[ExI] BICEP2 and the Fermi paradox

[Tom Nowell]

Spike and John Clark were discussing Hell and damnation in Christianity midweek, and I'd like to point out there is more than one possible interpretation of Jesus' sayings about what happens to those who are not saved. If we take the parable of the weeds (Matthew 13 - below I will quote the explanation from verses 36-43)
 36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
 
If we take the fate of those who will not be saved as destruction when they die, all the fiery metaphors can be seen as terms for total destruction. Resurrection for those who are judged and found good saves them from this. For those who like considering the simulation argument, it is interesting to note how simply this theology translates - there is a creator outside our existence which made this reality, it scans what is happening here, those who fail its spam filter will be deleted, those who meet certain criteria will be backed up and get to keep going.
 
Tom