As for isolation not being real punishment, there's been some recent research to the effect that ostracism is processed by the same part of the brain as handles physical pain.
On the cynical side, there's Original Sin as protection racket. "Nice soul you've got there-- pity if something happened to it."
When you started about Linda, I thought you heading towards saying that she wasn't nearly as bad as a God who condemns people to eternal torment.
Further noodling here: I don't think we're built for eternity. Part of the hell in hell is that there's no input to shake you out of a bad mood. I recently heard of the ancient Celtic idea that there's only reincarnation. Life after life with no karma determining what you'll get. No justice (or at least no more than the rather modest amount we get here), but at least atrocities end.
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On the cynical side, there's Original Sin as protection racket. "Nice soul you've got there-- pity if something happened to it."
When you started about Linda, I thought you heading towards saying that she wasn't nearly as bad as a God who condemns people to eternal torment.
Further noodling here: I don't think we're built for eternity. Part of the hell in hell is that there's no input to shake you out of a bad mood. I recently heard of the ancient Celtic idea that there's only reincarnation. Life after life with no karma determining what you'll get. No justice (or at least no more than the rather modest amount we get here), but at least atrocities end.