A God of Justice?

A few weeks ago at a Wednesday night Bible study; the man leading the study noted this common question. He said that most people have problems believing in God because “A good and loving God wouldn’t send people to hell.” His response to this was “If you sent your very own son to suffer the most agonizing, humiliating, and brutal death in order to save someone and they completely rejected it and let your son die in vain – wouldn’t you want them to go to hell?” And of course, everyone in the room murmurs and nods yes – except me.

I don’t think most people recognize all the aspects of hell. Think about it. If a man kills another man, he is sent to jail and serves lots of time. Would you, being a merciful and just person, say that this murderer deserves to be beaten and totured for the rest of his life (10+ years) until he dies? I doubt you’d say that. Would you say that this a man who beats his wife should be burned and totured for 30+ years nonstop? I doubt you’d say that’s merciful justice.

So why do we think it’s loving merciful justice for God to send all non-Christians to an ETERNAL punishment of misery, burning, and gnashing of teeth? The worst punishment of all time – for ETERNITY. And why would a person be sent to this horrible place? Because he didn’t accept Christ’s offer of salvation. Someone denies a gift and gets punished for all eternity. Sounds like justice.

Why Ruin Their Dreams?

Let’s just assume, for a minute, that God doesn’t exist, the Bible is false, Christians aren’t anything special, heaven and hell don’t exist and nothing exists after death. This is what atheist believe, whereas the Christians believe in a wonderful afterlife – a paradise with the almighty and all-loving God who created the universe. The ultimate paradise…for enternity. Sounds pretty amazing to me, and Christians are happy. They really are. They believe they have a wonderful life ahead of them, a even better afterlife, and everything to live for.

Why do atheist seek to crush their dreams? Sure, they may think it’s false and ridiculous – but it’s not like the majority of Christians are doing any harm. Millions of churches and religious organizations around the world help people and do good. Doesn’t it seem kind of pointless, and down right cruel, to ruin someone’s dreams and try to destroy the very reason they live “good and moral lives – for Christ”.

I mean, whats so good about atheism; that they want to, in essence, convert Christians over to….nothing. The belief in nothing. No God, no religion, no ultimate good, no eternal love – kinda bleak idea to me.

Now for those who have already fallen into doubting (me) we can’t help but to keep looking because as long as we are sane people we will recognize that doubt and want to figure it out. But for those stuck in their religion, why be a jerk and ruin their lives and believes. You don’t tell a little kid that Santa doesn’t exist just because he doesn’t.