You: Even without justice there can be hope. One may not KNOW that things will end justly, but one can always HOPE that they will. I may help others because I believe that it will convince them to help me later. "What goes around, comes around" is a popular platitude along those lines.

Aaron: One can only have strong hope with justice. When one merely wishes that good deeds will be repaid, hope must be tinged with doubt. It is possible that you will help others all your life and they will desert you in your time of need. God never deserts one. The justice he pays out is sure and true, not potential and hoped for.

You: We were not concerned with the magnitude of hope, even the smallest glimmer would be enough for a desperate person. We are not concerned with the odds of a particular hope being realized, either. If there is even a chance that one's hopes will be realized, then there is a reason to have hope in the first place.

Aaron: If you truly believe that the smallest glimmer of hope always exists even in the absence of justice, then I suppose that I cannot disagree with you, but that does not refute my argument that there is not much hope without justice.

You: Your statement was that there cannot be hope without justice, not that there is very little hope without justice.

Aaron: You are being thick-headed and using my words against me. I suggest that we go to another topic.