[Vision2020] Heaven and hell?

[Ralph Nielsen]

> From: Luke <lukenieuwsma@softhome.net>
> Date: Fri Jun 27, 2003  5:49:24 PM US/Pacific
> To: vision2020 <vision2020@moscow.com>, David Camden-Britton 
> <davidcb@acm.org>
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Religious Diversity Education
>
>
> Mr. Camden-Britton:
>
>> There are the interesting ideas of Utilitarian ethics, whereby 
>> activities
> which benefit >society as a whole are encouraged, and those that do 
> not are
> discouraged or halted. >For simple situations such as murder or theft, 
> it
> seems pretty clear that society does >not benefit, so one has an 
> ethical
> duty to not engage in these acts.
>
> Non sequit[u]r. Perhaps society may not be helped, but then, if there 
> really
> is no god at all, why should anyone bother to help society or worry 
> about
> morals ? We'll all be dead in a few decades anyway[s].
>
> <snip>

> Best,
> Luke Nieuwsma

Mr. Nieuwsma seems to have the idea that moral behavior depends on the 
existence of a god or gods. Some of the most atrocious human actions 
have been done in the name of a god. He also seems to imply that it is 
the threat of postmortem punishment by a god that makes people behave 
morally. This is flatly contradicted by the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament 
to Christians).

In the Hebrew religion there is no such thing as a separate soul and 
there is no life after death. In the entire Old Testament not one 
single person dies and goes to heaven. And no one dies and goes to hell 
either (except in dishonest translations like the King James Version).

I'm afraid Luke Nieuwsma is mistaken to think that most people act 
morally only by a bribe of heaven or a threat of hell.

Ralph Nielsen
Moscow