Orthodox answers

[Elok]

Purgatory, as a place distinct from Heaven or Hell, is scripturally dubious, but we are enjoined to pray for the dead nonetheless, with the assurance that it will do them some good by means not specified. Sin is itself not a crime to be punished but a disease to be cured, so that the salvation of all represents not "some people getting off lightly" but the end of an epidemic. With that said, the individual patient has the right to refuse treatment, and we are discouraged from speculating as to who goes where, as it's really none of our damn business. Even for JWs, who, yes, are kind of gnostic-ish.

Okay, now we've got the major denominations covered, until somebody decides to do "Mormon answers" or maybe branch out into "Buddhist answers," etc.

[Elok]

Actually, no, some d-bag is going to do "atheist answers" first, because if there's one thing this site doesn't have enough of, it's opportunities for atheists to express their opinions concerning Christian theology.

[ZEE]

Elok is a nerd.

[loinburger]

Actually, no, some d-bag is going to do "atheist answers" first, because if there's one thing this site doesn't have enough of, it's opportunities for atheists to express their opinions concerning Christian theology.

Hopefully we'd get some more interesting questions sent our way, e.g. my favorite "if you don't believe in heaven/hell then why don't you go around committing atrocities all of the time," a question which always says far more about the person asking it than about the person answering it

[BeBMan]

Doing "agnostic answers" might be an easier task given that it all comes down to

[Elok]

The answer to which is that most of us are moral (to the extent we are moral at all) not so much because of our innate goodness as because exterior incentives are such as to discourage casual barbarity--we refrain from mugging people because our need for more money is much lower than our dislike of violent confrontation with strangers, our fear of social disapproval, and most importantly our aversion to getting shot by cops and/or undergoing the Slowwhand Special in jail. Our internalized inhibitions are a secondary factor by comparison, and any high-minded philosophical objections take third place at best. Cf. Thucydides.

I agree that if one assumes a purely naturalistic worldview there's no reason not to completely screw over a total stranger, provided the risk is low and the profit (for you and/or your preferred tribal affiliation) high. But basically all of us are utter hypocrites, for good or bad, anyway, so mox nix.

Xpost

EDIT: in case it isn't obvious, this post does not represent an "Orthodox answer" AFAIK. Except insofar as an Orthodox Christian is typing it.

[loinburger]

My answer to the question is usually something along the line of "I try not to be an ******* because I don't want to be an *******." This often results in "the only reason you don't want to be an ******* is because you secretly believe in God," which effectively ends the conversation because hey it turns out that we (secretly) agree with each other about everything after all.

[loinburger]

And now this has become the Atheist Answers thread :wutangisforthechildren:

[Elok]

Well, it's my fault for bringing it up. Anyway, it's not like anybody wants to know what we think. We're just the remnant of the ancient church and stuff. :bahhumbug:

[loinburger]

I used to be Catholic, so naturally I lump you people in with the Protestants

[Elok]

Whereas we lump the Catholics in with the Protestants under the general heading "Western heretics." Or with the Turks, depending on which of us you ask and how angry-about-ancient-history we're feeling.

[Kidlicious]

Purgatory, as a place distinct from Heaven or Hell, is scripturally dubious, but we are enjoined to pray for the dead nonetheless, with the assurance that it will do them some good by means not specified. Sin is itself not a crime to be punished but a disease to be cured, so that the salvation of all represents not "some people getting off lightly" but the end of an epidemic. With that said, the individual patient has the right to refuse treatment, and we are discouraged from speculating as to who goes where, as it's really none of our damn business. Even for JWs, who, yes, are kind of gnostic-ish.

Okay, now we've got the major denominations covered, until somebody decides to do "Mormon answers" or maybe branch out into "Buddhist answers," etc.

Do people choose disease?

[Elok]

It's more that sick people don't act right, Kid.

[loinburger]

On a related note, I met a woman who said that sometimes she was Jesus, which was far less a case of her blaspheming and more a case of her being sick in the head - I don't think that any reasonable person would say that she would need to atone for the blasphemy she committed while off her anti-psychotic meds

[Lorizael]

On a related note, I met a woman who said that sometimes she was Jesus, which was far less a case of her blaspheming and more a case of her being sick in the head - I don't think that any reasonable person would say that she would need to atone for the blasphemy she committed while off her anti-psychotic meds

She was only Jesus sometimes?