All of us have faced examinations in our life. Be it in school or college or any other degree program. When we speak about exams, there are few criteria which is mandatory for any examination committee to take care while formulating the exam rules.
- The entry time to exam hall must be equal for all examinees.
- All examinees must be given equal number of questions to solve.
- The total time of examination should be equal for all.
- All examinees must be treated equally by the examiner.
Now, suppose, you appear in an examination, and, you see that, your fellow examinee is allowed to enter into exam hall 01 hour after the exam started. He is not given any question paper has no questions.When the results are out, you see, he has passed with 100%. After seeing this, how would you feel? Don’t you feel its unfair? Ofcouse you do.
Now, coming to my point. We will change the scenario. What if I say that the same situation applies to your God’s judgement also. Theists claims life is a test, and we will be evaluated on the basis of our deed in our life, after which God will decide who will enter hell/heaven, depending upon our deeds. Now, consider, I was born at time t1 and died at time t2. I lived for time (t2-t1). Another person was born at time x1 and died at time x2. He lived for (x2-x1). Now, if (t2-t1)>(x2-x1), it means, I lived longer that him. This means my change of committing evil/sin was more than his. So, my changes of going into hell is more than that of him.
Now, consider an another scenario. A child was born and then he died the same day. This makes his chance to enter heaven 100% percent. Another person lives for 80 years. Therefore, his chance of entering heaven is less than 100%, as he had more chances of committing sin (even if its 0.01%) in the life span of 80 years, compared to a child who lived for only 1 day.
In both of the above situations, you will find that criteria for evaluating two different persons is different. The rules for evaluation is different. Why is it so? If one’s life and death is solely in the hands of God, why did he make let one person to live only for 1 day, thereby increasing his chances to enter heaven, more than a person who lived for 80 years and has more chance of committing sin? Why it is not that, every person has same life span, say x years, so that they have equal opportunity to claim their right on heaven?
Now, Do you still consider God to be a just judge?
You’re ignoring the part in the New Testament where Jesus said only people who believe in him as their savior will make it to heaven. The rest will burn in Hell forever. Doesn’t matter how you lived. If you accept Jesus and ask forgiveness you’ll get to tell Yahweh what a swell guy he is forever and ever. If not, you’ll be cast into eternal torment where you and your cohorts can plot your revenge. Theists overlook that last part.
You're ignoring the part in the New Testament where Jesus said only people who believe in him as their savior will make it to heaven. The rest will burn in Hell forever. Doesn't matter how you lived. If you accept Jesus and ask forgiveness you'll get to tell Yahweh what a swell guy he is forever and ever. If not, you'll be cast into eternal torment where you and your cohorts can plot your revenge. Theists overlook that last part.
DarronS. Yes I agree. I should have added that part too. The Abarahamic God is so egoistic that he wont allow anyone to enter heaven unless be believes in him and parises him all the time, throughout his life. My picturization of a just god would be of someone, who would allow you to enter heaven solely on the base of your deeds and not faith. Unfortunately, it seems I am much more moral that this God :)
Most of us are more moral than the Abrahamic god. As Isaac Asimov said, the god of the Bible has the manners and morals of a spoiled child.
Unless you haven’t heard of Jesus, then you don’t have to believe in him, because, well, that wouldn’t be fair. So the one day old, or the person living alone in the jungle, gets a pass. Which leads to the question, why are people going around telling everyone about Jesus? Once you know He exists, you have to decide whether or not you believe. If they just stopped talking Him, everyone would go to heaven.
An another point suddenly strike my mind, suppose there is a person who is a believer. There is another person B who is non believer. If A murders B, both will go to hell. A, because he committed a sin, murder, and B, because he died as non believer. So, ultimately, both the offender as well as the victim are going to be punished as per God’s judgement. Still a just judge?
Unless you haven't heard of Jesus, then you don't have to believe in him, because, well, that wouldn't be fair. So the one day old, or the person living alone in the jungle, gets a pass. Which leads to the question, why are people going around telling everyone about Jesus? Once you know He exists, you have to decide whether or not you believe. If they just stopped talking Him, everyone would go to heaven.
Lausten. As the Abrahamic God is claimed to be All Knowing, which means, he already knew that person x will never be told about Jesus, and he will die in ignorance. This means, God didn't will of him having a choice to accept/reject Jesus. This situation is similar to that of a student who would never appeard in the exam, but still promoted to the next grade. This is partiality.
Unless you haven't heard of Jesus, then you don't have to believe in him, because, well, that wouldn't be fair. So the one day old, or the person living alone in the jungle, gets a pass. Which leads to the question, why are people going around telling everyone about Jesus? Once you know He exists, you have to decide whether or not you believe. If they just stopped talking Him, everyone would go to heaven.
As far as I remember nothing in the Bible discusses this matter. The idea that people who have not heard the Gospel get a free pass arose out of Christian apologetics because condemning innocent people, especially babies, to eternal torment is so abhorrent that not even Christians can accept this one. In fact, a strict interpretation of the Bible leaves one with the impression we are all born into sin and are guilty in the eyes of God until we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, at which point God graciously forgives our sinful nature and allows us into heaven.
An another point suddenly strike my mind, suppose there is a person who is a believer. There is another person B who is non believer. If A murders B, both will go to hell. A, because he committed a sin, murder, and B, because he died as non believer. So, ultimately, both the offender as well as the victim are going to be punished as per God's judgement. Still a just judge?
That isn't in the Bible either. Accepting Jesus into our hearts means we're forgiven of all our sins, so the murderer gets into Heaven while the victim burns in Hell.
Lausten. As the Abrahamic God is claimed to be All Knowing, which means, he already knew that person x will never be told about Jesus, and he will die in ignorance. This means, God didn't will of him having a choice to accept/reject Jesus. This situation is similar to that of a student who would never appeard in the exam, but still promoted to the next grade. This is partiality.
This raises another point which no Christian has been able to answer satisfactorily. If God is all knowing that means he knew before he created the universe that he would send billions of souls to eternal torment, yet he created the universe anyway. That makes Yahweh the most evil being in the history of the universe, and it isn't even close. When I bring this up to Christians they usually stammer something about God's ways being mysterious, or us not being able to understand God's plan, or they get defensive and say it is a sin to question God's motives. I've been bringing this up for 40 years and not one person has come back with a rational answer.
For proof of Satan's existence, witness the spam filter on this forum.
// I’ve been bringing this up for 40 years and not one person has come back with a rational answer. //
They never will 
As far as I remember nothing in the Bible discusses this matter.
Exactly, I only commented on this thread to make a joke. There really isn't any point in addressing theology directly. It is made up ritual based on made up stories that a few people took seriously. Most of the people who said they believed did it for purely survival reasons. They were told by the King to believe or leave the kingdom or die. That went on long enough that it became normal and taught in the highest learning institutions, but it was still survival, if you want a degree, take these classes, and learn the answers they tell you.
I just heard a bit of an interview with Bill Moyers today, talking about one the last conversations he had with Joseph Campbell, where he said, "change the metaphor". I think we are in the middle of that project, but like all human projects, it could go either way.