The Abrahamic God is said to be omniscient and merciful. However, he supposedly creates men and women who, because of his omniscience, should know will sin and disbelieve in him. But here's the thing, you might say that people have to find their way to him, but some people genuinely just don't believe. Why would an all-knowing overseer and creator of the universe who is the embodiment of goodness and perfection actively create somebody who he already knows will intuitively be against him? He creates them to disbelieve in him and then sends them off to Hell.
Surely this can not be described as merciful? It sounds more torturous to me.
Jordan, this is a problem I have encountered and struggled with in the past, however with some Torah study have come to answers to these questions.
There are a couple of simple answers:
a) Free will goes hand-in-hand with providence. God knows what we are about to do and after the act we must view the event as God willing it.
Before the action, however, we
must always hold onto the position that we have free will to change the course of events. (It's a paradox that you might need to delve into more deeply)
b) Reincarnation of souls into new bodies. One who does not fulfill his/her entire purpose will be reborn as an opportunity to see truly and thus achieve maximum reward in the World-to-Come.
c) Hell is a temporary place for cleansing our souls to become pure again.
But belief isn't a matter of free will. It isn't a choice, it's instinct. What I'm saying is that why would God build this instinct into people?
It isn't instinct, but there is a pull towards the bodily desires. Free will is a battle of Body Vs. Soul, of Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) Vs. Yetzer Tov (Good Inclination). Without the Yetzer Hara, which what you speak of, we would have no challenge or test in this world and our reward or punishment would be null.