Upon serious reflection, is it rational to suppose that a real deity would judge people and/or the world?
BONUS QUESTION: Why would a judging god not be an insane god?
This assumes a duality. Hinduism is largely non-dual. That is, “God” is not separate from creation (God in parentheses because it’s really Brahman we’re talking about). God
is creation and existence.
Hinduism is monistic... only one thing, Brahman, exists from which everyone and everything emanates. One of the
Mahāvākyāni (“Great Sayings”) of the Upanishads is
aham brahmāsmi, literally, “I am Brahman”. How can God judge or punish Itself? And for what or why?
Our nature, our essence, is non-different from God. Hinduism is largely pantheistic and panentheistic (they’re not mutually exclusive per BG 10.20-42, and other texts from other sects). Not to mention it being mystical*10^100.
This is why the Judeo-Christian concept of God being a judge in light of Gen. 1:26-27 doesn’t make sense:
“26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: ...
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; ...”
That’s
spiritual image, God has no physical form. So if man is created in God’s spiritual image how can Man be less than perfect like God? Unless God is not perfect and sins.
So it’s less a matter of insanity, cruelty, and/or control than it is one of illogic and irrationality that God should be judge, jury and executioner.
So from my POV as a Hindu, God does not and cannot judge. It would be illogical.