Intimidation still works in some cases and circles, but those circles and getting smaller and smaller. Threats of hell and eternal damnation are still applied to the rebellious, vulnerable, and religious because they still have a degree of effectiveness. People still respond to the promise of heaven if they will give donations to the church, and of course it is the church that mediates such matters. So some believe.
The church continues to make all of life"s purpose as a preparation for either heaven or hell rather than a journey of expanding intimacy and growing relationship with the Spirit of God. Life has been reduced to a single event wherein one speaks a few well-orchestrated words that conveys upon the confessor a ticket to heaven!
How hard can that be?
The ultimate message here, while subconsciously conveyed, is that there"s nothing to get excited about, nor inherently attractive about developing an on-going relationship with the Creator of the universe. How in the religious name of God have we come to such a place? The unfortunate answer is because that"s what the church has peddled. Too much of the church leadership has majored in either doctrinal purity or prosperity pandering, rather than relation building (with the Spirit and spirits that we all are).
Philip Gulley wrote, "It is the sufficiency of grace that ended my fear and trembling. My salvation had never depended on my striving and struggle. It wasn"t about keeping a perfect record or earning a gold star. It wasn"t even about my accepting God. Salvation came in knowing that God accepted me."
Wow, if we could just embrace such a sense (and truth), we"d not need all the hell-fire and damnation preaching. We"d not worry about the threats of ex-communication, or fears of asking the wrong questions, or believing something that someone else deems heretical. Salvation isn"t an instantaneous event- it"s a journey. How far down the road have you travelled?
Who is guiding you in the journey? And don"t say only the Holy Spirit. Who amongst us humans is on the journey with you: sharing the trials and tribulations and holding our hands? By the way, you don"t need to "buy a ticket to heaven", nor do you need a "get out of jail free pass".