recoverer wrote on Dec 15th, 2015 at 2:47pm:It's repressive if presented in a "you better believe or else" way. There is no way a person/soul can respond in a wholehearted way if fear is one of the motivating ingredients. A decision that is truly worth making is a joyous decision to make.
So perhaps there is a way to be in line with divine will, without fear being a part of the formula.
1796 wrote on Dec 15th, 2015 at 2:05pm:recoverer wrote on Dec 14th, 2015 at 4:20pm:...
It could be that some people are resistant to the idea of Jesus because they are resistant to authority. That part of their free will resists. Perhaps there is a way to think of divine authority that isn't repressive and limiting.
How is the Jesus concept repressive and limiting?
"you better believe or else" - or else what?
Who says that? and what's the threat you are implying?
"There is no way a person/soul can respond in a wholehearted way if fear is one of the motivating ingredients."
I don't have an aversion to fear. It is a natural realisation of possible detriment, and a natural energiser and motivator.
Many of my times of best decisions and progress were done in fear.
Do you mean the fear that motivates us to go to work and earn money so we don't end up homeless? and doing a good job so we don't get the sack? taking precautions in dangerous situations so we don't get injured or injure others? driving on the right side of the road so we don't have a head on collision? treating our family well so we don't lose their respect?
By the way, you frequently talk in insinuations and inferences, without specifics, you don't cite references or quotes, you imply things without saying them outright, and dispute positions that others don't hold as if they do hold them.
Look at your posts on this thread for several examples. Look across other threads and see more examples. All of which is fine. Its your problem, no one else's.