Why Would God Punish Finite, Temporal Crimes in an Eternal Hell?
I was interviewed recently on a large Los Angeles radio station about the existence of Hell.
One caller objected to the duration of punishment in Hell. From his
perspective, the idea our temporal, finite sin on earth warrants an
eternal punishment of infinite torment in Hell was troubling, at the
very least. The punishment does not seem to fit the crime; in fact, the
disproportionate penalty makes God seem petty and vindictive, doesn’t
it? Why would God torture infinitely those who have only sinned
finitely? I think it’s important to define the nature of Hell and sin
before our discussion of the eternal nature of punishment can have any
meaning or significance. Objections related to the eternal nature of
Hell result from a misunderstanding of four principles and terms:
We Fail to Understand the Meaning of Spiritual “Torment”
The Bible says those who are delivered into Hell will be tormented, and
the degree to which they will suffer is described in dramatic,
illustrative language. But, the scripture never describes Hell as a
place where God or His angels are actively “torturing” the souls of the
rebellious. “Torture” is the sadistic activity that is often perpetrated
for the mere joy of it. “Torment” results from a choice on the part of
the person who finds himself (or herself) suffering the consequences.
One can be in constant torment over a decision made in the past, without
being actively tortured by anyone.
We Fail to Understand the Insignificance of Sin’s “Duration”
If someone embezzles $5.00 a week from their employer’s cash register
they will have stolen $260.00 over the course of a year. If they’re
caught at the end of this time, they would still only be guilty of a
misdemeanor in the State of California (based on the total amount of
loss). Although the crime took a year to commit, the perpetrator
wouldn’t spend much (if any) time in jail. On the other hand, a murder
can take place in the blink of an eye and the resulting punishment will
be life in prison (or perhaps the death penalty). The duration of the
crime clearly has little or nothing to do with the duration of the
penalty.
We Fail to Understand the Magnitude of God’s “Authority”
If your sister catches you lying about your income last year, you might
lose her respect. If the IRS catches you lying about your income last
year, the resulting punishment will be far more painful. What’s the
difference here? It certainly isn’t the crime. Instead, we recognize the
more authoritative the source of the code, rule or law, the greater the
punishment for those who are in violation. If God is the Highest
Authority, we should expect that violations of His “laws” would result
in significant punishment(s).
We Fail to Understand the Depth of Our “Sin”
Finally, it’s important to remember the nature of the crime that
eventually leads one to Hell. It’s not the fact you kicked your dog in
1992. It’s not the fact you had evil thoughts about your teacher in
1983. The crime that earns us a place in Hell is our rejection of the
true, living, eternal God. The rejection of God’s forgiveness is not
finite. People who reject Jesus have rejected Him completely. They have rejected Him
as an ultimate, final mortal decision. God has the right (and
obligation) to judge them with an appropriate punishment. To argue that
God’s punishment does not fit our crime is to underestimate our crime.
The Bible describes Hell as a place where those who have
rejected God will suffer the torment of their decision. It’s an
appropriate punishment given the magnitude of God’s ultimate authority
and the mortal opportunities for each of us to choose otherwise in this
life.
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