On first glance, I know that the subject heading for this post seems twisted. But it’s not, because when we think of the damned, we think of evil people on Earth. The damned in hell are not the same as evil people on Earth. First I’ll just show what scripture has to say on this topic, and then I’ll explain.
The Bible, Reason and Christian tradition seem pretty clear on this issue.
Daniel 12:2:
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
The fate of those in hell is everlasting contempt. There will be no compassion for them.
Consider also what is written in the Book of Revelation on this topic. In Revelation 18 and 19, we see the reaction of the heavenly multitude quite plainly. While merchants on the Earth wail over the fall of Babylon and weep for its old glory, the heavenly congress react differently.
Revelation 18:19-20:
And [the shipmasters and seafarers] threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in one hour she has been laid waste.”
Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints and apostles and prophets! For God has given judgment for you against her.
Revelation 19:1-3:
After this [the destruction of Babylon] I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God, for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
Once more they said,
“Hallelujah! The smoke goes up from her forever and ever.”
They gave praise and glory for the destruction of people, including for the torment of those that suffer everlasting torment, according to verse 3. Those on Earth feel sorrow for their demise, but those in heaven praise God for it.
I can’t quite find the place at the moment, but in Revelation there also is a passage that describes the martyrs calling to God, “How long? How long before our blood shall be avenged?”
Tertullian writes similarly of the damned. He rejoiced in the fact that they are punished severely, comparing their suffering to that of gladiators, and saying that the heavenly saints and angels would be like the throng in the ampitheater, rejoicing to see their destruction. Tertuallian had no compassion at all for those in hell. The Early Church Fathers were very clear that those in hell fully deserved it, and I don’t recall any of them expressing sympathy. Tertullian was the most vivid in his non-sympathy.
I think that a big part of this that we need to grasp to be able to fully understand what we’re talking about is that
people in Hell have separated themselves completely from God. This mean that they have no virtues left. There’s nothing to love, nothing left to feel sorry for. There’s only bad in the person, at that point, because they’ve rejected all the good that can be had.
The only people who encounter creatures like that on Earth are those that encounter demons. Every human on Earth still has some good in them, something virtuous that is loveable. Because of this, our compassion for the wicked here on Earth is laudable, because we are seeing beyond their cruelty and glorifying God for the good that remains in them. If we loved what is evil, we ourselves would be evil. Therefore we cannot love the damned. Their complete separation from God means that they are 100% evil. Therefore there will be no grief for those in heaven, after the suffering of those on Earth has ceased and the last soul has reached its final destination.