Nobody likes to be manipulated or controlled...

"Nobody likes to be manipulated or controlled except for unhealthy people who exchange their submission for supposed protection." - Donald Miller

Read more, here.

Fear

"So much of religion seems to be about fear:  

fear of going to hell; 
fear of having bad theology; 
fear of not satisfying your end of the bargain so God will favor you and bless you; 
fear of others finding out how much you're not really like the person you project and pretend to be; 
fear of trusting your own inner guidance and fear of thinking for yourself; 
fear of not upholding the expectations of your religious sub-culture; 
fear of sexuality; 
fear of people who are different; fear of the world; 
fear of messing up; 
fear of not being good enough... spiritual enough... godly enough.  

I don't know which is worse - the way religion makes us afraid to die, or the way it makes us afraid to live."  

- Jim Palmer, Notes from (Over) The Edge

TURN or BURN?

"TURN or BURN", the passionate, well-meaning evangelist screams at the top of his/her voice. 

In other words, fear is the tool that is used to connect a person to God. 

But the scripture says, "perfect love casts out fear" (1 Jn 4:18). 

Perfect love is God (1 Jn 4:8). 

So, to me, it is common sense to conclude that God will not scare a person into accepting him. Love will not coerce and will not be coerced. 

Since God is love and he created us in his own image, and if a loving human being would never want to see someone being roasted forever and ever, why would we assume that God would allow that to his creation?

Are we saying that Adam's offense is greater than Jesus' redemptive work on the cross? (see Romans 5:18)

Please do not receive my words blindly. This is merely a gentle nudge to seek. You have nothing to lose.

Truth can withstand any amount of scrutiny.

Related posts:

The Cosmic Turtle
Love is...
My Thoughts on Raising Hell
Paul has a chit-chat with Calvin and Arminius