Expert: Clint - 2/16/2010

Question
dear expert,


some theologians attempt to solve the problem of the "evil"
caused by Nature, by the following reasoning:

           (1) This life is short and there is an hereafter much longer and better.
           (2) So, judging what happens during the present life is like judging the cover of a book instead of the book itself.
           (3) Thus, an all-good God is consistent with natural Evil.


is this reasoning convincing?


sincerely

Answer
Is this saying that a god who overlooks our sins caused by the environment is possible because he does overlook or can see past it? I'm afraid I don't understand the point of the reasoning. But it does bring up a question. If heaven, the life hereafter, is much different and better, how can we possibly be judged by our actions, lifestyle, choices, and belief in the here and now? Would a person not be completely different in different settings? Am I to believe that god knows if I deserve a perfect eternal after-death life based on how I do here and now? Given a perfect place with no pain or sorrow I'm sure I would be a completely different person altogether making choices based on much different circumstances. And compared to eternity, to be judged by my time here, which is less than a blink of an eye, would be cruel and unfair. Given eternity and a good teacher, even the most evil person can become an angel. To be judged by my tiny time on this barbaric planet under restrictive conditions created by a race of sinners would be a travesty. I am a product of matter, physics, evolution, and society, not a perfect creation of a god. I would be judged by how I react to my environment, not who I am as a person if given a perfect place like heaven to live in. It's like judging plants in different soils, they are all good but the soil can make them appear to be bad because that is what they have been constrained to.