I don’t want to live in fear. Now…anyone who has known me for a while knows that I’m not afraid of the boogy man, being alone at night or dying in a freak accident involving monkeys with machine guns. I’m typicaly not a fearful person. But, I am concerned about the centuries old religious tactics of fear. I would much rather live my life loving God because He first loved me and because He is a gracious and giving Father – not because I’m afraid of the endless flames of hell.
It’s not just hell that the religious system uses to instill fear. A key factor in the science of successful religious broadcast fund-raising is fear. Listeners are told of the vast conspiracies to “destroy the family” or “stamp out religious freedom.” They are begged to help fight against the “homosexual agenda” or “secular humanism”. By sending them their tax-deductible donations, we can end all of this real or imagined junk and, in return, receive an exciting gift. (a genuine mustart seed in a cube of clear plastic, for example.)
Christians who listen to these fear tactics become afraid. Isn’t God so much bigger than that? Why have we fallen into the trap of believing that we have to use fear or we won’t get our point across? There is so much joy and freedom in the true Kingdom of God – that’s the way I want to live. I want Reagan to grow up without the fear of eternal damnation or becoming a martyr at the hands of “liberals.” Christ died for the sins of all mankind – He will draw all men unto himself. There is not fear tactic in that!
I have to say that I am stirred up in my spirit. (obviously, if you have read my two previous posts) I have never before been so hungry to know the true heart of the scriptures – without all of the religious baggage of fear filtering my ability to really see through God’s eyes. Seeking God is one big, fat rabbit hole – but it’s a fun ride, isn’t it?
Abs of Steel 
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