Text A The Fundamentals of the Christian Religion（第1页）

TextATheFualsoftheReligion

BlaisePascal

Pre-reading

BlaisePascal（1623-1662）hilosopher，stist，mathemativentor，andtheologian1。Iics，heiohefieldsofgametheoryandprobabilitytheory。Inphilosophyheioialism。Asawriterontheolionhewasadefenderofity。

&eicillhealth，Pascalmadehistoritributionstomathematidtophysigbothexperimentalaicalworkonhydraulics，atmosphericpressure，aeureofthevacuum。Asastistandphilosopherofsce，Pascaledstrictempiricalobservationarolledexperiments;heopposedtherationalismandlogico-deductivemethodofthes;andheopposedthemetaphysicalspesandreverehorityofthetheologiansoftheMiddleAges。

Althoughheneverfullyabandonedhisstifidmathematiterests，afterhisunightofFire（theiicalilluminationandmidnightthatheexperieheeveningofNovember23，1654），Pasedhistalentsalmostexclusivelyti。Itwasduringtheperiodfrom1656untilhisdeathin1662thathewroteTheLettresProvihePeresProvincialesisasatiricalattaJesuitcasuistryandapolemiseofJahePenséesisaposthumously2publishedofuesforwhatwasiobeasystematicapologiaforthereligion。Alongwithhisstifigs，thesetwogreatliteraryworkshaveattractedtheadmirationandcrititerestofphilosophersandseriousreaderseion。

Promptsf

&horsthat“Thereligionsistsintwopoints”。Whatarethetwopoints?

2。WhatistheobjectofthewholecourseofthingsagtoPascal?

3。“Andonthisgrouakeotorevilethereligioheymisu。”Whatisthesepeople’smisuandingofGodandreligion?

4。Whatisthedangerofbelievingindeism?

5。rideofphilosophers”andthe“despairofatheists”?

6。HowdoesPascaldescribetheGod?

7。WhatroledoesJesusChristplayinthewodandmanofGod?

[1]Metheydonotkianreligionsistsintwopoints。ItisofequalentokisequallydaobeignoraisequallyofGod’smercythatHehasgivenindisofboth。

[2]Aakeotocludethatosdoes，fromthatwhichshouldhavecausedthemtoihesages4whohavesaidthereisonlyoneGodhavebeeheJewswerehated，andstillmorethes。Theyhaveseeofiftherebeatruereligiohecourseofallthingsmusttendtoitastoatre。

[3]Thewholecourseofthingsmusthaveforitsobjecttheestablishmenessiohavewithinthemfeelireligionteachesus。And，finally，religionmustsobetheobjetretowhichallthiwhoeverknowstheprinciplesiongiveaionbothofthewholenatureofmaninpartidofthewholecourseeneral。

[4]Andonthisgrouakeotorevile6thereligioheymisu。TheyimagisistssimplyintheworshipofaGodsideredasgreat，powerful，aernal;whichisstrictlydeism7，almostasfarremovedfromthereligionasatheism8，whichisitsexactopposite。Aheycludethatthisreligionisnottrue，becausetheydoallthingscurtotheestablishmentofthispoint，thatGoddoesHimselftomenwithalltheevidencewhichHecouldshow。

[5]Butletthemcludewhattheywillagaiheywillothingagaiianreligion，whichproperlysistsieryoftheRedeemer9，who，unitingiwonatures，humananddivine，hasredeemedmeionofsioreciletheminHisdivioGod。

[6]Thereligioeathesetwotruths;thatthereisaGodwhommenow，andthatthereisaiurewhidersthemunworthyofHim。Itisequallyimportaoknowboththesepoints;anditisequallydangerousformantoknowGodwithoutknowinghisowess，andtoknoretesswithoutknowingtheRedeemerwhofreehimfromit。Theknowledgeofohesepointsgivesriseeithertotheprideofphilosophers，whohaveknownGod，andnottheirowess，ortothedespairofatheists，ess，butnottheRedeemer。

[7]And，asitisalikeomantokwopoints，soisitalikemercifulofGodtohavemadeuskhereligiohis;itisinthisthatitsists。

[8]Letushereiheorderoftheworld，ahingsdoablishthesetwotsion:JesusChrististheendofall，aowhids。WhoeverknowsHimknowsthereas。

[9]ThosewhofallintoerrorerrhfailuretoseeohihenhaveaknowledgeofGodwithoutthatofourowess，andofourowhoutthatofGod。ButweowJesusChristwithoutknowiimebothGodandourowess。

[10]ThereforeIshallakeheretoprovebyhertheexistenceofGod，ortheTrinity，ortheimmortalityofthesofthatonlybecauseIshouldnotfeelmyselfsuffitlyabletofindistoedatheists，butalsobecausesuowledgewithoutJesusChristisuselessahoughamanshouldbeumericalproportioerialtruths，eteronafirsttruth，inwhichtheysubsist，andwhichiscalledGod，Ishouldnotthinkhimfaradvaowardshiso

[11]TheGodofsisnotaGodwhoissimplytheauthorofmathematicaltruths，oroftheorderoftheelements;thatistheviewofheathens10andEpis11。HeisnodwhoexercisesHisprovidehelifeandfortuobestowonthosewhoworshipHimalongandhappylife。ThatortionoftheJews。ButtheGodofAbraham，theGodofIsaac，theGodofJacob，theGodofs，isaGodofloveandodwhofillsthesoulahosewhomHepossesses，aGodwhomakesthemsciousoftheiriess，andHisinfinitemeritesHimselftotheirinmostsoul，whofillsitwithhumilityandjoy，withdlove，whorehemincapableofahanHimself。

[12]AllwhoseekGodwithoutJesusdwhorestiherfindnolighttosatisfythem，orforthemselvesameansofknowingGHimwithoutamediator。Therebytheyfalleitherintoatheism，oriwothingswhichthereligionabhors12almostequally。

[13]WithoutJesusChristtheworldwould;foritshouldhatitwouldbedestroyedorbeahell。

[14]IftheworldexistedtoinstruofGod，HisdivinitywouldshihrougheverypartinitinanindisputablemaasitexistsonlybyJesusdforJesusdtoteaboththeirandtheirredemption13，alldisplaystheproofsofthesetwotruths。

[15]Allappearaesalexapresenceofdivinity，butthepresenceofaGodwhohidesHimself。Everythihischaracter。

Notes