Why does God punish Wrong Belief?

The Price of Truth

Two opposite or different statements with regards to a particular topic can’t be both true (due to the contradiction).

So, God allows for your own “choice” to determine which is Truth as He says:

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?” – Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 12:57)

However, as He continues (“the next few verses”), there’s a “price to pay” (“in prison”, an “afterlife” punishment analogy) for being in “falsehood” (“wrong choice in belief too”):

“As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” – Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 12:58 – 59)

P/S:

What’s the logic in God punishing people for their “wrong beliefs about Him”?

It’s simple: They believed & preached a “lie” (knowingly or unknowingly) about Him.

Thus, He alone has a right to “judge” (punish) them against all the “false” things which they have “claimed” or said “against” Him:

“to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” (Jude 1:15)

Remember, even if someone claimed or said something “false” about us, we would get angry. Also, to utter something false against a person in authority such as a king warrants punishment.

How much more serious is the offense of “lies and falsehood” preached, believed & spread about The Almighty God?

Hence, God has the right to judge everyone for any false belief or claim about Him.

In fact “everyone” will be found “guilty” of something:

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)

The only hope of escape is to be “shown Mercy” as it written:

“For He says to Moses: “I will show mercy to whom I may show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I may have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)

And,

“So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.” (Romans 9:18)

Being “sincerely wrong” is still a class under “lies” (not Truth) and warrants “lesser” punishment accordingly only.