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I’ve been thinking since the original post on how different people lead different lives and how that could be just from God’s perspective. That thought really got under my skin as a fellow questioner and I have come up with two theories I would appreciate feedback on.

Theory One: Is it possible that if Subject A has a hard life that their specific time in purgatory may be less than that of Subject B who commits the same amount of sins, but did not have as many hurdles to overcome? In this theory, God is just because he considers circumstance and balances things at the very end to ensure fairness. I see this happen in American courts where people are given lighter sentences based off circumstances. Even thought two people commit the same crime against the law, their punishment is adjusted for the sake of justice.

Theory Two: Is it possible that over the course of a life people all experience the same ratio (not amount) of difficult circumstance and blessings? The child dying in the womb has a ratio of 0:0, experiencing the same ratio of difficult circumstance to blessings. The Holocaust survivor living to age 90 has a ratio of 120:120 of difficult circumstances to blessing over the course of an entire lifetime. One example would be the author of ‘Night’: he had a terrible childhood in a concentration camp, but went on to become a Nobel Laureate, potentially balancing the scales. Even though God does not create a world where we all have the same quantitative experiences, is it possible we each have the same qualitative experience?

Just theories… they may not be true, but from a Catholic doctrine point of view, are either of these possible? If so, do they make sense logically? If I’m off base, please let me know how and why so I can continue to grow. Cheers!
I think your first theory is closer to the truth. Justice in life is not related to equality of opportunity or equality of reward. It is impossible for everyone to have the same opportunities or talents. The richness and variety of existence stem from our differences as individuals. Since no two persons have exactly the same experiences it is impossible to allocate any external form of recompense or punishment. Nor is it necessary. Divine justice is implicit in the simple but sublime request we make in the Lord’s Prayer:

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

We are forgiven to the exact extent that we forgive. This principle applies to everything we choose. We obtain exactly what we deserve, not necessarily in this life but certainly in the life to come. Every effort we make to serve God, to do what is right and to help others brings its own reward. Every failure, act of selfishness and neglect of others incurs its own punishment. It cannot be otherwise because we are made in the image and likeness of our Father. We are loved to the exact extent that we love others. Moral laws are simply truths about personal development. To live with love is to live with joy. Heaven begins in this world…

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Tonyrey: The part of your argument that makes most sense to me is when you state that: **“The richness and variety of existence stem from our differences as individuals. Since no two persons have exactly the same experiences it is impossible to allocate any external form of recompense or punishment.” **

Even if we were all given equal blessings and hardships, our differences as individuals would change what we do with those blessing. Like, if someone was given all their hardships upfront in life, then even if they were given blessings later in life to balance the scales (my theorized ratio), they would likely be jaded and have a different perspective. Even if the ratio was perfect, the impact of them would not be equal.

So, I think you’re right that this wouldn’t be a possible way to determine compensation or punishment. Its really not possible for two people to have the same quality of experience over the course of their life due to a perfect ratio, because previous experiences always change how later experiences would be perceived.

I’m tossing out Theory Two!
 
I have to explain why taking less evidence as meaning more evidence is illogical?
It would be more to the point to refute each point I have made rather than resort to a vague generalisation… but that would be rather more problematical for you… 🙂
 
It would be more to the point to refute each point I have made rather than resort to a vague generalisation… but that would be rather more problematical for you… 🙂
Ok let’s spell it out.

You don’t want divine intervention because if there was, we wouldn’t have to have blind faith, because there is objective evidence.

This is illogical because you are preferring less evidence to more evidence.
 
Ok let’s spell it out.

You don’t want divine intervention because if there was, we wouldn’t have to have blind faith, because there is objective evidence.

This is illogical because you are preferring less evidence to more evidence.
Oversimplification!
  1. There is plenty of evidence that divine intervention occurs.
  2. If divine intervention occurred to prevent **every **disaster we would **know **that a benevolent Power is protecting us.
  3. If we knew a benevolent Power is protecting us we would no longer be free to choose what to believe.
  4. It is absurd to expect to enjoy the gift of freedom for nothing.
 
  1. There is plenty of evidence that divine intervention occurs.
Plenty? You have some weird idea of what “plenty” means… If you would count the incidents crying out for intervention and count those where the “divine intervention” even supposedly happened, their ratio would have many, many hundreds of zeroes after the decimal point. Is that “plenty”?
  1. If divine intervention occurred to prevent **every **disaster we would **know **that a benevolent Power is protecting us.
First, what is wrong with that? Second, the world could have been organized so that divine intervention would not be necessary. Don’t ask me how. If you can’t figure it out yourself, you are hopeless. Third, on what grounds do you believe that this alleged Power is benevolent? Simple, old fashioned blind faith? Yep, that’s what it is…
  1. If we knew a benevolent Power is protecting us we would no longer be free to choose what to believe.
First, belief is not a choice. Second, we would still be free to worship and serve that power, or not. Simple belief will not save you. Submission, servitude, blind obedience, worship is the “key” - at least according to believers.
  1. It is absurd to expect to enjoy the gift of freedom for nothing.
Freedom is not a gift. I would gladly give up the “freedom” to become old and sick. And so would anyone else.
 
  1. There is plenty of evidence that divine intervention occurs.
None are so blind as those who will not see… Obviously if you begin with a closed mind you will find nothing. You have blind faith that everything that cannot be explained scientifically will eventually be explained scientifically. Yet your blind faith in science can explain neither how you are thinking nor why you are thinking…
2. If divine intervention occurred to prevent every disaster we would know that a benevolent Power is protecting us.
First, what is wrong with that? Second, the world could have been organized so that divine intervention would not be necessary. Don’t ask me how. If you can’t figure it out yourself, you are hopeless.

You are hopelessly presumptuous to imagine that your limited intelligence can design an entire universe superior to this one. Why not give us a detailed blueprint?
Third, on what grounds do you believe that this alleged Power is benevolent? Simple, old fashioned blind faith? Yep, that’s what it is…
You are completely missing the point> Please reread my statements carefully…
4. It is absurd to expect to enjoy the gift of freedom for nothing.
Freedom is not a gift.

Oh? You have created it for yourself, have you? How did you do it? :rolleyes:
I would gladly give up the “freedom” to become old and sick.
Now your absurdity is evident to everyone!
And so would anyone else.
You claim to be speaking for the entire human race?
First, belief is not a choice.
So you are forced to believe everything you believe, are you? You** know** that **no one **can choose what to believe! Again you are speaking on behalf of the human race! Of course it may be true in your case… 😉
Second, we would still be free to worship and serve that power, or not.
If you know you are being watched at every moment of the day and night by a Power that controls the forces of nature do you really believe you would be capable of leading an independent existence? Your fantasy know no bounds…
Simple belief will not save you.
You’re the only one who has suggested it will…
Submission, servitude, blind obedience, worship is the “key” - at least according to believers.
Where do you acquire all these peculiar notions? :confused:
 
None are so blind as those who will not see… Obviously if you begin with a closed mind you will find nothing. You have blind faith that everything that cannot be explained scientifically will eventually be explained scientifically. Yet your blind faith in science can explain neither how you are thinking nor why you are thinking…
This has nothing to do with your “plenty”. Why don’t you stick to the subject? And for “blind faith”… science has a good track record, which fully justifes my faith. What is the track record of your God’s “benevolence”?
You are hopelessly presumptuous to imagine that your limited intelligence can design an entire universe superior to this one. Why not give us a detailed blueprint?
Anyone can design a better one.
So you are forced to believe everything you believe, are you?
Forced? Incorrect choice of words. Please show how can you freely “choose” that Santa Claus is a real, though magical person. Come back when you are successful - and preferably not before.
If you know you are being watched at every moment of the day and night by a Power that controls the forces of nature do you really believe you would be capable of leading an independent existence? Your fantasy know no bounds…
Well, my fantasy is vast, but I happened to take that one from your “holy scriptures” (hint: Genesis). I am glad you call it a fantasy book… at least we can agree on something.
Where do you acquire all these peculiar notions? :confused:
I read all that on this board, and in the Bible… peculiar? I guess so,
 
This has nothing to do with your “plenty”. Why don’t you stick to the subject? And for “blind faith”… science has a good track record, which fully justifies my faith.
Anyone can design a better one.
A vacuous assertion… until you give us a detailed blueprint…
So you are forced to believe everything you believe, are you?

Forced? Incorrect choice of words. Please show how can you freely “choose” that Santa Claus is a real, though magical person. Come back when you are successful - and preferably not before.

Come back when you can show us **how ** can you freely choose anything? Or perhaps you are a robot after all…
If you know you are being watched at every moment of the day and night by a Power that controls the forces of nature do you really believe you would be capable of leading an independent existence? Your fantasy know no bounds…

Well, my fantasy is vast, but I happened to take that one from your “holy scriptures” (hint: Genesis). I am glad you call it a fantasy book… at least we can agree on something.

You are evading the point… as usual…
Where do you acquire all these peculiar notions?

I read all that on this board, and in the Bible… peculiar? I guess so
Your crude, literal interpretation…

It’s obviously a complete waste of time and energy attempting to have a rational discussion with you - as others have already noticed…
[/QUOTE]
 
R Daneel;6333761:
This has nothing to do with your “plenty”. Why don’t you stick to the subject? And for “blind faith”… science has a good track record, which fully justifies my faith.
I’m delighted you admit it is faith - but your faith in science doesn’t help you in the slightest when it comes to making the important decisions in your life. It’s not bad luck but bad judgment on your part…
What is the track record of your God’s “benevolence”?
You take everything you are and possess for granted. Was it supplied by purposeless, inanimate particles? But, of course, you don’t really value your life anyway, do you?
You are hopelessly presumptuous to imagine that your limited intelligence can design an entire universe superior to this one. Why not give us a detailed blueprint?
Anyone can design a better one.
A vacuous assertion… until you give us a detailed blueprint…
So you are forced to believe everything you believe, are you?

Forced? Incorrect choice of words. Please show how can you freely “choose” that Santa Claus is a real, though magical person. Come back when you are successful - and preferably not before.

Come back when you can show us **how ** you can make any free choices… But perhaps you are a robot after all… :rolleyes:
If you know you are being watched at every moment of the day and night by a Power that controls the forces of nature do you really believe you would be capable of leading an independent existence? Your fantasy know no bounds…

Well, my fantasy is vast, but I happened to take that one from your “holy scriptures” (hint: Genesis). I am glad you call it a fantasy book… at least we can agree on something.

You are evading the point… as usual…
Where do you acquire all these peculiar notions?

I read all that on this board, and in the Bible… peculiar? I guess so
Your crude, literal interpretation…

It’s obviously a complete waste of time and energy attempting to have a rational discussion with you - as others have already discovered…
 
Oversimplification!
  1. There is plenty of evidence that divine intervention occurs.
  2. If divine intervention occurred to prevent **every **disaster we would **know **that a benevolent Power is protecting us.
  3. If we knew a benevolent Power is protecting us we would no longer be free to choose what to believe.
  4. It is absurd to expect to enjoy the gift of freedom for nothing.
  1. Tell that to someone who lost their relatives in Haiti.
  2. Yes.
  3. Yes, there is freedom to believe whether evidence is staring you in the face and punching you in the head or not. See anyone on this forum that doesn’t believe in evolution. No matter the evidence, people manage to find ways not to believe.
  4. But if the infinitely powerful chooses not to give it, then he is malicious. Think of a guy who has infinite capacity to heal. Given that the injuries in the world are finite, the effort he expends is zero. There is effectively nothing asked from him, so if he doesn’t heal everyone in the world, he is malicious, or doesn’t like us. I thought God loved us.
 
I’m delighted you admit it is faith - but your faith in science doesn’t help you in the slightest when it comes to making the important decisions in your life. It’s not bad luck but bad judgment on your part…
Science does help me, empiricism prevents me from stepping off the sidewalk into traffic.
You take everything you are and possess for granted.
Not at all. I worked for everything. And when I was ill, God did not cure me, the doctors did. So where is God’s track record of helping? Nowhere.
A vacuous assertion… until you give us a detailed blueprint…
Read the story of the Garden. Of course you may think that it is just a crude interpretation.
Come back when you can show us **how ** you can make any free choices… But perhaps you are a robot after all… :rolleyes:
Nonsense. Can you **choose **to believe in Santa Claus?
Your crude, literal interpretation…
Oh yes. If you don’t like what the quote is all about, it is a crude interpretation. You are pathetic…
It’s obviously a complete waste of time and energy attempting to have a rational discussion with you - as others have already discovered…
Rational? You would not know what rational is, if it hit you in the face. Just follow your cronies, and ignore me. 🙂 I will be better off.
 
  1. There is plenty of evidence that divine intervention occurs.
Is that supposed to be a rational argument?🤷 You’re living in a dream world. You expect everything for nothing. No disasters, no disease, no deaths, no decay, no decadence, no disappointments… In a word, non-sense!
2. If divine intervention occurred to prevent every disaster we would know
that a benevolent Power is protecting us.
Yes.

Aha! So you agree we would no longer be able to choose what to believe…👍
3. If we knew a benevolent Power is protecting us we would no longer be free to choose what to believe.
Yes, there is freedom to believe whether evidence is staring you in the face and punching you in the head or not. See anyone on this forum that doesn’t believe in evolution. No matter the evidence, people manage to find ways not to believe.

There is a vast difference between a theory and a disaster-free, accident-free world.
4. It is absurd to expect to enjoy the gift of freedom for nothing.
  1. But if the infinitely powerful chooses not to give it, then he is malicious.
Are you saying we are entitled to the gift of freedom? To a life without **any **drawbacks? To pleasure without pain? A world where everything goes according to plan?
Think of a guy who has infinite capacity to heal. Given that the injuries in the world are finite, the effort he expends is zero. There is effectively nothing asked from him, so if he doesn’t heal everyone in the world, he is malicious, or doesn’t like us.
It is the easiest thing in the world to suggest how the world could be improved but to do so is quite a different matter. BTW How much experience do you have of designing worlds? Why don’t you supply us with a detailed blueprint of your Utopia? It will be fascinating to study your great masterpiece… 🙂
I thought God loved us.
I doubt if that thought has ever entered your head! 🤷 You obviously see nothing worth having - and are not prepared to pay the price what you do have. According to your argument it would be better if life didn’t exist on this planet. After all, it is such a terrible place, isn’t it? I wonder how long it will be before you opt out… 😃
 
You take everything you are and possess for granted.
So you created yourself, did you? 😃
And when I was ill, God did not cure me, the doctors did.
How did the doctors acquire their intelligence? By Chance? The blind Goddess to whom you attribute all life and development… Don’t forget to express your gratitude to her…🙂 Or do you wish you had never been born? 👍
 
So you created yourself, did you? 😃
My parents did… and they truly loved me, and proved it by giving me caring, education, food, helped me to start in life… and zillions of other things. What did God do for anyone, who was in need? NOTHING!

And **choose **to believe in Santa Claus, if you can… go ahead, make my day.
 
Is that supposed to be a rational argument?🤷 You’re living in a dream world. You expect everything for nothing. No disasters, no disease, no deaths, no decay, no decadence, no disappointments… In a word, non-sense!

(and)

Are you saying we are entitled to the gift of freedom? To a life without **any **drawbacks? To pleasure without pain? A world where everything goes according to plan?
It is the easiest thing in the world to suggest how the world could be improved but to do so is quite a different matter. BTW How much experience do you have of designing worlds? Why don’t you supply us with a detailed blueprint of your Utopia? It will be fascinating to study your great masterpiece… 🙂
My argument stems not from that, but an all powerful god. It would take finite effort to fix this world is, and since he has infinite capability he would be expending zero percent of his total effort. To not improve the lives of so many when it costs you nothing is malicious. Please point out why this logic is flawed, instead of ad hominem. It’d also be nice to cut back on the sarcasm.
Aha! So you agree we would no longer be able to choose what to believe…👍
Nope, as I say, sometimes people don’t believe even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Even sane people can do it (all the time). I mean, you must think I’m pretty dumb not to accept the ‘overwhelming evidence’ of god, and me to you, but I think I am sane and you think you are sane. It stands to reason that even in a flawless world, some people may not believe in god.

And really, if God wants only those with the capability to have faith in the face of no evidence, well, I wouldn’t want to live in that ‘society’.
There is a vast difference between a theory and a disaster-free, accident-free world.
But the levels of evidence would be approximately equal. The least you could expect is a world that doesn’t run on suffering, but pain and suffering is the motivator of pretty much every animal.
I doubt if that thought has ever entered your head! 🤷 You obviously see nothing worth having - and are not prepared to pay the price what you do have. According to your argument it would be better if life didn’t exist on this planet. After all, it is such a terrible place, isn’t it? I wonder how long it will be before you opt out… 😃
That we should be thankful for what we have sounds good on paper, but what it actually means is that every one except the single most downtrodden unhappy human should not wish for anything more. I differ. And the ad hominem nihilism. You can cut that out too, thanks.
 
  1. There is plenty of evidence that divine intervention occurs.
  2. If divine intervention occurred to prevent every disaster we would know that a benevolent Power is protecting us.
  3. If we knew a benevolent Power is protecting us we would no longer be free to choose what to believe.
  4. It is absurd to expect to enjoy the gift of freedom for nothing.
  1. This is truly ironic - the people of Haiti are almost unanimously believers and the earthquake has not shaken their faith in the power of God. God remains their strength and their hope.
  2. No - we would not even know that there was such a thing as disaster if one never occurred; so if God prevented every disaster before it occurred, one would never occur (obviously) and we would never be able to draw any conclusions from the fact of this non-occurrence since we wouldn’t know about it. (I.e., you’re both wrong.)
  3. You’re both right on this one, although Tony’s claim is trivial and Schn’s cuts both ways.
  4. You’re both wrong on this one. Tony: there is no reason for or against freely giving a free gift - to give one is not absurd. Schn: your purely this-world analysis obviously ignores the broader context of justice and the rewards and healing that we hope for in the world to come.
 
If God is loving and omnipotent, why not? I love my children more than anything, and if I could prevent either of them from ever suffering in the slightest, I would do so. If God loves us and He can intervene in the world, then why did He not take action to prevent the unnecessary suffering of 100s of thousands of poor people in Haiti? What is gained by allowing that to happen? If miracles really do occur in the world, and God can make the sun dance around the sky of Fatima, or occasionally cure someone of disease in the interest of advancing someone’s canonization to sainthood, then why doesn’t He use his omnipotence more often?
I remember when my first child was born, it was an amazing experience. I had become a father and I loved him so much and it just made think, wow, God is my Father and loves me like this? …no, even *more *than this? It’s an amazing humbling experience and we may find it hard to believe, especially when we have been negatively impacted by the failings of our earthly fathers (and mothers), but it’s what our faith teaches us.

This is a reflection from St. Peter Chrysologus:

“Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread”

If by God’s will you are a father… then this is so that in giving life yourself you might also know what it means to feel a father’s love and thus, just as you feel affectionately towards your own children, can experience in yourself the love of your Creator … So if you believe in God, and if you confess him as father, then everything he ordains, everything he decides with respect to you, believe that this is for your salvation, your life. We cannot cancel out the gifts of a mother, we cannot challenge the warnings of a father. Even if his fatherly demands seem to be strict, in reality they are saving and life-giving.

So Abraham, once he had understood that God was father, did not linger over the difficult and demanding aspects of the commandments, but made his glory in what our heavenly Father ordains… Since it is God who commands, he entrusted himself wholly to his love… Why, when one knows God, argue with his Fatherly gifts instead of welcoming them as good and beneficial, whereas little ones and those who are innocent expect everything from their father?

Let us look more closely at the comparison our Lord uses in his Gospel: «What father among you» he says to us, «would give a stone to his son who asks for bread?» Christ came for the sons, that is to say for his chosen people – even if he regretted having fathered them and cried out: «Sons have I raised and reared, but they have disowned me!» (Is 1,2). So he came on behalf of the sons, he, the true bread from heaven, who said: «I am the bread that came down from heaven» (Jn 6,41).
 
Schn;6336892:
My argument stems not from that, but an all powerful god. It would take finite effort to fix this world is, and since he has infinite capability he would be expending zero percent of his total effort. To not improve the lives of so many when it costs you nothing is malicious. Please point out why this logic is flawed, instead of ad hominem. .
You are assuming that the world is “fixable”, i.e. that all the physical evil in the world is not only excessive but unnecessary. And what is that but a demand for a feasible Utopia?
You have to remember that infinite capability is dealing with a finite universe in which there is bound to be imperfection. A paradise on earth is wishful thinking. You are presuming to improve a world you could not even design. The piecemeal “improvements” of the human race have almost succeeded in making this planet uninhabitable and probably will do so in the not too distant future. So much for the ingenuity and wisdom of mankind, not to mention the folly and wickedness…
It’d also be nice to cut back on the sarcasm.
Why should atheists have all the fun? We get incessant sarcasm from them. 🙂
Nope, as I say, sometimes people don’t believe even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Even sane people can do it (all the time).
Do sane people behave as if they don’t believe in gravity? If earthquakes constantly occurred all over the world **except **where people live don’t you think it would be observed and questioned? Wouln’t scientists would seek an explanation in vain and have to admit that it is scientifically inexplicable? How could anyone deny that something very odd is happening? And not only odd but specifically to protect us from the ravages of natural forces? That certainly would demand a supernatural explanation… of benevolence…
I mean, you must think I’m pretty dumb not to accept the ‘overwhelming evidence’ of god, and me to you, but I think I am sane and you think you are sane. It stands to reason that even in a flawless world, some people may not believe in god.
For one thing the evidence for God is not “overwhelming” to the extent that people are compelled to believe. Otherwise every sane person would be a believer.
For another the absence of natural disasters would not make the world flawless. What about all the other physical evils in the world?
And really, if God wants only those with the capability to have faith in the face of no evidence, well, I wouldn’t want to live in that ‘society’.
Now you are going to the other extreme! From “overwhelming” to none!
There is a vast difference between a theory and a disaster-free, accident-free world…
But the levels of evidence would be approximately equal.
You are (or were) comparing the speculative theory of evolution with the incontrovertible fact of a disaster-free, accident-free world which encompasses you on every side.
The least you could expect is a world that doesn’t run on suffering, but pain and suffering is the motivator of pretty much every animal.
This argument is as old as the hills! Pain is a necessary defence mechanism. Suffering is the result of weakness, failure, frustration, interference, competition and conflict, all of which are inevitable in an immensely complex, physical universe where there are billions of sentient beings pursuing different goals. So in effect you are demanding a paradise - for which you need to supply a feasible blueprint in order to substantiate your criticism…
That we should be thankful for what we have sounds good on paper, but what it actually means is that every one except the single most downtrodden unhappy human should not wish for anything more. I differ.
You’re twisting my words to make them mean what you want them to mean. I mean exactly what I have written. You take the good things of life for granted and refuse to accept the fact that every advantage has a corresponding disadvantage. In a word you want everything for nothing.
And as for “the single most downtrodden unhappy human”, who is responsible for that? His fellows couldn’t care less about whether he is alive or dead. Who controls events in human society? Who has polluted the world? Who is responsible for all the unnecessary bloodshed and suffering?
And the ad hominem nihilism. You can cut that out too, thanks.
Not an ad hominem but a logical implication of your assertion that there is an immense amount of unnecessary, pointless and meaningless suffering in the world - which entails the belief that every single one of us is a victim of a indifferent, Godless universe in which goodness, justice, freedom and love are no more than figments of the imagination and all our hopes of happiness and fulfilment are doomed to be frustrated and destroyed by death. For you the rest is silence… nothingness… for all eternity…
 
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