I’ve asked before why some people don’t think about God, or even about whether He exists.  Let me change the question.  Supposing that He does exist (you may not accept the supposition), then why would it be wrong to ignore Him?

Most of the nonbelieving young people I know -- most of the nonbelieving old ones too -- have a pretty primitive view of Christianity.  They think of it as based on the low motive of fear, and say people worship God only so that they won’t be sent to hell.  And they say that if this God is really good, He wouldn’t send them to hell just for not abasing themselves before Him.

Let’s consider these two arguments.  As to fear.  Scripture does say that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but it also says that perfect love casts out fear.

Plainly then there are two kinds of fear.  The kind which perfect love casts out has traditionally been called servile fear, the anxiety of a sneaking menial who is afraid of being caught while he is stealing the silver.  But the kind which is the beginning of wisdom has traditionally been called filial fear, the loving awe of a child for his papa. 

As to whether a good God would send anyone to hell.  Whatever else hell might be, at least it is eternal separation from Him.  But isn’t this just what someone who spurns God is choosing?  Being “sent” to hell means merely getting what he wants.  When he gets it, though, he won’t like it.  I don’t know whether hell features literal flames.  I suspect, though, that the hopeless misery of being eternally cut off from the wellspring of life and of joy in life is more terrible than corporeal fire anyway.  One of the saints speculated that the flames of the damned are nothing other than the light of God’s glory as experienced by those who reject it.

“Why would God care?  An all-sufficient God wouldn’t need our worship!”  Correct, but it isn’t for Him; it’s for us.  Supposing that we really are made in God’s image (you may not accept that supposition either), then anyone who is alienated from Him is also alienated from himself.  He cannot truly know who he is or what he is, and he cannot truly be free.  To lose God, then, is to lose man.  Do we really need another reason not to turn our backs on Him?

“Yes, I do!”  Very well, think of the matter like this.  It is abhorrent beyond words to abandon those who have done us the greatest good.  Disloyalty to my friend, unfaithfulness to my wife, ingratitude to my parents, treason to my fatherland -- such things cannot even be spoken of without shame, calumny, and disgrace.  But what greater treason could there be than to turn traitor to the Author of our being, who is not only the Good above all goods, but the Source of all these goods?

Why would you want to do that anyway?  For He is the true Friend and origin of friendship, the true Bridegroom and origin of marriage, the true Father by whose name all earthly fathers are called.  His kingdom is the true Homeland, of which our earthly homeland is hardly a shadow.  Don’t any of these seem good things to you?

And if we still need more reasons to admire what is so great and good, what's wrong with us?

“But I don’t know all this to be true.”  Perhaps not.  But wouldn’t it be prudent to find out?