A Win-Win situation
Occasionally, I like to remind my self of a story that I heard several years ago.
Blaise Pascal lived during the middle 1600's in France. He was a brilliant mathematician as well as a scientist.
He had a conversion experience late in his teen years that changed his life. He has been know for his faith as well as his brilliant mind, but you probably won't hear of this first attribute in most university mathematics studies, I never did.
There is a wonderful story about a discussion that he had with one of his learned colleagues that I have used many times when speaking to groups.
Pascal opens the discussion by asking his colleague what he believed would happen to him after he dies. The colleague responds by saying, "I believe that I will cease to exist." Pascal's next question was similar, "What do you believe will happen to me after I die?" The response was the same, "You will cease to exist."
The learned man then asks Pascal, "What do you believe will happen to you after you die?" Pascal's response was, "Since I am a Christian I will go to Heaven and live in eternal glory." The gentleman then asked, "What do you believe will happen to me after I die?" Pascal's response was, "Since you by admission are not a Christian, you will go to Hell where you will spend eternity suffering the torments of Hell."
Now Pascal cuts to the chase by saying, "Let me summarize this discussion. If you are right we will both cease to exist upon our deaths, but, if I am right, I will spend eternity in Heaven with all its glory and majesty, but you will spend eternity suffering the torments of Hell."
"Now, as I see it, no matter who is right, you can't win and I can't loose."
If you are a Christian today, you too can say what Pascal said, but if you are not I am afraid that you have little hope, the only shred of hope being to become a Christian. I can help you with that today, just ask.
jim@burtonia.com
See you in a week or so, I am going fishing for a few days, for fish as well as men.
Occasionally, I like to remind my self of a story that I heard several years ago.
Blaise Pascal lived during the middle 1600's in France. He was a brilliant mathematician as well as a scientist.
He had a conversion experience late in his teen years that changed his life. He has been know for his faith as well as his brilliant mind, but you probably won't hear of this first attribute in most university mathematics studies, I never did.
There is a wonderful story about a discussion that he had with one of his learned colleagues that I have used many times when speaking to groups.
Pascal opens the discussion by asking his colleague what he believed would happen to him after he dies. The colleague responds by saying, "I believe that I will cease to exist." Pascal's next question was similar, "What do you believe will happen to me after I die?" The response was the same, "You will cease to exist."
The learned man then asks Pascal, "What do you believe will happen to you after you die?" Pascal's response was, "Since I am a Christian I will go to Heaven and live in eternal glory." The gentleman then asked, "What do you believe will happen to me after I die?" Pascal's response was, "Since you by admission are not a Christian, you will go to Hell where you will spend eternity suffering the torments of Hell."
Now Pascal cuts to the chase by saying, "Let me summarize this discussion. If you are right we will both cease to exist upon our deaths, but, if I am right, I will spend eternity in Heaven with all its glory and majesty, but you will spend eternity suffering the torments of Hell."
"Now, as I see it, no matter who is right, you can't win and I can't loose."
If you are a Christian today, you too can say what Pascal said, but if you are not I am afraid that you have little hope, the only shred of hope being to become a Christian. I can help you with that today, just ask.
jim@burtonia.com
See you in a week or so, I am going fishing for a few days, for fish as well as men.
posted by Jim Burton at 8:11 AM
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