A visceral objection - How can a God of love send people to hell?

For many modern Americans, this seems in impossible contradiction. The root of the objection goes something like this: To think God will send someone to hell means that person is unequal in dignity and worth. A normal consequence will be to then treat them as less than equal, eventually stretching to exclusion and even violence. Keller points out that while this objection to Christianity is raised frequently, it comes more from feelings than thought. And so this chapter is less sharply focused than the others so far, but his answers are still very helpful. He thinks the background for this question lies in the rise of science. Not that science is intrinsically notorious. But that as people gained scientific ideas, skills and technology, we all began to enjoy many benefits in this present world. C.S. Lewis says that magic became much more popular about the same time, as a rival to science, with the same goals, but less success and acceptance. What were the goals?--to manage and manipulate our present world for our benefit. And as science ascended there were those who consciously cast God and the metaphysical into the background and others who subciously accepted the fact that what's important is the here and now. The result--a world that was no longer God-centered, but man-centered. This puts God in the Dock--another book by Lewis, that answers some of these same kind of objections. But note: God is answerable to man, not vice versa. Keller than deals with three common misunderstanding about God and His wrath. First he says that all people are angry sometimes. And its a good thing that they are. Imagine being a parent who doesn't get angry if his daughter is mistreated. There is such a thing as good anger. Consider this quote from Anne Dillard, “God’s wrath is not a cranky explosion, but his settled opposition to the cancer…which is eating out the insides of the human race he loves with his whole being.” Second he cites the work of Miroslav Volf, a Croatian familiar with the wars, crises and prejudices of the Balkans. Volf says that to speak of a God of love who does not bring justice to the oppressed is to silence the good in people and will actually fuel the road of blood vengeance. If God will not cure all wrongs, it is up to me to make right the wrongs I and my family (or people) have suffered. Third, he points out that the road to hell is a process and that no one arrives there without practice and preparation for it. Many people think that as God sends someone to hell, they realize their plight and cry out only to hear God laugh, "too late." The biblical picture is of continuity of life style. The rich man in Luke 16 seems 'blind to what has happened. He still thinks Lazarus should be his servant and treats him as his water boy." If you want to get nasty about it listen to Lewis, "Hell is the greatest monument to human freedom." At the end of the chapter Keller takes up the issue of equality. His point is that no one can make any final judgments about anyone else's spiritual fate or state. History abounds with outspoken critics who convert and outspoken defenders who turn apostate. [As a personal note, it is at this point that we need to reflect on the image of God in people. That is the basis for respect and dignity and equality.] The fact that so many people want to think of God as a God of love is really remarkable. No other religion has such a personal and intimate God. The thought must arise from the Bible, which also reveals that He will judge, too.