Zombie,
God's interaction with the world is really a form of divine pedagogy.
The analogy is relevant to how one raises children.
One reveals truth to a child, but certainly at a level and a depth that is consistent with a child's ability to comprehend.
Children need strict rules, an unwavering concept of right and wrong, and routines and rituals to provide a sense of order and to create an important part of the relationship that the child has with the parent figure. That characterizes our spiritual past in relationship to the divine.
Most of the time the child doesn't understand the reasoning behind the rules, nor does he or she understand that the punishment for breaking the rule is actually built into its breaking. What children fail to realize is that as virtue is its own reward and just as importantly--vice is its own punishment. The gates of Hell are locked from the inside.
It is difficult to explain such a thing to a child; so it is difficult to explain to a people whose intellectual and spiritual development is still in that stage. Moreover, children tend to believe that their pain and suffering is overwhelming and can hardly comprehend adult reasoning and understanding for it. Can a child of two really comprehend the importance of vaccination? All they comprehend is the emotional and physical pain that it will bring.
The human race is only now emerging from our childlike understanding of the universe and of God. As the rules change for children as they grow, so do the rules change for us in our relationship with the divine. Concepts that were simply explained to us become much more nuanced and the simplistic explanations while containing truth are in actuality greatly layered and variable. God is teaching us and we are learning for ourselves.
Of course such growth is not immediate and complete at any one time. As a child clings to the past ways while at the same time anticipating a future life, so too do we intellectually and spiritually cling to past ideas while anticipating and dealing with the new. The conflict over evolution represents this well as some faiths have no problem with it; while others cannot accept it.
To be sure, there is comfort found in simpler notions; the truths that are simply imparted are often difficult to give up in favor of more mature complexities. And lest we look down our nose at those who are at the earlier stage, bear in mind our much we prize childhood and long for its simplicity.
Do heaven and hell exist? I would affirm yes. Gardens of Eden and raging fires provide visual metaphors for a mind that needs and desires them. These metaphors are as true as metaphors can be.
As a culture we are in our adolescent years, and like all adolescents we reject the values and authorities of the past. We see them as outdated, irrelevant, hollow-- and we are preoccupied with sex.
Eventually, centuries from now, if teenage suicide doesn't occur, our culture will emerge with great appreciation of the wisdom of our fathers and mothers. We will take from it the important things and move ahead into intellectual and spiritual maturity.
Cheers
