Q&A Home > J > Justice

• Can you please explain, how is it just for God to send someone to be tortured in hell for all eternity? Even considering the worst people on earth, do they really deserve an eternal punishment, especially considering that it is so extremely painful? I do not disagree with the notion of punishment for sins (without repentance). What I do not understand is why is it an eternal punishment? It seems very extreme to punish one for all eternity. "Just trust in God sounds like a non-answer. Surely God is not a God of confusion, correct? Even if we cannot fully comprehend hell, heaven, etc., it should at least make reasonable sense, right? Would not a limited punishment be more reasonable? Even if a person spent their whole life of 80 or 90 years resisting God, WHY do they deserve an eternal punishment in hell? For example, humans have designed a justice system where criminals are punished, but not unreasonably or in an unusually cruel way. I think most people would be against punishing a person to death by setting them on fire, for instance, and that may last for one or two minutes, I would think. How can God allow someone to spend all eternity burning in hell (even if it is not a real fire, but the idea being that it is excruciatingly painful?) How is that just? Again, the question is WHY is it just for God to send or allow someone to spend eternity in hell?
• I would like to comment on your contention that there is “no justice on earth” by saying that justice is usually accomplished at the very end of matters and incidents. For example, there seemed to be no justice in the crucifixion of our Lord. However, it was achieved in His resurrection. "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" proves that if there is no justice on earth there is no justice in heaven and vice versa. Our God is the “Pantocrator" which means ruler of the universe, heaven and earth and everything we know and we do not know. Therefore there has to be justice on earth since our Lord can not rule unjustly. Justice resides in its fulfillment.
• What is a specific definition of Justice? Is there any book I should read?