(July 11, 2015 at 11:54 am)Rhondazvous Wrote:(July 11, 2015 at 10:46 am)Jenny A Wrote: Because if they are still people after resurrection, they will still behave like people.
If heaven is without sin: either: (1) people are changed upon entering heaven so that they lack the capacity or the will to sin (a violation of free will and rather Stepford Wife like--ick); or (2) heaven itself must be designed in such a way as to prevent sin (a violation of free will rather Big Brother Like--ick); or (3) everything is so wonderful that no one will want to sin (really, really hard to imagine and calls into question why this world was ever created); or (4) god changes the rules so that nothing is a sin any longer (making the idea of morality completely arbitrary).
In the first two possibilities free will is the ultimate thing god must not deprive people of on earth and the thing he must deprive people of in heaven. Very puzzling that. In the third we have to wonder why this world was created at all since a much better one is possible (if it is indeed possible). In the fourth, morality is completely arbitrary calling into question any need for hell let alone Jesus' sacrifice.
What this puzzle says to me is that heaven is one more deeply flawed idea of christianity, right up there with the remission of sins by the sacrifice of a third party, and punishment for the sins of one's remote ancestors.
3.) Heaven will be so wonderful
In the book of the Revelation we are told that the smoke of the torment of those in hell will rise up before the lord forever. How wonderful a place can it be for anyone when everyone there will see god gloating over the torment of someone they knew? Will the people in Heaven have their compassion and empathy so removed that all they can think of is "Well, I'm glad I'm here. Fuck mom and too bad for my boss."
I'd rather be my own sin-capable self than to be changed into such a cold zombie.
One solution for this apparent problem is that in heaven, people will have a complete picture of the horror of sin. Consequently, they will understand that those who rejected God - to such a great extent that they DESERVED hell - have been punished justly given the seriousness of the sins that they committed.
Additionally, it is thought that people CHOOSE hell rather than enduring the pain of being in the white-hot presence of a pure and holy God when they themselves are stained with sins. If so, then the people in heaven may simply understand that those in hell are there because they want to be.
I suspect that YOU have a problem with this because you don't think sin is really any big deal. Let me know if that's incorrect.
