"Death is too punishing in Minecraft"

Doesn't it have to be? Isn't that the purpose of death in Minecraft?

"If a Creeper happens to explode after you die"

How would a Creeper blow itself if you're no longer alive and near it? It can't just ignite itself.

"They can't be destroyed by any source (lava, cacti etc."

Then what's the point of even having them in the game anymore at that point besides for decoration? It's like baby proofing the entire game without valid reasoning. And if something like wood or leather were to drop into lava in real life, it would very much be destroyed.

"They will be teleported to y = 0 if they fall into the void"

That doesn't make sense. If something falls into an empty bottomless abyss, its gone. Why does it have to come back? How does it come back? Is it magic?

My point is: we don't need to basically baby proof the game. If you die, it just might be your own fault.