And London atheists think this is GOOD news, eh? Blow up a balloon, whoopee ... The wager ("probably") gets worse when one realizes that the weight of evidence is greater on the alternative in the history of the question.
Then, too, it comes down to one's understanding of the nature of God. Some see God as a Taskmaster who treats us like slaves (Islam); to a warm, mushy deity who only expects us to be “nice people” and ushers into Heaven all manner of riff raff (New Age, Salvation Lite); to a stern, all-demanding Judge who divides humanity into (a) the “elect”, who automatically have an “get out of jail – go directly to Heaven” card and (b) the damned, who are pre-ordained to go to “h-e-double-hockey-sticks” – too bad for them (Classical Protestantism).
But Jesus in the Gospels - the Gospels decided canonical by the Catholic Church's Councils of Hippo and Carthage, late 4th century - makes it exceptionally clear as to the nature of God with whom He is part and parcel.
God makes it manifestly clear that (a) He does the deciding; we are not to judge, “lest we be judged;” (b) He is just like the Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15, 11ff), willing even to look foolish on behalf of the one who sheepishly returns to the ranch from a life of sin, looking for work, room and board; and (c) He is willing to go so far as to die an ignominious and wrenchingly-painful death – death on a cross – for the sake of a bloodthirsty and largely thankless human race.
If that is not love, what is? Put your money on, Yes, God exists. Thank God!
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