[[The punishment must fit the crime. The misery and torment of hell point to the wickedness and seriousness of sin. Those who protest the biblical doctrine of hell as being excessive betray their inadequate comprehension of the sinfulness of sin. ]]
The following article on the site ‘christianthinktank.com deals with this very issue- “Is hell disproportionate’?
The skeptic/atheist protesting the ‘concept of hell’ and claiming it is a ‘disproportionate punishment’, claiming ‘eternity is too long compared to the crime committed” doesn’t seem to understand that someone who commits a crime- The following excerpt to the article sums up why eternal punishment IS indeed appropriate- Sin IS a very serious issue- MUCH more serious that people realize- And the fella explains why-
[[First, as I looked again at the example (serial rapist), I realized something important: there is no such thing as a finite sin/crime. Each crime/sin actually HAS eternal consequences. If someone commits a rape, the damage to the victim MIGHT end at death, but what that statement does not take into account is the eternally different stream/ripples of events which flow from that rape. For example, we KNOW that the victim will not be able to do as much good to others during their healing period, since they are not ‘back up to speed’. During their recovery time (assuming they actually recover all the way—not a foregone conclusion at all nowadays), their interaction with other people will not be as ‘value generating’ as it would have been without the rape. Everything they touch—often for the rest of their life—is different (often less ‘vibrant’ or with less vitality). The other way to say this—importantly—is that every eternal stream of consequences they generate/participate in after that event suffers. They ‘lose’ time during recovery and their post-recovery impacts are often compromised—at least slightly, and often considerably. And thus the people they interact with do not ‘get the best’, and they are compromised somewhat…And the dominos keep falling over…
Some crimes are obvious in this—if I murder someone who later would produce children and grand-children and great-grandchildren etc, my ‘finite act’ of murder clearly has ripple-down effects that continue indefinitely into the future. [Of course, emotional damage (e.g., rape), physical damage (e.g., irreparable injury), or even economic damage (e.g., vandalism, fraud) can have a similar no-progeny result.] These are eternal consequences of a single ‘finite’ act.
CS Lewis illustrated this truth in The Great Divorce when all the inhabitants of hell were allowed to travel to heaven and remain there—but there were no takers. The inhabitants of ‘hell’ (his literary version, that is) had so self-sculpted their characters by bad choices that they had no appreciation (and actually, no tolerance!) for the virtues and qualities of heaven. Their choices had become who they had become and who they would continually and eternally choose to be—every time they would be offered a chance to change/choose. ]]
http://christianthinktank.com/way2long.html
That last part about people WILLINGLY going to hell was something I brought up the other day- even ‘good people’ will WILLINGLY go to hell rather than accept God’s forgiveness because they have cultivated In their hearts such a hatred for God that they would rather burn in hell than kneel before Him- their inner rage against God is so intense that Hell will be the outlet they seek for their own release of fury- There is no such thing as a ‘good person’ who is unsaved- refusal to accept Their Creator as their God, is a very serious offense- regardless of hos ‘good’ they are on earth while alive- Much more serious than people are willing to admit (even though they KNOW deep down just how serious their refusal to accept Him really is)
This article is excellent- (and the whole site is well worth reading through for some very novel and thought provoking articles- The fella has a very unique way of dissecting common objections to the faith and rationally coming to conclusions that the objections simply are unfair objections based on ignorance of the unknowns or unconsidered of the situation-
Glen Miller on christianthinktank.com does offer many good arguments on many things, but this idea by Lewis is not one of them. Souls in Hell certainly would choose to go to Heaven as well as back to earth if they could, and would welcome death, if it is TOO LATE!!!
If all are as the rich man in the literal story of him and Lazarus in Lk, 16, it reveals that those in Hell are conscious, humbled, not contentious, and earnestly desiring both relief as well as the welfare of those on earth.
They now have the kind of heart that would accept Christ, but which grace God owes no man, and having spurned/sinned away their days of grace, resisting conscience and rejecting Christ by rejecting whatever light they have, which light comes from Christ. (Jn. 1:9) having "loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
While they may not have much or any comprehension of all the virtues of heaven, rather than raging against God, the rich man reveals one who can see he has no case, and in fact one day will admit, as a matter of fact will confess, as if in regretful realization,the worthiness of God, and give Him glory: "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Revelation 5:13)
I believe the souls in Hell, while not yet realizing the full extent of their guilt until the great white throne judgment, know that their judgment is just, which makes their suffering worse, as they cannot hope that justice will set them free.
But it may be postulated that if the true believer ultimately only wants to see God glorified, then if they went to Hell then they could be thankful that God is justified in all His sayings and doings (I for one too often contend with my Maker, as if I can run the universe better!), and rejoice that He will be exlted. Of course, that would not the Hell for them that it is for others. But we should be willing to go to Hell if that would best exalt God and give Him the most glory.
May the Lord receive the reward of His sufferings, which believers will.