More or less pleasurable?

[AdamL]

Two things immediately pop into mind, I'm sure Chesterton or Lewis would have MUCH more to say in answer to the question. The question is really the problem of pain.

The two things, very much linked, which came to mind:

1) The doctrine of the fall. (Which is a doctrine much deeper and more to be understood than simply humans can sin. See the aforementioned authors.)

2) Free will, our capacity to choose good or love, to worship freely, also gives us the capacity to do all the opposite things.

FWIW...

Adam

Edit -- one more thing. Our idea of what is pleasurable or comfortable may have nothing to do with producing the kind of beings meant for "distant shores"... but also there is the whole idea of non-dualism.