"...didn't think an eternity of torment was the proper punishment for an incorrect opinion, and saw no righteousness in a God who did." (p. 340)
The minister replies that:
"...mere mortals had no business passing judgement on the Almighty; what did they understand?" (p. 340)
We understand quite a lot and are learning more. Our morality prohibits torture of those who disagree with us. It was some of us "...mere mortals..." who formulated this belief about the Almighty. Some people still have this belief because they inherit it as part of a tradition whereas others question every received tradition.
I made the King's point to an Evangelical who replied, "That's convenient for you!" He thus accused me of intellectual dishonesty, of believing what it suited me to believe whereas in fact I can see no reason to accept his belief and several crucial arguments against it.
In what sense can a being existing in a very remote future be identical with me? This present body will have long since ceased to exist although it could of course theoretically be duplicated. To maintain a sense of identity with me, that future being would have to remember having been me but how often would he be able to recall events of my seven or more decades through his literally infinite duration? Less and less often. Unless, of course, he progressively forgot everything that he had experienced after my life time. But then it would not seem to him that his experience was endless. Also, what a strange and implausible way to organise a universe. If any superior being can give us an extra chance at life, then I trust that he will help us to progress, not subject us to painful consequences and endless recrimination about this single life.
Pagans thought that superior beings existed merely to direct the affairs of Rome or of Ys. Christians thought that a superior being focused his attention on what mortals do during their short life spans. I expect that superior beings would indeed have superior interests and activities of their own, just as a human being does not exist in order to throw stones for his dog.
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