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Gustave said: "Obviously our eternal destiny is formalized at the point of our death (not prior) so the idea of a judgement of investigation prior to death seems alien (and odd). " This issue is complex and consists of several parts. * What is sin? Sin might be said to be anything that is in violation of the will of God, whether known, unknown, intentional or un intended. As our spiritual knowledge is limited, it might be said that we are always sinning as we never in this life are fully informed as to God's will for us. We are constantly learning, but never in this life knowing and understanding the totality of God's will for us. This knowledge of God's will for us comes through the agency of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. * God, in my understanding, only charges us with sin when the Holy Spirit has convicted us on that point, and we in rebellion have decided to go against the leading of the Holy Spirit. None of us know how the Holy Spirit has led in the life of other people. The Bible does not indicate that growth in spiritual life comes in a set of uniform steps that is the same for all people. As an example, I consider my friend Gustave to be an honest follower of Christ. I assume that Gustave does not keep the Sabbath in same sense that I do. On the assumption that my understanding is correct, God is not charging Gustave with sin if the Holy Spirit has not convicted Gustave in the same manner that I believe that I have been convicted. * How does this relate to what we call the investigative judgment? It does not show that people have come into a total knowledge of God. That will only come in eternity. Rather it shows to all of the created intelligent beings that: 1) The Holy Spirit has reached out to every person. 2) Every person has been given an opportunity to become a dedicated follower of Christ, wherever that might lead. 3) Every person has made a final decision on whether or not to be a follower of Christ. 4) These are the set of people who have made the decision to spend eternity with God. These are the people who have made the decision not to spend eternity with God. 5) Consistent with the SDA understanding, those who decide not to spend eternity with God will be separated from the life-giving power of God which sustains us today and will therefore cease to exist. * From this perspective, the investigative judgment has a focus on God. It is God who is shown to all created, intelligent life, to be just in the decisions as to giving some eternal life, and it shows that sin will never rise again, as it has been removed from those who have been granted eternal life.

(N) Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

If I were a Jesuit, I would have no interest in the SDA Church. It would not be important enough for me to consider. My attention would be focused on much more important issues. Yes, I have known a Jesuit priest.

Consider this 2 cents (or less) thrown in for consideration. Historic Christians (Catholic & Orthodox) have public confessions at Mass and Divine Liturgy where the faithful ask for forgiveness for what they have done and what they have failed to do - this includes those things that we did or said (or didn't do or say) that effects other people or situations. The point of asking for forgiveness for our words and what we did or didn't do is because those things can affect others salvation (even after we may have died). Catholic thought doesn't preclude the possibility of extra-terrestrials living on other planets in other areas of deep space and in fact explicitly supports the idea (as the following video shows). It would stand to reason that if there is intelligent alien (to us) life in the universe a general judgement is logical. Obviously our eternal destiny is formalized at the point of our death (not prior) so the idea of a judgement of investigation prior to death seems alien (and odd). The Catholic teaching on the General Judgement is for the Wisdom, Mercy and Justice of God to be glorified before ALL. "All" may very well include extra-terrestrials. Now I'm not advocating that what we do or don't do on earth can have a negative effect on E.T.'s - I'm just saying that the final display of God's mercy, wisdom and justice at the General Judgement may be open and viewable to intelligent life other than spiritual beings is reasonable to my way of thinking.

In short: The so-called investigative judgment is a judgment of God, and not of you and I. It comes from a perspective that there is a universe of created beings who have not sinned against God and are aware of the rebellion of Satan and what has happened on Earth. The questions that need to be resolved are these: Has sin been removed from those on Earth who have been granted the right to spend an eternity with God? Is there a danger that sin might arise again in the person of one of those people whom God had granted the right to live in eternity with God? Is God just in saving some and not others? Properly understood, the investigative judgment presents God as righteous and just to all intelligent created beings, including us.

My view is that all sins of all people were forgiven when Christ died on the Cross. Paul seems to suggest this in Romans 5. Now the issue is not that of forgiveness of our sins. That is accomplished. The issue now is a personal decision on the part of each human as to where they want to spend eternity. They can choose to spend eternity with God, and in an eternal life. Or, they can choose to spend eternity separated from God, which will then result in their eternal death, as to separate from God essentially means decide to forfeit the power of life that comes from God to sustain us not. In short, do not worry about what you read in QOD. Trust in what Paul said in Romans.

Norwegian Folk Museum - truly masterpiece, I have visited it 3 times