You are right, grace is unmerited. But there are three problems:
1.) We are assured that we are incapable of innocence, due to Original Sin, and therefore are going to be held accountable for the results of a condition which we can do nothing about;
2.) Human evil is finite, while the punishments of Hell are infinite. Therefore, the principle of proportionality, the cornerstone of retributive justice, is violated;
3.) We are assured that God is love, rejoices in the salvation of every stray, and therefore have reason to expect that He would, in His benevolence, will the salvation of all. Although it may be reasonable to expect that we accept the gift as a precondition of receiving it, there should be a clear- cut choice for each before being deprived of Heaven.
Each point weighs separately and together as problems with the standard fundamentalist account of the situation. In a perfect tribunal, we would only be accountable for those things we had control over, not the inevitable results of Original Sin. A perfect judge would hand down a finite sentence for finite crimes. And a benevolent father, who yearns for the return of the lost sheep, or the prodigal son, with all his heart, would freely extend grace to all, even if it were rejectable........ |
