[clue-talk] How do CLUEbies vote?

[Jed S. Baer]

On Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:47:35 -0600
David L. Willson wrote:

> Well, let's follow that out, since we're analyzing Pascal's Wager, let's
> check the cost/benefit model of following Jesus, and of following
> atheism.

Well, I've really been trying to stay out of this, but ...

Just how genuine would one's faith/belief be, if arrived at solely by
economic analysis? IIRC, the Bible imputes a measure of blessing upon
faith arrived at by fear of damnation, but fear of damnation requires the
precondition of believing in some manner of deity, and the existence of
hell. Isn't faith in the Biblical Triune God supposed to be a matter of
the heart, and not the head? How will Jehovah judge a "faith" which is
arrived at by risk analysis. Such a faith, if one can even call it that,
seems to me quite far removed from the sort of faith described in the
Bible.

Now, before you answer that how the almighty will judge the quality of
one's faith is something we don't know, i.e. a mystery, recall Mark
16:16, "... he that believeth not shall be condemned." Seems pretty clear
to me, with no variance among various translations which would indicate
room for misunderstanding, that I know of.

And, as long as I'm writing on the subject, what is the fate of the souls
of the aborted, miscarried, and stillborn? After all, they were conceived
in sin, and thus bear the guilt of orginal sin. Without the means of
grace, how can they come to faith, and thus secure salvation? I posed
just this question to my Pastor, many years ago. His reply was that while
God limits we humans to the means of grace, he does limit himself. Oh,
then there are other means of attaining heaven? Do tell. So is Mark right
or wrong? If he's wrong, then scripture is not always truth.

If we assume, for the sake of argument, that every human is endowed with
an immortal soul upon conception, then there have been a Saganesque
quantity of souls "conceived in iniquity", and therefore condemned to
hell, who have never had the opportunity of attaining salvation by the
means of grace, i.e the word and sacraments. This is true even of many
people who have been born and lived long lives.

I, for one, cannot have faith in a god who would condemn a soul merely
for ignorance. OTOH, if Jehovah does not do this, then faith in Christ
isn't the only way. If the latter, then the inerrancy of the Bible is at
best, in question.

Yours in Pasta,
jed