that is true, but I think Pascal is a bit too clever. Too clever by half as they say. He could write with great depth and logic, but sometimes he would just make a witty remark. What strikes me is that very likely more are familiar and have been positively affected by what was likely a somewhat off-handed statement given that he really didn't go into detail in establishing it or defending it. It stikes me how effective such things can be... like a Will Rogers or Geroge Carlin who could show how absurd issues with government could be with a few simple words. For me, the problem of evil is not an issue because of free will. I understand that many ask why God doesn't stop it. But, that is the flip side of free will. People are capable of every evil imaginable and no, God doesn't stop it... which sucks, but that is part of the deal. Nature is nature barring miracles. Yes, I agree with your statement about what is quantifiable, but that generally dead ends into subjectivism due to the nature of individuality and the limits of human understanding. We all lack perspective in that regard... if we could step back far enough, we might understand, but looking through the microscope generally overwhelms us with minutia.

I like your podcast--you're talking with your listeners not at them. I'm a cradle Catholic but was an atheist for 25 years, then reconverted. As an atheist, I didn't find Pascal persuasive. And as a Catholic, I still don't--but for different reasons. Pascal feels like gaming the system, like my heart's not in it. It was the realization that I'm a sinner that brought me back. That's hard to admit. The Catechism says, and I paraphrase, the farther you get from God the foggier your head gets. The problem of evils looms large for atheists, and God's answer in Job is unsatisfying even though it's true: the problem is me, not God. And science. I like what you have to say. We've taken science too far. It describes the mechanics of the natural world, but it can't address meaning, morality, or first causes (i.e. the uncaused cause). So atheists often say that they create their own meaning, right and wrong are obvious to them (in effect, my opinions are objective but your opinions are subjective). This may sound science-ey, but really they're saying that anything that isn't quantifiable is your own thing.