Re: Why All The Details?
 

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If one does only what is absolutely necessary to be saved, they will not gain much merit, and hence have less pleasure in heaven.

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So I guess there could be people in heaven who are pretty depressed in comparison to others, which is an absolutely great piece of information.

Re: Why All The Details?
 

Hi David,

Good stuff. I'm waiting for your version of "Why I am not a Christian, and other essays"
For those that don't know, Bertrand Russell, wrote that.

Re: Why All The Details?
 

"there could be people in heaven who are pretty depressed in comparison to others"

Not in the least. Everybody in Heaven will have perfect happiness. The difference is that some will have a greater capacity for it. If a teacup is full to the brim, and a bucket is full to the brim, we say they are both perfectly full. However, the bucket has more water in it. Likewise, those that have done the most good will have the most capacity for happiness. Everything is fair and everybody will be perfectly happy.

Re: Why All The Details?
 

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Not in the least. Everybody in Heaven will have perfect happiness. The difference is that some will have a greater capacity for it. If a teacup is full to the brim, and a bucket is full to the brim, we say they are both perfectly full. However, the bucket has more water in it. Likewise, those that have done the most good will have the most capacity for happiness. Everything is fair and everybody will be perfectly happy.

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This is some very crazy stuff, but I like it. It's like speaking with someone from the 14th century.

Re: Why All The Details?
 

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I said before that one problem with being religous is that it wastes time. Time that could be used for more productive things. That's been countered with the idea that earthly things don't matter as much as the afterlife. But even if you accept that, it doesn't apply once you have gotten the basics down. The things relevant to that afterlife. Spending inordinate time trying to figure out details that even God doesn't care if you know, sounds an awful lot like an excuse to escape any responsibility to improve the world. And you think God would applaud you for that?

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This is a matter of knowledge. To assume that you and you only can attain knowledge in your particular way is misleading. The ancients said "Know Thyself" and the "Image of God" is within the process. Knowledge is not only knowing what external nature presents but the world within is part of this knowledge. In fact, the two are inextricably connected.

You've offered a pragmatic(particularly American) objection to this process but it no way is this approach compelling.

The Ego is edified by the knowledge process which becomes expansive and contains a moral tenor. Man finds out about himself and in the process does become more selfless into Freedom and Love.

Man is born into this earthly world and likewise is born into the Spiritual World at death and both are important in synergy and not separation.

The Western World displays credence to this seeking for your approach would negate Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Spinoza, Hume etc., and even Russell. I guesss you would say they all wasted their time.

carlo

Re: Why All The Details?
 

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Not in the least. Everybody in Heaven will have perfect happiness. The difference is that some will have a greater capacity for it. If a teacup is full to the brim, and a bucket is full to the brim, we say they are both perfectly full. However, the bucket has more water in it. Likewise, those that have done the most good will have the most capacity for happiness. Everything is fair and everybody will be perfectly happy.

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This is some very crazy stuff, but I like it. It's like speaking with someone from the 14th century.

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The dark ages are back [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Why All The Details?
 

Bertrand Russell said that the greatest achievements and highest degree of proficiency achieved in Logic were done by the Scholastics in the 14th century, and that no logical studies have reached that height since.

So it is good to be associated with that group.

Re: Why All The Details?
 

Peter,

if that is where you want to be, you are welcome. Don't force this regression on me, that's all I ask. Since the 14th century and since Russell, there have been many alternatives mooted, some good, some bad, some better, some worse. At the end of the day, it is yours and my life. Let's try to live it as we see fit without, harming, or, narrowing the choice made by, each one of us.

Re: Why All The Details?
 

Everyone is free to choose as they wish. The real question is which is the correct choice? We have many options, so all cannot be right when some blatantly contradict others.