From: exukjb@exu.ericsson.se (ken bell)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: That garden of eden "thang"
Date: 11 Sep 92 22:18:20 GMT
Organization: Ericsson Network Systems, Inc.

In article <1406@esl.ESL.COM> markwc@barney.esl.com (Mark Christiansen) writes:
>From: markwc@barney.esl.com (Mark Christiansen)
>Subject: Re: That garden of eden "thang"
>Date: 10 Sep 92 08:12:15 GMT

>In article <exukjb.140.716072863@exu.ericsson.se>
>exukjb@exu.ericsson.se (ken bell) writes:

>>Concerning eternal consequences for inevitable acts there is perhaps
>>an even more difficult and fundamental problem, and that is: How can
>>an infinite consequence be metted out for a finite act undertaken
>>with finite and imperfect comprehension of their consequences?  I
>>have 60-80 years to get it right here in mortality; after that, bamm!
>>I will suffer eternally for these actions.  But how can anything you
>>do in a finite time justly result in a punishment that last
>>throughout the everlasting eternities future?  Or, imagine taking an
>>exam. You have 3 hours to complete the exam.  If you get a score
>>below, say, 70, out of a possible 100, you're done for for the rest
>>of your earthly life [you'll be locked in prison, we'll say.]  Not
>>too reasonable.  But that's a finite time and a finite consequence;
>>and >the exam also was probably administered by very imperfect
>>examiners.  What I'm talking about is an exam that lasts 60-80
>>years, and if you get a 70 (or maybe even anything less than 100, say
>>99.9), then that's the end of the story for you, and that test is
>>administered by an infinitely perfect and just being.  Any thoughts
>>out there?

>Your exam analogy is good, except that your score is based on what you
>know.  God knows what we know and understand and will give us our
>"score" based on what we do with what we know and understand.  So a
>"100" is not out of reach of anyone.  For those of us who don't do all
>we know we should (I'm in this group), we do have the opportunity to
>repent for a better "score," but we still have to do the work.  Christ
>doesn't do it for me, but makes it possible for me to try again.

>Mark
>-- 
>   When I examined myself and my methods of thought I came to the
>conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my
>talent for absorbing positive knowledge.
>   -- Albert Einstein

I see the point about God's knowing more than I do.  "It does not take a 
robust faith to believe that omniscience knows how long is long enough" (
Problem of Pain, I think).  But--and there are always 'buts' in theology 
aren't there?--repenting would be part of the exam, I take it.  Sure, OK, 
so I mess up a sum on the algebra test, and I repent by rethinking it and 
getting it right.  But in the "mortality test" repentance would be one of
questions on the exam. If I fail to repent, I have failed to work one of 
the problems on the exam. And I'm still done for. You haven't spoken to 
finite-act-infinite-consequence point. 
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Kenny Bell                          *        Welcome to Mind Wars
Ericsson Network Systems, Inc       *        ANTHEM BBS 386-7907
P.O. Box 833875                     *        Severity with oneself is heroism.
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