Wonderful. Now we can both recognize that, since neither one of us has died, we cannot “know” what happens after bodily death. In other words I if I ask you what happens after we die, your proper response is “I Don’t Know”, but I believe that…(such and such) happens based on (thus and so)…"
Yes, I agree. The problem is that many things are possible, and also many of them do not point in the same direction. We must choose based upon incomplete information. All of us choose whichever “direction” seems to be most likely. So there is no difference here.
I don’t know if I can give you a satisfactory answer here. I only know that the answers will come. Sometimes quickly sometimes only after years. Some answers I guess I’m still waiting on and won’t be answered until after I die.
Yes, as you properly guessed, the answer is not very satisfactory. But that is fine, since you gave a good attempt. I understand your analogy, and there is nothing wrong with it, but it is deficient. The result of a missed science class is not on par on the unanswered questions I am talking about.
I will admit that I do not particularly like the concept of Hell - I don’t think anyone really does. I certainly don’t wish to see you there anymore that you would wish me there.
I also agree that there is a certain “carrot and stick” mentality behind it. But I wonder how much of that is because we really NEED it.
Truthfully, for myself, I almost never think of hell as a possibility. Why? Because I don’t look at my faith as an “avoidance of punishment” but rather as a journey toward Joy. In other words I’m not looking down, I’m looking up. I don’t avoid sin becuase I might “go to hell”, I avoid sin because it offends - because of what I see it do to my neighbor - because it violates the Law of Love.
Unfortunately there are many who do not see this. They hurt others indescriminately, look out only for their own skins etc. Hell is a way to try and save their hides.
In other words, God wishes our Love to be built on the positives of Love. In many cases he first has to get our attention. If the benefits of Love won’t get our attention, perhaps the threat of punishment will. Then, once he has our attention, he and we can begin to see and build on the benfits. Do you see what I’m driving at?
I know any number of parents - Good Loving Parents (my own included) who use this same tactic. Promise reward for good behavior but if that doesn’t work, then threaten punishment or bad behavior.
Yes, but I will have to point out that this tactics should be only applied to children, who don’t have proper understanding. I can only offer my own example. My parents almost never punished me, but sometimes it was necessary. When I was about 8 years old, I told my mother not to spank me, because if she explains to me what I do wrong, I can understand it, and will follow her word. True enough, she never punished me from that moment onward. There was no need, the explanation was sufficient. Sometimes the explanation had to be watered down (obviously), but by that time she
earned my trust, and that was enough. I must emphasize that trust must be earned.
But there is something much deeper going on here. If we are truly unable to comprehend the norms of proper behavior, if we are truly just uncomprehending children, then we should be treated like children, and never, ever impose “adult” punishment. If, however, we are able to understand, then we should be treated like adults. Which means that it is the
duty of God to explain the rules, explictly. It is not enough to resort to an ancient book, which can be justly doubted.
We are either children, and then the punishment should be adminstered as such, or we are adults, and then we deserve the proper guidance and explanation. I don’t know how you relate to Genesis, maybe you take it literally, maybe analogically. It does not matter. The events described there are problematic, for the reasons I mentioned. The “sin” there (which was just disobedience, and not an offense against reason) was punished too harshly, and according to the usual belief, it still “taints” us. Which is sheer nonsense. A simple act of disobedience does not have that much power.
You and I are the two “observers”. We both observe two beings acting the same way. We must judge their actions. On what ground would you decide to use two measuring rods? The statue of justice (the goddess Justitia) is always depicted with a blindfold, the scale and the sword. She is expected not to peek, and she is expected to judge the acts uniformly, regardless of the being who committed the act and regardless of the person against whom the act was committed. That is the only way to deliver justice.