While rebelling against G-d is a sin, it pales in comparison to lack of respect for your fellow person. It is not just wrong; it is unacceptable and must be eradicated.
We see this in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. There were 5 cities slated to be destroyed. Only 2 were completely obliterated and eradicated. In the other 3 cities, people were not “religious” however, they were nice to others and therefore while they were ruined, they were not destroyed.
In Sodom and Gomorrah, they tell a story about a girl named Plitith who lived in this hostile and unfriendly town. The laws of this town included things like one may not have any consideration for the poor, one may not offer hospitality to the passing stranger, selling food or water to a foreigner is forbidden. Plitith was caught secretly giving food to a stranger who was near starvation and was subsequently burned in public. Another young girl, caught feeding a starving beggar, was smeared with honey, and placed upon the city wall. She died from the stings of the bees attracted to the honey.
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The people in the saved cities were not religious yet were kind and friendly. They might have hated G-d but they loved their neighbors. On the other hand, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were evil to their fellow humans.
While lack of following G-d can bring us to lack of success or even to death, it will not obliterate everything. However, when the fabric of our society is destroyed, when we no longer take care of our neighbor, then total annihilation and destruction occur. While rebelling against G-d is a sin, it pales in comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah is the story that must never be repeated. Lack of respect for your fellow man is not just wrong, it is unacceptable and must be eradicated.
