This post is in response to 2 different posts I’ve read in the last couple of days. First, here’s one from Common Sense Atheism on Why Philosophy of Religion is Awesome. He has some good points about why it’s fun to talk about things you don’t necessarily believe in (he is an atheist, after all). At the same time, that should give Christians pause: Do we spend time arguing about meaningless issues for fun? I confess, sometimes I do (not that I think they are necessarily meaningless). I like a good intellectual, philosophical discussion. It helps me think, challenges my thinking, and helps me think some more.
But now, here’s another post from The Prosblogion (a Philosophy of Religion blog), An Eschatological Paradox:
Suppose God distributes punishments and rewards based on how well we live up to moral standards over time and God determines when we die and when will be judged.
The question is, is God justified in punishing someone whom God kills off before he can earn enough rewards to go to Heaven (more or less).
I wrote a comment saying essentially that this was a waste of time, because it’s an unreal situation; Paul solved this paradox in Galatians by proving that the living up to moral codes can”t possibly justify you in the first place. My comment was not posted; instead, there are 8 or 9 comments by folks willing to play this stupid game.
It’s one thing to discuss issues that are true, may be true, and which have an impact on other issues if they are true. It’s another thing to argue about completely irrelevant issues. I’m sure I was written off as a fundamentalist or something, for actually talking about truth instead of meaningless mental games, the equivalent of a spiritual Dungeons and Dragons (“Can I be the wizard?”). As many of us know, Paul warns in Titus 3:9, “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.”
The philosophy of religion is indeed fun. However, there comes a point where it is just stupid.
