Would you rather a bad person get off scott free, or would you prefer they burn in hell for all eternity? Because I am not a fan of any injustice, but eternal punishment is far more of an injustice than no punishment at all in my opinion.
God is supposed to be just, but his two rulings are either eternal torture, or eternal paradise. What kind of justice system is that?
Actually you are incorrect about there only being two rulings. Catholics and some other Christians (not sure which ones) believe in a place called purgatory. There is some evidence that this is what could have been referred to as the netherworld in the bible.
Purgatory is a place for spiritual atonement and cleansing. It is a place of suffering, but through prayers, and sacrifices, these souls will eventually got to heaven. Mary told the children of medjugorje that very few souls go directly to heaven. The greatest amount of souls upon death go to purgatory.
There is only one direction from purgatory , and that is eventually heaven, though it has been said that some souls have sent many many more years in purgatory than on this earth, because they had much to do penance for, and atone for.
Purgatory is a doctrine of the Catholic Church. It refers to the state of being after death in which people do penance for sins not atoned for on earth. It’s biblical basis is found in both the Old and New Testaments. Just as the doctrine of purgatory flows from the Catholic understanding of grace, so misconceptions flow from a misunderstanding of grace. Errors concerning this doctrine are most prevalent among Protestants due to their teaching of sola fide
Here is an excerpt taken from an interview with one of the visionaries in medjugorje about heaven ,hell ,and purgatory . I also included what Mary said about the priests, because I struggled with this extremely at some point in my journey of life.
(Excerpts taken from: "The apparitions of Our Lady at Medjugorje", by Svetozar Kraljevic, O.F.M.)
Interview with Mirjana Dragicevic, By Fr. Tomislav Vlasic
Medjugorje, January 10, 1983
T: Mirjana, we have not seen each other for some time, and I would like you to tell me about the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and especially with the events that are connected to you.
M: I have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary for eighteen months now, and feel I know Her very well. I feel she loves me with Her Motherly love, and so I have been able to ask Her about anything I would like to know. I've asked her to explain some things about Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell that were not clear to me. For example, I asked Her how God can be so unmerciful as to throw people into Hell, to suffer forever. I thought: If a person commits a crime and goes to jail, he stays there for a while and then is forgiven - but to Hell, forever? She told me that souls who go to Hell have ceased thinking favorably of God - have cursed Him, more and more. So they've already become a part of Hell, and choose not to be delivered from it.
Then she told me that there are levels in Purgatory: Levels close to Hell and higher and higher toward Heaven. Most people, she said, think many souls are released from Purgatory into Heaven on All Saints' Day, but most souls are taken into Heaven on Christmas Day.
T: Did you ask why God allows Hell?
M: No, I did not. But afterward I had a discussion with my aunt, who told me how merciful God is. So I said I would ask the Madonna how God could......
T: According to what you've said, then; It's simple as this: People who oppose God on earth just continue their existence after death, and oppose God in Hell?
M: Really, I thought if a person goes to Hell....Don't people pray for their salvation? Could God be so unmerciful as not to hear their prayers? Then the Madonna explained it to me. People in Hell do not pray at all; instead, they blame God for everything. In effect, they become one with Hell and they get used to it. They rage against God, and they suffer, but they always refuse to pray to God.
T: To ask Him for salvation?
M: In Hell, they hate Him even more.
T: As for Purgatory, you say that souls who pray frequently are sometimes allowed to communicate, at least by messages, with people on earth, and that they receive the benefits of prayers said on earth?
M: Yes. Prayers that are said on earth for souls who have not prayed for their salvation are applied to souls in purgatory who pray for their salvation.
T: Did the Madonna tell you whether many people go to Hell today?
M: I asked her about that recently, and She said that, today, most people go to purgatory, the next greatest number go to Hell, and only a few go directly to Heaven.
T: Only a few go to Heaven?
M: Yes only a few - the least number - go to Heaven.
T: Did you ask about the conditions for a person to enter Heaven?
M: No I didn't; but, we can probably say what they are. God is not looking for great believers but simply for those who respect their faith and live peacefully, without malice, meanness, falsehood.
T: This is your interpretation, your understanding?
M: Yes. After I talked to the Madonna, I came to that conclusion; No one has to do great miracles or do great penance; merely live a simple, peaceful life.
T: Well, besides Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, is there anything else new recently?
M: The Madonna told me that I should tell the people that many in our time judge their faith by their priests. If a priest is not holy, they conclude that there is no God. She said: "You do not go to church to judge the priest, to examine his personal life. You go to church to pray and to hear the word of God from the priest." This must be explained to the people, because many turn away from the faith because of priests.