withallyourmind.net

Scriptorium (previously linked to as Middlebrow) has now added one of the foremost Christian philosophers to its list of bloggers. J. P. Moreland now joins John Mark Reynolds, Fred Sanders, Greg Peters, and Paul Spears as contributors to this excellent blog which describes itself in this way:

By actively engaging in the conversations of today’s culture and challenging the predominant, non-Christian worldviews therein, the Scriptorium is an winsome, thoughtful, active Christian voice in the marketplace of ideas.

Moreland’s first contribution addresses the question of whether the desire to avoid hell is egotistical. Part I of his response is found here (Part II is next week). Moreland sets up the problem:

Recently the topic of Hell has been in the news. In case you were entirely unaware, yes, Hell is in fact a real place (as Pope Benedict reminded us just last week). Hell, being an altogether unpleasant place, is not a destination where many desire to go, but is this desire to avoid Hell egotistical?

As a matter of commonsense, must people recognize that if one does his/her moral dusty solely because of self-interest, then one has not really done one’s duty. If I am kind to a friend totally because it makes me happy or look good in front of others, I haven’t really been kind, I have faked it to look good. I have acted egotistically. To count as my moral duty, I must do an act at least in part because it is the right thing to do.

The first part of his answer concerns the distinction between a motive and a reason. For more, read his post.