Immortality Entails Presentism

One of the issues in contemporary metaphysics is whether temporal becoming is an objective feature of reality. J.M.E. McTaggart identified two competing theories of time, the dynamic theory, which he calls the A-theory, and the static theory, which he calls the B-theory. On the A-theory, the "now" or present is an objective feature of reality. On the B-theory, time is more like space. Just as there is no objective "here," on the B-theory, there is no objective "now." All time travel literature assumes a B-theory of time. On the A-theory, there is nowhere to go.

Secondly, any attempt to mix the A and B theories of time will result in paradox. If I imagine time as a growing block or a train moving along the tracks, then we can pick a point on the tracks and say "is this point past, present, or future?" Before the train arrives, it is future. When the train is there, it is present. When the train has left, it is past. But wait, this is supposed to be a single point in time. So it cannot be present, and then past. This shows that theories like the train on the tracks or growing block really contain two time dimensions, and then the problem reappears in a different form for each time dimension. So time is either like the tracks, in which case there is no objective present or temporal becoming, or it is like the train, in which case only the present exists. The latter view is also known as presentism. No other options are viable.

Christianity teaches a doctrine of immortality. Daniel 12:2 states that "Those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken; some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt." Matthew 25:46 states: "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Psalm 23 ends will "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Hebrews 7:21 states that Jesus holds his priesthood forever because he continues forever. Revelation 14:11 states that the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they will have no rest day or night.

Dr. Craig has helped to develop the argument against the existence of an actual infinity.. Mathematics has two ideas of infinity, a potential infinity and an actual infinity. A potential infinity is represented by the lazy eight. It is used to express the idea that something is finite, but increasing without limit. An actual infinity is represented by the letter Aleph in mathematics, and it is used to represent an infinity that has been fully and completely actualized. If an actual infinity could exist in real life, it would violate the laws of set theory, and hence the laws of mathematics. Inverse operations such as subtraction and division are prohibited in mathematics. Yet, if I had an actual infinite number of things, I could do impossible operations, like dividing the thing in half. This is why David Hilbert said the actual infinity is purely an idea that cannot be imported into the real world.

Let's put these three insights together. If immortality and the B-theory of time are true, then the timeline is fully actualized and infinitely long. This means that the number of minutes is an actual infinity. Furthermore, if there are objects existing in this realm, then there would be an actualized infinity regarding them, too. Since an actualized infinite is impossible in the real world, then the B-theory cannot be true. This leaves us with one of two options: either deny the doctrine of immortality, or accept presentism as the appropriate theory of time.