Hi @lakshmi , thank you, I appreciated you summarising some of the main points of that video which I didn’t get round to doing. Really helpful for anyone who’s not sure whether to commit to such a long video!
I must say that the judgement of fairness really depends on which stance one comes from, and I appreciate this could be a bit of a rabbit hole.
I’m still getting my head around the Calvinist regneration viewpoint, even after a previous thread on Irresistible Grace that delved into this very issue. The Armenian take makes sense in that it seems more fair, but the Molinist viewpoint is one I struggle with, and probably would place an ‘unfair light’ on this whole issue. It just seems a bit too convenient that only the babies that would have chosen God in adulthood died. However, I’d love to understand this viewpoint further as I’m sure it’s more complex than that.
I suppose in conversation with a Hindu friend, it would be worth finding out which viewpoint they’re assuming when they consider this Christian idea. Naming these as ‘Armenian, Molinist etc’ would most likely be unhelpful, but by asking a few questions, you may get insight on which version the Hindu is using in their consideration. It might just help you answer their questions if you realise “their assumptions align more with Calvinism than the others” for example. It might give you more of a footing on how to answer, perhaps.
If you want to communicate this to a Hindu friend, I think your answer would move more to the sufficiency of scripture, which is a whole separate discussion. Maybe this is the underlying question behind the question though? Is Jesus’ claim to being the only way (John 14:6) to be trusted? Can we trust the Bible when it says that God is just, fair and loving? Etc…. Sometimes the surface question like the one you highlighted points to a deeper place of wrestling that the questioner hasn’t yet put into words. Discerning this depends on sensitivity in the moment, but I know it’s something I can easily forget when in conversation. It’s good to remember for next time
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