Does God exist? It’s a fair question. I am not a betting man, but I can do the arithmetic of chance versus reward. And this is quite straightforward. I can decide that God exists and, if I’m right, I have the prospect of eternal happiness. If he does not exist, then I will return to the same nothingness that I had before my conception.
You will, of course, have recognised my version of Pascal’s Wager. Philosophers have argued about its validity but there was an occasion, 20 years ago, when it was useful to me. I was lying in my bed, somewhat sedated, waiting for open-heart surgery. Although the risk of mortality was small, I had made my general Confession and written a farewell letter to my wife, with messages for the children. Would I still exist by the end of the morning? Then Pascal came to my aid. If he was wrong, it didn’t matter for I would never know. If he was right, then I was prepared. My mind was now at ease, and I dozed off.
