“”Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel. “If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death. I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech. And if the people of the community ignore those who offer their children to Molech and refuse to execute them, I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech.”
Leviticus 20:2-5 NLT
The worship of Molech was, of course, reprehensible as it involved the ritual sacrifice of children, and it often took place in a valley just outside of Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom. In Greek the name of this valley is Gehenna, regularly translated as hell1 in English bibles, and is used by Jesus to paint a metaphorical picture of a state or condition that is in such rebellion against God that he intends to destroy for it with fire for its sheer vileness.2
This is not a state of being with which God saddles up with compassion, but with hot rage.
What’s interesting to me is that with great evil such as this taking place within Israel, God isn’t satisfied with his people merely not participating either. They must also excise it as a cancer. Libertarian attitudes towards evil are by default association.