A punitive God

In my western civilization class several years ago, our teacher said, "My God is not punitive." I am often surprised at the aversion people have to the idea that God would punish anybody. The view seems odd to me. If the ultimate authority in the universe can't punish anybody, then what right do we have to punish people? And yet most people have no problem with sending criminals to jail. Does it strike anybody else as completely backwards that the government would have the right to punish people, but God doesn't?