue reading No evidence for this hypothesis
What do we have inside?
Ravi Zacharias, in one of his books, quotes an African proverb which says: "A man shows what he has inside by what spills out when he is bumped." Much as we might wish to avoid it, we are going to be bumped, by circumstances that we did not foresee and by people who do not … Continue reading What do we have inside?
Evidences of the Resurrection
People despise Christian faith. They hate it, and are afraid that it may be true. - Blaise Pascal Unbelievers say that the disciples stole Jesus’ body and lied about the resurrection to save face. How believable is that? How long would the disciples have kept up that fiction, if it was a fiction, when they … Continue reading Evidences of the Resurrection
The kingdom of Christ
From the Pensées of Blaise Pascal (circa 1660): If the Jews had all been converted by Christ we should only have suspect witnesses left. And if they had been wiped out we should have had none at all. The Jews reject him [Jesus], but not all of them: the holy ones accept him and not … Continue reading The kingdom of Christ
Idolizing truth
We make an idol of truth itself, for truth without charity is not God, but his image and an idol which we must not love or worship; still less must we worship its opposite, which is falsehood. It is false piety to preserve peace at the expense of truth; it is false zeal to preserve … Continue reading Idolizing truth
Belief and unbelief, according to Blaise Pascal
I marvel at the audacity with which some people presume to speak of God. In giving their evidence to unbelievers, usually their first chapter is to prove the existence of God from the works of nature. I would not be surprised about this project if they were addressing their arguments to believers, for those with … Continue reading Belief and unbelief, according to Blaise Pascal
Flatlander Faith 