Divine Punishment from the Structural-Functional Paradigm

“The divine intention, according to the prophets, is not primarily retributive, to impose penalty in consequence of wrongdoing; but rather deterrent, to discourage transgression by fear of punishment; and reformatory, to repair, refine, to make pure by affliction.”

A Heschel, The Prophets, (London: Harper row, 1969), p.18

The Western idea of divine punishment has had an important effect on society since its conception. Although not everybody believes specifically in Heaven and Hell, the idea has been around for so long that it has simply become a social norm; all members of society are expected to act a certain way for fear of some kind of punishment, whether it be legal, spiritual or otherwise. From the structural-functional paradigm, divine punishment is a social function of the judgment structure, since the way people ultimately judge each other is by observing whether one is a “good person”. This is a belief which is most often related to the idea of what that person would experience after death; a reward for being good, or a punishment for being bad? Heaven or Hell?

The afterlife has not always been seen as positive. To many ancient Greeks, Mesopotamians, Israelites, and Egyptians, life was always preferable to death. The afterlife was seen as a miserable, tedious place. When we consider the frequency with which these people attacked and slaughtered each other with seemingly no remorse and often with no mercy, it seems that the belief in Heaven as a reward for the kind and generous and Hell as chastisement for the greedy and evil has had a largely positive effect on society. However, there are also negative sides to the belief that there is a wonderful place in the sky beyond life on earth.

The most important problem with this belief is that is devalues life on earth. Although this can be positive in some cases (such as someone who is dying and who believes he or she is going to a better place), belief that this world is only a precursor to our real destination, our final judgment, reduces the motivation for social action and change. As a result, people often take on individualistic ideas; every man for himself. If I am good, I won’t go to Hell, and that is all that matters. The emphasis turns to bettering oneself internally, as opposed to helping to benefit society as a whole. This is supported by the slew of self-help books which can now be found at almost every bookstore.

Another problem with the belief in Heaven and Hell is the seeming unfairness of it from a religious stance. Many wonder why belief in God is a prerequisite for entrance into Heaven. If one is a “good person” and follows