When JWs come around with their articles asking "Is God Cruel?", I often point them to Genesis 22:2:
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
On the one hand, there are what should be obvious questions. Several places in the bible show that god can read hearts and minds. He should know that Abraham will do what he asks. There is no need to stress out Abraham by asking him to do this.
Aside from that, the big question is WHY test him? For what purpose? Sh*ts and grins? One might say it was to see if he was worthy to be the ancestor of God's chosen nation. But, God had already promised this to Abraham before Isaac was even born. He can't exactly go back now, can he? What if Abraham fails the test? God would still have to bless his descendants. Oops! Should've tested him BEFORE making those promises.
If there's no major reason to test Abraham at this point, then God is just being really cruel.
Honestly! Who writes this stuff? Obviously somebody who didn't think out the story very well.
All around, it's stupid. If God knows what Abraham will do, why test him?
Furthermore, God specifically tells Abraham that Isaac will produce this nation before Isaac is even born. One might say that Abraham was not stressed out about sacrificing Isaac because he knew that because of God's promise Isaac would somehow come through this test and still produce this nation. Then it's not really a test, is it?
And Isaac wasn't his only son as it says in the verse. There was Ishmael.
Again, really? Who wrote this, a child?