I understand that.
But that just brings me back to this:
1] we are all going to die
2] there is either something on the other side of the grave for us or there is not
3] if something, it is either intertwined in the existence of a God, the God, my God or it is not
4] if a God, the God, my God, He will either judge the behaviors that we choose on this side or He will not
And here we all are still among the living. And time and again over the course of our lives as “mere mortals”, we find ourselves confronting particular contexts in which “the right thing to do” comes into conflict.
This thread was created in order that those who do believe in a God, the God, my God, can ruminate on what is involved here in the course of examining the behaviors that they choose. As this relates to what they believe about God and religion, as they are or are not able to demonstrate that what they believe is that which all reasonable men and women are obligated to believe.
And, this being a philosophy venue, beyond merely noting that "it says so in the Bible.
Think about this. Really think about it.
You can argue that I am unwilling to do the necessary work here [whatever that means], but what of all those who claim to have done precisely that? And have then come to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of conflicting assessments regarding how “for all practical purposes” one is obligated to connect the dots between before and after the grave?
The ingenuity of your faith here is that no one is ever not welcomed by God into His Kingdom.
And the only way I will ever prove to you that I am doing the necessary work to achieve spiritual enlightenment is when I have found this spiritual enlightenment. And the fact that [here and now] I have not found it merely confirms that I am not doing the necessary work.
And the irony is that whether I find it or not, I too will be welcomed into God’s Kingdom.
Where, perhaps, we will resume this discussion.