(September 15, 2010 at 9:34 am)DeistPaladin Wrote: [Playing the proverbial devil's advocate here, not really what I believe]
Discard the who "salvation by faith" idea central to Christianity. Imagine instead that our fate was one of these two afterlives and it was based on a fair evaluation of our moral character, regardless of our religious beliefs or lack thereof.
Heaven and Hell are completely identical in their climate, environment, resources, etc. Based on any observation of unsettled areas of them, there's no way to tell the difference. The only distinction between them is their population.
If all the good, considerate, generous, compassionate people go to Heaven and all the evil sadistic, selfish, assholes go to Hell, effectively that makes each place what they are.
Purely a hypothetical.
But that doesn't make any sense still. After who's judgement do we go? It's like the question about utopia and dystopia, everyone cannot be pleased at the same time. For instance, the sadistic ones go to hell? What about the father who every day beat his children in the name of Christ, is he not a believer and desreve to go to heaven? But clearly, he's sadistic, so despite him wanting to live right by god and raise his kids to the best of his ability, thus he would end up in hell.
When I was young, there was a god with infinite power protecting me. Is there anyone else who felt that way? And was sure about it? but the first time I fell in love, I was thrown down - or maybe I broke free - and I bade farewell to God and became human. Now I don't have God's protection, and I walk on the ground without wings, but I don't regret this hardship. I want to live as a person. -Arina Tanemura
