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Question for Christians - #5

Patrick

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In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the son screws up every way possible, but when the son finally returns, at the utter end of his rope, the father takes him in and forgives all. Not so with God -- when you die after lots of sinning there will be no more forgiveness, just stern punishment - in hell. If God is perfect, why isn't he perfectly forgiving?
 
In the story of the prodigal son, the son apologised and asked merely to have a job with his father. The father not only accepted the apology but restored him to his previous place in the household.

Xians would argue that this is exactly what happens with god, repentance followed by reward.

It's the repentance bit that is key.
 
But why not let people repent after they are dead? It seems
such an arbitrary line to draw - "well I would have forgiven you five minutes ago, but it's just too late now. Off to the lake of fire with you."
 
Seismosaurus said:
But why not let people repent after they are dead? It seems
such an arbitrary line to draw - "well I would have forgiven you five minutes ago, but it's just too late now. Off to the lake of fire with you."
Click to expand...
Good point; perhaps there is more to this than having said the "magic words" and been given the pass to enter heaven
 
Some Christians will argue that you can repent after death, although others argue that this is stupid.
 
According to the generic Christian model, once you die, you know for certain that Christianity was the right way to go, evidenced either by the fact that you're kicking it with JC or you're screaming in unbelievable agony. Kind of takes the whole faith thing right out of it, which seems to be important to (many versions of) Christianity.
 
I'm confused as to the philosophical importance on how worthwhile it is to throw you into hell when there is, by definition, no proof of it, but that repentence after you see proof (afterlife) is ignored.

What is God thinking? "It's of value if a person repents because of threats that have no proof, but repenetnce because of threats after proof is worthless to my omnibenevolent self." Whahuhuh?!?!?
 
The way I understood it, Jesus died to forgive our sins, period, point blank, it's a done deed. In other words, no need to do anything, Jesus ransomed us all, so Hell's furnaces are shut off and the place is used to store ale in.
 
Patrick said:

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the son screws up every way possible, but when the son finally returns, at the utter end of his rope, the father takes him in and forgives all. Not so with God -- when you die after lots of sinning there will be no more forgiveness, just stern punishment - in hell. If God is perfect, why isn't he perfectly forgiving?
Click to expand...
Why allow us the opportunity to repent in the first place, if not to give us the opportunity to change before we die? And maybe there comes a time when God says, "Okay, I've seen enough."
 
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