Reference is made to John Guillaumier’s letter entitled “No evidence of God” (TMIS, – 11 November). This is not the first time that he writes about God’s existence so he must be constantly searching for Him, unlike many who either take God for granted or do not even stop to think.  Mr Guillaumier should be thanked for unwittingly prompting others to reflect on God’s existence. 

Referring to the horrific devastation of Hurricane Sandy, Mr Guillaumier claims that there was no evidence of God. But then he says that when these disasters hit, humans rush to help each other.  One could interpret this “rush to help” as an indirect act of God. Why would humans rush to help if they do not value life more than material things? Who would lift a finger to help find and bury all the dead?

Mr Guillaumier says that we should all “discard archaic myths about God” and acknowledge the fact that “nature is all that there is”. In one’s search for God one should go further and ask, “who created nature?”

Mr Guillaumier quotes Blaise Pascal, a 17th century mathematician and philosopher, who said to himself: “I am terrified by the eternal silence of these infinite spaces.” 

However, it is also worth noting that in “Pascal’s Wager” he (Pascal) said: “If we must not act save on a certainty, we ought not to act on religion, for it is not certain. But how many things we do on an uncertainty, sea voyages, battles! I say then we must do nothing at all, for nothing is certain, and that there is more certainty in religion than there is as to whether we may see tomorrow; for it is not certain that we may see tomorrow, and it is certainly possible that we may not, see it. We cannot say as much about religion.  It is not certain that it is; but who will venture to say that it is certainly possible that it is not?” (For the full text of Pascal’s Pensees (thoughts) go to: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/pascal/pensees-a.html)

On his deathbed, Pascal was consistent with his belief that a rational person should live as though God exists, even though the truth of the matter cannot actually be known and, after receiving Extreme Unction, his last words were “May God never abandon me!”

Albert Calleja

ATTARD