| IIIIITHE1IIIII said: Let's jump right to it with a concrete example: A human being is put in absolute quarantine the very second it is born. During its entire lifespan it will have no interference with anyone or anything apart from its supplied provision. It will never be able to commit a sin apart from its ability to worship itself or to create bonds with deities that are created by him-/herself (which is highly unlikely given its isolation). On the other hand though, it will never be able to commit any "good" actions either as there is no way it could ever care for, or love anyone but itself.
And now the question to ponder: Would this human being go to heaven, as God feel sorry for it and is aware that there was no way it could do anything about its situation, or would it go straight to hell since it completely lack faith in God and never worshipped him in any sort of way? As I see it: - If it ends up in heaven, we have just found a way of assuring someone a place next to God once they die. - If it ends up in hell (due to a lack of faith and/or selfless actions), God evidently has no mercy for the unfortunate.
Because those two are the only options, right?
(I'm obviously not religious myself, but those who are should find this question interesting to discuss.) |
ooooooo my favorite topic! I received my B.S in Pastoral Ministry, not to become a pastor, but concentrating in the Integration of Psychology and Theology. Anyhow, those two statements in bold is pretty much impossible :( I will keep this a bit short and sweet.
1. Man fell into a condition of sin and misery. The sinfulness of that fallen condition is twofold. First, in what is commonly called original sin, there is the guilt of Adam's first sin with its lack of original righteousness and the corruption of his whole nature. Second, are all the specific acts of disobedience that come from original sin, acts such as h***s***** for example. As for the misery of man's fallen condition: By their fall all mankind lost fellowship with God and brought his anger and curse on themselves. They are therefore subject to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.
2. Christians can certainly be unlike Christ. Since the fall no ordinary man can perfectly keep the commandments of God in this life but breaks them every day in thought, word and action. But Christians repent. Repentance into life is a saving grace, by which a sinner, being truly aware of his sinfulness, understands the mercy of God in Christ, grieves for and hates his sins, and turns from them to God, fully intending and striving for a new obedience.
3. Also, while God is incomprehensible in that we cannot understand him fully it does not follow that we cannot understand him adequately or else why would he have specially revealed himself through the Scriptures?
If someone asked me, how do you know that there is a God, prove it? Well the only way I can answer that is with:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." -Ephesians 2:8
