Dear Mr.Kevin Saldanha, Towards the end you posed this question: "Does the promise of the kingdom of heaven make better people out of Christians?"
The promise of the Kingdom of Heaven does not make better people out of Christians. Christianity is not about who's good, better, best. Christianity is about whose sins are absolved. The person who is forgiven will go to Heaven. The Bible doesn't make distinctions about who is the best and all that. On the contrary, it says, Matthew 19:30 - But many will be Last who are First; and First who are Last. Christianity is all about forgiveness. Jesus came here to forgive you and me. Being a good and considerate person is also a criterion, but not the main one. The forgiving blood of Jesus Christ is the password to Eternal life. Truth Liberates Nigel Britto On Dec 28, 2007 2:44 AM, Kevin Saldanha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Pascal's Wager strikes again.... > > * You live as though God exists. > o If God exists, you go to heaven: your gain is infinite. > o If God does not exist, you gain nothing and lose nothing. > > * You live as though God does not exist. > o If God exists, the text is unspecified, but it could be > implied that you go to limbo, purgatory, or hell: your loss is either > null or infinite. > o If God does not exist, you gain nothing and lose nothing. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager> > > Atheist's Wager > > A specific argument challenging the assumption that belief is rewarded > is known as the Atheist's Wager. While Pascal suggested that it is > better to take the chance of believing in a god that might not exist > rather than to risk losing infinite happiness by disbelieving in a god > that does, the Atheist's Wager suggests that: > > You should live your life and try to make the world a better place > for your being in it, whether or not you believe in God. If there is > no God, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those > you left behind. If there is a benevolent God, he may judge you on > your merits coupled with your commitments, and not just on whether or > not you believed in him.[4] > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager#Atheist.27s_Wager<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager#Atheist.27s_Wager> > > Does the promise of the kingdom of heaven make better people out of > Christians? > > Kevin Saldanha > Mississauga, ON > ============================================ > Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:34:33 +0530 > From: "Nigel Britto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > In conclusion, might I add it's better to live life thinking there is a > God > and then finding out there isn't, than to live like there's no God, and > then > finding out there is. > > Truth Liberates. > Nigel Britto > > -- > Taking Christ out of the Winter Solstice > http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/paganchrist.html > -- Truth Liberates Peace and Love... Nigel
