Atheism is not a philosophy known for its internal consistency. Indeed, with its definition being its only fixed rule (and maybe not even that given how much modern atheists bicker over it), atheists are free to believe any number of contradictory things, they are still as much an atheist as any other. As a result, there are whole lists of contradictory arguments atheists use, whether they contradict each other, or even themselves. One example is their attitude to sin. Is sin trivial, or is sin eternal?
First, let us point out that an atheist has no basis for moral judgements. Only if there is an authority higher than man to which man is held accountable can morality be more than just a mere opinion. But who will listen to just an opinion? I believe lemon ice cream is the best ice cream flavor. Will you renounce your favorite ice cream? My favorite band is Wolves at the Gate. Will you listen to them? My favourite color is green. I highly doubt you will burn all your red shirts. Opinions, of course, are worthless. Therefore, no atheist can use a moral argument against God.
But they do try, and their attempts, as I have said, are often contradictory. One argument is that God is unfair for giving out infinite punishments for finite sins. Yet, these same atheists claim God must stop all evil before it happens. I even remember seeing a video once where an angel tells God He should stop a woman getting raped. God mentions Heaven and Hell, and the angel scoffs back "will that unrape the woman?"
So, which is it? Is sin so trivial that no one should be punished for it forever, or is sin so terrible that even if it lasts mere moments, it echoes throughout eternity? An atheist cannot have it both ways, but a Christian can consistently reject both options.
Let us first deal with the claim that sin is trivial. In some ways, this is true. Even the 6,000 years this Earth has existed is ridiculously small compared to the millions, billions, trillions of years that will eventually come to pass. Everyone who lives will be dead longer than they ever lived. The Bible itself actually tells us that our lives are like vapors in the wind.
But the thing about God is that He is outside of time. Every second of history is in His sight right now. Sin is not temporary to Him, but eternal. With God, there really is no such thing as a minor crime. Furthermore, even in our society, the same crime carries different punishments based on who it's against. You lie to yourself, nothing happens. You lie to your kids, nothing happens. Lie to your spouse, you're in trouble. Lie to your boss, you get disciplined, maybe even fired. Lie to the government, you go to jail. Notice the more authority a person has, the greater the punishment for the same crime. God has infinite authority. Should the punishment not also be infinite? I remind you again that an atheist has no basis to say yes or no. The correct answer is yes.
But is sin so eternal that God is evil just for not stopping it? There are several problems with this, the first being atheists only use it when it comes to sins they don't like. Oh sure, most of us agree that rape is evil. Most of us. But what about porn? Should God stop you watching porn? It's no secret that our culture is rampant with porn. "But the actress consents!" There's your problem. Rape is an evil most of us want gone, but porn is an evil most atheists, if they don't actively support it, are at the very least indifferent to.
But God isn't. God hates porn, and God literally invented sex, so it is His absolute right to dictate how it is to be enjoyed. If God says porn is evil, no one has the right to say porn is not evil, and yet God does not step in to stop porn.
Yet.
See, there will come a time when all evil will be dealt with. Rape, porn, cussing, slander, envy, homosexuality, abortion, fornication, slavery, blasphemy, God hasn't stopped these things yet. But He will. And while that will not undo the evil, it will certainly set things right. Why does God wait? Simple: He's waiting for you.
God hates rape, God loves rapists. God hates porn, God loves porn addicts. God hates cussing, God loves potty mouths. God hates envy, God loves the envious. God hates homosexuality, God loves gays. God hates murder, God loves abortionists. God hates fornication, God loves fornicators. God hates slavery, God loves slavers. God hates blasphemy, God loves atheists. Put simply, God hates all sin, not just the sins atheists dislike. But the sinner, God loves enough to die for. And you, my friend, are a sinner.
So, if God stops all evil today, where will you be tomorrow? If you remain an atheist, the answer is Hell. You do not need to be a rapist to go to Hell, you just need to sin, and you have sinned. But what if God waits? What if you read this article, and finally you realise how Holy God is? What if you finally recognise His mercy, and so you repent and get saved? And perhaps not today (though please, for your own sake, do not assume tomorrow is promised). Perhaps it will not be until tomorrow. Perhaps a week, a month, I've heard a Christian testify that it took him a year to even read a single tract he was given. Even more recently, I heard of an 86 year old woman who got saved. The Bible tells us that God does not want anyone to go to Hell. He wants everyone to repent. Thus, the reason God has not stopped all evil yet is because every minute He lets evil continue is another minute for someone else to repent of their own evil. I ask it, which is better? To stop a sinner, or to have the sinner come to faith? Oh you sinners, come to faith! Do not wait for the Lord to stop your evil. Repent of it yourself, and come to Heaven. A time will come when all evil will end. Make sure you're on the right side when that day comes.