Originally posted by kage23
good question, and one i've thought about a fair amount myself, with regard to the calvinists. (at least i think it was the calvinists; i'm not too great with matching names with theories.) they are/were (i don't know if there are still any around or not) the ones who believed in pre-determinism. god has already decided, before the world was ever created, who would be saved and who wouldn't. he already knows who will go to heaven and who will go to hell. it doesn't matter what you do in your life; your final outcome has already been decided. in this case, where is the impetus to do good? why not rape, murder, steal, and cheat? you know that, if god has decided that you're going to hell, you are going to hell no matter what, so why bother going to church, etc.? and if god has decided that you're going to heaven, then, again, it doesn't matter what you do, so why bother being good? instead, have fun! but apparently, the calvinists were still pretty puritan and still tried to act like christians.

i guess for me personally, if i knew 100% for sure that there was an ultimate reward and an ultimate punishment in the afterlife, and i knew 100% for sure which one i was getting, no matter what my actions were, then i would try to create the best life for myself while i am still on this earth. i would probably still follow many basic moral tenets, simply because they create a better world in general, and a better life for me in specific. if i rape, steal, murder, and cheat, sure, i might get some enjoyment out of it, and some material gain, but then i would have to worry about the law, if i was going to get caught, etc., and that would counterbalance any of the "good" that i might get out of it. on the other hand, if i am friendly, kind, and helpful, then other people will get a good impression of me and they will be more likely to be friendly, kind, and helpful to me when i need them to be.


on the other hand, if i knew 100% for sure that i would be going to hell, that might make me angry and vindictive towards god and life, and i might try to earn my place in hell. after all, if you're going down, why not go with a bang?

I agree, in a way,you will enjoy your life the most if you create goodness, and are friendly, you will have more happiness the a person who rapes steals and cheats, becuase all that crappy karma will end up in suffering. Is there a rapist who's really happy?

Unfortunately I would find it almost impossible to live happily, if I had the looming 100% chance that I was going to hell.