An Answer to a Friend (Part 1)

A few nights ago, I was witting in a restaurant with a friend, when the conversation turned to my faith. This friend said she had to ask me something, a question she had never heard the answer to, and answer she had given to her children about why she’s not a Christian, and could never believe in God.

“But, according to you, all those who don’t know Christ will go to hell, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“My parents didn’t know Christ. So they will go to hell. Shouldn’t I go to hell to be with them, rather than believing, and going to heaven?”

I know we live in the world of incomplete thoughts –between sound bites and tweets in some barely coherent language, our thinking abilities are being reduced to the bare minimum. Or perhaps I’m just not as attuned to the two second answer to be able to answer such a question on the fly.

But the question deserves an answer. So I will spend a few minutes and answer it here. I hope you’re out there reading this.

Your question is a set of assumptions buried in a question that’s really a pithy statement.

The first assumption is this: I understand justice better than God does. I know what is just and what is not, and I know that it’s not just that my parents, who were (presumably) good people, should not go to hell. I cannot believe in a God who’s idea of justice does not agree with my idea of justice –because my idea of justice is right, and God’s idea of justice is wrong.

Think about the full implications of this underlying assumption once it’s been exposed to the light of day. God, who knows everything, isn’t as just as you, who know, well, so little as to count for nothing in the big scheme of things? What humility is this? How is it you know justice so well as to overrule God, and yet there is, someplace in your heart, the memory of a time when you’ve not been just –and you know it? Are you truly perfect in your own eyes?

No. You do not know justice better than God, and it is pure presumption to claim you know who should go to heaven, and who should not, and why. God is merciful in that he only requires faith, not perfection –so God’s justice is mixed with mercy. Can you say the same about yours, a justice that would condemn everyone to hell because not even faith is allowed?

(continued tomorrow)