Richard Littledale's
Views on the News: October 2004

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Richard Branson's latest scheme (see Virgin Galactic) is that he believes hundreds, maybe thousands will be willing to take him up on it. There is a market, he believes, for moneyed thrill-seekers.

Views would like to suggest that there is a market for moneyed guilt-trippers too. In these days of financial constraint, perhaps the church should consider charging its clientele for forgiveness. A small sin could be forgiven for, say £1000, with bigger ones coming in at £20,000 or more, and eternal life itself at the top of the scale for a cool £100,000. The amazing thing is that there would probably be those willing to pay it! There is something attractive about a salvation which you have to pay for, and something unappealing about humbly accepting forgiveness for free.

Many people struggle with the idea of accepting forgiveness which cost Jesus Christ everything and costs the recipient nothing. Their sense of fairness is offended by the transaction, and their sense of pride cannot contemplate the life of service which should follow it. People would rather pay an enormous fee and be done with it, than swallow their pride and come to Jesus on bended knee. If people could buy a "no-fault" pass into heaven without any further obligation on their part, many of them would do it tomorrow at prices well in excess of the VSS Enterprise fare.

This, however, is not the way ahead for the Church. Salvation may be free in monetary terms, but it is costly in other ways. The man or woman who accepts forgiveness from Christ is embarking on a relationship with no end, where service is the key. To 'market' eternal life in any other way would be to cheapen something precious.

One minute in space may be a snip at £29,000, but one eternity in heaven is a much better deal, even if it costs you all your love and devotion!