Friday, March 29, AD 2024 8:02am

McC’s Wager

The Thinking Person’s Bet On Eternity

There is a famous hypothetical “bet” called “ “Pascal’s Wager” which asserts that, since heaven is, or even only may be,  eternal with infinite pleasure, a rational person, including a rational atheist or a rational agnostic, should “bet” that heaven actually does exist and do here on this earth what is needed to get to that perhaps-fictional heaven. If it turns out to exist, the bettor wins, and wins big; if not, nothing was lost anyway.

Place Your Bets – Pascal & Arnobius

Blaise Pascal was a noted author, thinker, mathematician, and philosopher who lived from, 1623 A.D to 1662 A.D. His famous wager had been stated centuries before by a Father Of The Church,  Arnobius of Sicca,  who died around 330 A.D. Arnobius put the eternity bet this way in his book,  Against The Pagans:

Since, then, the nature of the future is such that it cannot be grasped and comprehended by any anticipation, is it not more rational, of two things uncertain and hanging in doubtful suspense, rather to believe that which carries with it some hopes, than that which brings none at all? For in the one case there is no danger, if that which is said to be at hand should prove vain and groundless; in the other there is the greatest loss, even the loss of salvation, if, when the time has come, it be shown that there was nothing false in what was declared.

Looking Down, Not Up, For the Eternity Bet

Eternity is forever and a long, long time. This is part of the appeal of the Pascal/Arnobius wager – spend a few dollars now, win not only  millions, but everlasting heavenly mega millions. The wager’s focus has always been “up,” with heaven in mind.

But what about Hell? If Hell is infinite pain, agony,  and suffering, and as eternal as an everlasting heaven, shouldn’t any thinking person avoid Hell, and the possibility of Hell, and bet that Hell exists as much as any thinking person should bet on heaven? Shouldn’t such a person live as if Hell is indeed forever?

God Says So

We have it on very good authority that there is a Hell and it is way, way more than a long, long time. Jesus, God the Son, told us:

Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mt 25:41)

God’s own words, given to us through the divine inspiration of St. Paul, St. Jude, and St. John, tell us:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:9,10).

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”(Jude 1:7).

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:14,15)

Mortal Sin

The Church, the Mystical Body Of Christ on earth,  teaches and has always taught that there are two kinds of sin, venial and mortal.

If one commits unrepentant mortal sin, one will be condemned to Hell forever:

Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. (1861; Catechism of the Catholic Church).

Committing mortal sin is like betting that there is no eternal, everlasting Hell. Why would anyone with half a brain do that? Especially anyone who has the gift of faith? Some might out of arrogance; but others might do so because the shepherds chosen by God to bring them to Him lead them astray. The wicked shepherds turn into hirelings, or worse, wolves who assist the devil in devouring the faithful sheep. Who would do such a terrible thing?

Jorge Bergoglio

The man currently wearing papal white, Jorge Bergoglio, (placed in office by the illicit machinations of the St. Gallen Group, the “Gallen Mafia,” in violation of church procedures) has declared publicly  – in his own words – “No one can be condemned forever.” (Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, section 297).  He has refused to clarify these words, even when asked to do so by cardinals of Jesus’s Church. He has refused to explain how these words do not directly contradict the divinely-inspired words of God, or the clear teachings of Jesus’s Church.

There is so much more going on with the declaration of this bergoglian Hell heresy than its statement alone. If it is true, then the “mortal” sinfulness of any action is dissolved. There is no mortal sin.

That this is part of the heretical scheme is clear from Amoris Laetitia itself and from the subsequent actions, declarations, and interpretations of its bishop, priest, and lay supporters in dioceses and universities around the world. These include not only asserting that adultery, men acting effiminately, men sleeping with boys, and men voluntarily engaging in homosexual actions and sexual intercourse are not doing anything wrong or sinful; but that now such actions can and must be viewed as virtuous and as in accord with the will of God Himself. They are forming and furthering the Jorge denomination, they are not shepherding God’s faithful in Jesus’s Church.

The McC Wager

Any rational person must at the very least admit that Jorge Bergoglio might be wrong – and God might be right. You can believe God or you can believe Jorge Bergoglio. You cannot believe both. But you believe Jorge at your peril, and it is an eternal peril.

Since God has told us in undeniable, revealed truth that there is a Hell, and that it is everlasting, any rational person must “bet” that such a Hell could exist and do whatever is necessary so that they do not go there forever.

 

 

 

 

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Ben Butera
Admin
Wednesday, May 16, AD 2018 6:46pm

Hi Guy,
I’m not a big fan of Pascal’s Wager because it seems to imply that we can “fake it until we make it”, but God knows our hearts.
Also, you seem to imply that the current pontificate is invalid. True? Because you feel some of the voting cardinals did not follow Church procedures? Which procedures are you referring to?

Mary De Voe
Thursday, May 17, AD 2018 9:36am

“You will believe in hell when you get there.” Mother Angelica. So will George Bergoglio

Ben Butera
Admin
Thursday, May 17, AD 2018 10:31am

Guy,
Your first three links say “page not found”. The Nussman paste refers to organized campaigning to elect a pope, which is not allowed. Nussman then says that “Bergoglio became Pope Francis” which implies that even Nussman thinks he is Pope. In any case, I think this would get into what specific actions constitute, and who would police “various forms of politicking among the cardinal electors at conclaves.” Only the Holy Spirit could guide sinful men through such a mess.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Friday, May 18, AD 2018 2:59am

People are not betting on heaven and hell. Rather, they are choosing what gives them pleasure now – adultery, fornication, sodomy, lesbianism. They are like the alcoholic or drug addict who knows with certainty that that drink or drug will lead to prison, the insane asylum or death, but the alcoholic or addict has lost the power of choice to be sober. Indeed the behavior of people today caught in wickedness and immorality is just like an alcoholic’s or addict’s behavior. See Romans 7:13-25. Only God’s grace can break the chains of such addiction.

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