What, according to Pascal, does one gain in this life by taking the side of God?

Gambling. It does not merely pertain to a game of bet. We deal with it everyday of our lives. Yes, we gamble when we play a game of poker. Yet, we also gamble when we cross the road. We either win or lose; we either live or die. Life's greatest game of bet is the decision human beings need to make: to believe in God or not to believe in God. And, that is according to Blaise Pascal.

Blaise Pascal wrote the Pensées or Thoughts. In this document, he presents to us the Wager Argument. As a great mathematician, he makes his point through the use of probability, showing us the pros and cons of believing. We are now given the idea that the argument is based on the practical consequences or benefits that one can get from believing in God. The succeeding statements show how the pragmatic argument had been presented. If God really exist and we believe in Him, then we win; but if we don't, we lose. If God does not really exist and we believe in Him, then we lose; but if we don't, we win.

Now, this discussion will focus on this statement: if your bet is on God and He exists, you win; and if your bet is still on God and He does not exist, you lose, only on the surface. Again, by taking the side of God, and when it turns out He does really exist, you win. This means that you gain infinite happiness. Maybe this idea of infinite happiness means heaven, paradise. You gain everything, unending life of unending happiness; as Pascal puts it, “an infinity of infinitely happy life.” On the other hand, if you take the side of God but He does not really exist, you lose; but only on the surface. Despite the losing end, Pascal shows us that believing in God is a win-win situation. Give this a thought. Even if you lose the bet, you would not experience the pain and bitterness of losing because you and anyone else won't be there to experience anything at all. Nothing will be left; no reward, no pain, no God, no you, no anything. In fact, it seems like you've won because you've lived a well lived life. By believing in God, you experience conversion. You live a religious life patterned from God's teachings. You enjoy the joy and pleasure that you experienced for living a good life with a sense of purpose.

In gambling, we take risks. Life is a gamble. We take risks and sacrifices in life. In life's greatest game of bet, it is obvious that our only chance to win is by betting on God. So, why bet and take risk on something uncertain in exchange for something certain, a sure win?