I understand giving people like Carl Sagan and George Carlin, non-believers who didn't have faith when they died, a chance to hear god's message. Yet, as an agnostic, I can't help but think of the other religions. When the nomatic tribes in africa hear about god's word, they're hearing one interpretation from a sect that has the funds to educate them. That may be a protestant church, a methodist church, or even a jewish temple. Let's say that judiasm believed in proxy ordinances like mormons do. If a jewish temple gave proxy ordinances as well, then we'd have a lot of people in the afterlife getting at least 2 versions of god's word. I mentioned earlier that I can see why you'd give non-believers the chance to hear god's word. I still can't wrap my head around why people like St. Ambrose and Óscar Romero were given proxy ordinances. They were popular figure-heads in their own religions, and they believed what they spoke about as much as you do. After posting this thread, I also found out that Anne Frank was baptized 67 years after her death, and the jewish community was up in arms about it, and rightly so. Again, I see why you'd offer someone a chance at god's word, but why try to convert someone who obviously has faith in a different belief? If we can't determine what god wants us to do, then won't we all get the chance to accept his(or her) word by default when we die? If we do, then why have proxy ordinances?
