--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What Pascal overlooked was the…" description: "\"“What Pascal overlooked was the hair-raising possibility that God might out-Luther Luther. A special area in hell might be reserved for those who go to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/walter-kaufmann-14133_blaise-pascal_what-pascal-overlooked-was-the-hair-rais_2127592.png" --- # What Pascal overlooked was the hair-raising possibility… ![“What Pascal overlooked was the hair-raising possibility that God might out-Luther Luther. A special area in hell might be reserved for those who go to mass. Or God might punish those whose faith is prompted by prudence. Perhaps God prefers the abstinent to those who whore around with some…” quote by Walter Kaufmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/walter-kaufmann-14133_blaise-pascal_what-pascal-overlooked-was-the-hair-rais_2127592.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/walter-kaufmann-14133_blaise-pascal_what-pascal-overlooked-was-the-hair-rais_2127592.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/walter-kaufmann-14133_blaise-pascal_what-pascal-overlooked-was-the-hair-rais_2127592.png) > ““What Pascal overlooked was the hair-raising possibility that God might out-Luther Luther. A special area in hell might be reserved for those who go to mass. Or God might punish those whose faith is prompted by prudence. Perhaps God prefers the abstinent to those who whore around with some denomination he despises. Perhaps he reserves special rewards for those who deny themselves the comfort of belief. Perhaps the intellectual ascetic will win all while those who compromised their intellectual integrity lose everything. There are many other possibilities. There might be many gods, including one who favors people like Pascal ; but the other gods might overpower or outvote him, à la Homer . Nietzsche might well have applied to Pascal his cutting remark about Kant : when he wagered on God, the great mathematician 'became an idiot.”” [Walter Kaufmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kaufmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage explores how rational doubt, competing divine concepts, and moral integrity challenge religious certainty. **In simple terms:** Questioning faith reveals many possible divine outcomes and ethical dilemmas. Key Takeaway Embrace intellectual humility and explore diverse perspectives. Themes philosophy religion ethics Mood thoughtful critical provocative Type philosophical theoretical reflective When to use this quote - theological debate - personal belief crisis - academic discussion - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts skepticism theodicy existential risk Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to “out‑Luther” God? - How do we balance faith and reason? 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