Why is there Hell?

FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD

Why is there Hell?

Some people do not believe in God and they are called "atheists."  Some atheists leave their religion because of our view of hell. It seems that in their perspective it is as if we will ask God for mercy and if we do not worship Him, God will do something bad to us.

If we notice, there is nothing in their explanation of the mercy and love that God first gives to people. However, it does not provide consistent information regarding hell. Perhaps, it is good to see a saint and mystic, St. Faustina, who wrote "Diary - Divine Mercy in My Soul" based on the private revelations she received from Jesus. St. Faustina said,

Diary, 1698

"Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful God gives the soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is willing, it has the possibility of returning to God. But sometimes, the obduracy in souls is so great that consciously they choose hell; they [thus] make useless all the prayers that other souls offer to God for them and even the efforts of God Himself… [1]."

If we notice from what she said, even if a person is close to death, he is still given many graces because of God's mercy and love where this person sees the truth and his sins. He is given a real opportunity to repent which causes him to receive the salvation that God always offers him. But, because we have freedom, a person is free to give "yes" to God or to give "no" to Him even if the person knows that it is not right for him. God's Mercy and Love were not lacking, but the people who chose hell ignored them. According to the teachings of the Catholic Church,

CCC 1033

1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him… To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell [2]."

We need to understand that God does not want to punish us. This is the reason why He gives us His grace and He always reveals the truth to us through our conscience, though sometimes, we do not listen to Him because we choose to sin. However, even at the end, even before we die, we still have the opportunity to repent and turn back. God wants everyone to be saved. However, it is the person who does not want to be saved because they desire to live without God. This eternal state is hell.

Some atheists may say that even though there is nothing wrong with God's justice, the punishment or the suffering experienced by those in hell is not fair. For example, if there is a parent and their child does not love them, should they hurt their children or torture them just to force them?  This is not correct, but neither is this analogy correct when it comes to God. To understand this better, let's look at what they say is punishment. They blamed God for the one thing that went bad in their lives, but they didn't think that maybe, it was the natural consequence of their examples.

Let's look at some analogies. If someone cuts himself with a knife, the natural consequence is that he will be hurt and he will lose blood. If a person jumps from a high place, the natural consequence is that he will break bones, he will be injured, and may even die. It was not done by other people, but it was the effect that he made as if he had punished himself. The Catholic Church does not teach that God is a cruel punisher because the truth is, what those in hell experience is the natural consequence of their desire to not join God in heaven. God is Love. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and our Light. Heaven is eternal happiness. Aren't suffering, miseries, and darkness the natural consequences of the person who doesn't want them?

In the belief of atheists, a loving God is opposed to a religion that only threatens those who believe in Him. But, Christianity is not based on fear. The truly loving parents will tell us the danger of not following the road signs and rules, of not following the COVID protocols, and so on, because they don't want us to be harmed.  God is like this and even more. He reveals to us the truth about hell because of His love for us. He is merciful in that even though we hurt Jesus because of our sins, He still offered Himself on the Cross for our salvation.

Along with God's respect for our dignity, He will not force us to love Him. This is because true love can only be seen in a person who has freedom, and God has given us this freedom completely. It is the freedom to choose Him or reject Him, but He makes many ways for us to know Him.  God moves, He always knocks on everyone's heart, but people still reject Him despite everything. If it hurts to be denied, exchanged, and rejected for us, what else does God feel for the person He gave life to? They choose their own desires even though God has given them everything. We can have the hope of going to heaven to be with Him. Let's believe in Him and persevere in our faith in Him. May we also pray for our conversion, and may we see God's love in our lives. Amen +

References:

[1] Diary - Divine Mercy in My Soul, 1698:

http://www.seraphim.my/divinemercy/diary/text/DiaryVI.htm

[2] The Catechism of the Catholic Church on hell:

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#1033