My Christian Friend’s Healthy Child Looks Forward to Death
How a child inadvertently exposes a major weakness in the Christian ethics
Recently, I was scrolling through social media when a post caught my eyes. It was posted by a friend from my seminary days. He has a six-year-old son. Basically, he told his son not to suck grapes into his mouth because he could choke and die. His son gleefully responded,
If I die, that means I get to go to heaven right away. Yeah!
Now, my friend was stunned. He didn’t know whether to be proud or worried about his son’s understanding of their Christian teachings.
A lot went through my mind as I read that post. I would like to share a few thoughts here.
Christianity’s belief in the afterlife devalues this life
Many Christians argue that without the promise of an afterlife, our time on Earth loses its significance. They suggest that if there’s nothing beyond this life, then life itself becomes trivial. But I see it differently.
If someone believes in an eternal paradise awaiting them after death, why would they bother cherishing their time here? It might seem like the only worthwhile pursuit for Christians would be to convert others to…
