If God knew before he created the world that millions of people would suffer eternally in hell, would he have been more loving not to create at all? The Bible says many bold things. And it raises all sorts of heavy topics and perplexing questions for us to consider. And one of the heaviest questions is this: In comparison to eternal judgment on many, wouldn’t it have been more loving for no one to have been created in the first place? It’s a question from a podcast listener named Jonathan, and certainly a question others have wondered about too. “Hello, Pastor John. I know there are some questions we will not get answered on this side of eternity, and I believe my question may be one of them. But I’d love to hear your thoughts on it: If God knew that the majority of humanity would reject him and end up in eternal torment, wouldn’t it have been kinder or more merciful to not create them in the first place? “I suppose the apostle Paul’s response would be Romans 9:20: 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus? ‘But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”’ So, I guess Paul is saying, in other words, ‘God is not taking a vote on what he should or shouldn’t do.’ And I guess that leaves us to simply trust and believe that his foreknowledge of most of humanity’s future eternal damnation doesn’t compromise his character in creating them anyway. Is there anything more to say here?” Read or listen to this interview at our website: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/would-god-have-been-more-loving-not-to-create-anyone Find other recent and popular Ask Pastor John episodes: https://www.desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john