There was a rather fun article on the BBC late last week detailing a new campaign (starting in January) by the British Humanist Association encouraging people to reject religion. Posters (not sure if they are actually posters, but hey) will appear on the sides of the much loathed “bendy buses” around the city declaring in pretty colours: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

What I find entertaining about this new campaign is that while the BHA, and Richard Dawkins (who in part has sponsored this) are very shrill in their attacks on people of faith, they still show respect to the deity by capitalising “god”! But this is not the point of my post.

Looking at the article again today I was struck by the wording – and for some reason I recalled Pascal’s Wager (click here for an interesting Wikipedia on the wager), which states that reason cannot prove or disprove the existence of God, and as such it is best to work on the assumption that God exists, because the longterm benefit (eternal life, happiness, enlightenment) outweighs the possible loss (nothing) of disbelief.

Pascal (who is also interesting because of his connection to the Port Royal community in Paris) argues that you have to choose one or the other – agnosticism simply won’t do – and live your life accordingly. This, of course opens a whole raft of fun and interesting questions about faith, belief, and living out the wager.