Is collective punishment fair? Should we punish children for the crimes of their parents? Should we punish their children’s children or their children’s, children’s children? How about hundreds of generations or more?
What would you think of a government that would punish every descendant of a criminal (no matter how distant) and never offer the chance to escape this blood debt? While people would not want their government to commit such a horrible injustice, they see no injustice in their god inflicting disease, death, misery and every other aliment in the world over some distance ancestor eating a piece of fruit!
What could possibly be more horrible and unjust? Because a couple of people, who were totally naïve, listened to a talking snake, this merciful god, who should have seen it coming anyway, inflicts this punishment on every descendant from the most innocent baby to the elderly!
Furthermore, this merciful, just and perfect god does not offer any way for people to make up for this horrible crime of eating a piece of fruit. No matter what they do, there is no escaping the sin of their distant ancestors.
Any government that practices collective punishment is rightfully condemned as violating human rights. Yet, this god can practice collective punishment infinitely more harsh is merciful and just?!
