Many people I have talked to (especially in discussions with atheists and agnostics) often ask the wrong philosophical question to Christians:
"Why would your God be so cruel and demanding that He will send you to be punished in Hell if you don't believe in Him?"
The right question that touches on the raw truth of this asymmetrical dilemma for mankind is:
"Why would Satan be so cruel as to kill and torture the souls of people even after they died, knowing full well that he himself is destined to an even worse fate in the eternal lake of fire?"
Before I answer that question, let us ponder on the nature of evil as we see in the world. There are two related truths about evil:
1. Men and women are perpetrators of the worst unimaginable cruelties & savagery throughout history . No rational explanation can stand up to this part of human nature.
2. If there is an unstoppable evil force in this world, it is best understood as an Artificial Intelligence program that is alive and empowered with the ability to influence and infect the minds, hearts and souls of people.
If we can pause and ponder over these two insights without any intellectual reaction, we will realise that there is no power on earth that can stop the destructive nature of evil except within the domain of the highest supernatural power, and that is God Himself.
Why is this an asymmetrical dilemma for mankind?
It is asymmetrical because aligning oneself to unbelief and scepticism over the highest supernatural power has personal and spiritual consequences that cannot be counterbalanced or neutralised or justified by whatever good deeds that we have gifted to the world.
The absolute and eternal damnation of hell is not designed for mankind but it is for the devil and his army of agents.
People who are spiritually lost will be guided to the light. But those who seek comfort in the darkness and deteriorate into destructive acts will have lost the fear of hell.
So the right question to ask is not why is God so cruel. Rather we should ask ourselves, why is the devil so cruel.
Once you see the weakest blind spot of humanity (the lack of faith in a good, purposeful God), you then realise your purpose in life is to tell the world about the perils of a life without God.
But which God should we put our faith in? The Muslim God? The Jewish God or the Christian God?
That is another question for another day. Suffice to say, you will have a more wholistic, big picture of life once you see the asymmetrical offer of Jesus Christ:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Mathew 22:37-38
To love or not to love our Creator is a choice offered to our free will. But in taking that choice with the full powers at our disposal, we bear the consequences of our decision (faith is a decision, not an idea).
One outcome is the final destiny of Heaven and the other leads to eternal perdition. It is asymmetrical simply because no one, in their right minds, would choose destruction and darkness over life-giving joy and happiness.
