Oh my gosh, I love this so much. I have found myself praying over the last 10 years or so that “God, you are safe, kind, good,” always leading with safe. Which fits what therapists and social scientists and such say about relationships, that they have to start with safety, that there is no trust if you aren’t safe. But I grew up with the conservative/evangelical world latching onto the “he’s not safe” and making it out that God loves, sure, but he’s also holy and just and has to have his holiness satisfied when we screw up. It’s been a lifetime of experiencing God very differently than what I learned about him when I was younger. This also fits with the 23rd Psalm, in that I never understood how a rod and staff were comforting, until I realized that they were being used to drive away the enemies that would harm me the sheep.
"...God loves, sure, but he’s also holy and just and has to have his holiness satisfied when we screw up."
But that's 100% true. That's a major part of the message of the Bible, from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22.
God is love, God is extremely good and merciful. He's holy and just. He can't let the wicked run free over His own beloved sheep. Our sin itself is our oppressor... our sins keep us locked up. It would be unloving of God to leave us in our sins down here.
Thats why its such Good News that God took away our sins in Jesus on the Cross. He proved it by raising Jesus from the dead.
That's why the fact that Jesus Christ is Risen is the best, most joyous fact in the universe!
Without the reality of wickedness being judged, there's no power in the Cross. But Jesus is our hope, freedom, eternal life. Theres total safety in Christ. Total freedom. Absolute peace and quiet confidence in him.
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 17:10
Unfortunately this mindset also supports their harsh, and judgmental approach that has turned off so many, and does the opposite of bringing others to hear the gospel. This has become increasingly harsh and unempathic... encouraging and mirroring the political hatefulness we experience. Jesus was a safe place, the evangelical fundamentalists are not. I too grew up in this and know it well.. and have followed the movement to the right, and to this increase in intolerance, turning into a nationalistic religion. I have never heard people be so negative about the christian church as I have of late... and I attribute much of this to the evangelical movement over the past decades. Safety is the root of love.
Forgive me, but this feels like an "undistributed" argument. You mention that conservatives and evangelicals cite scripture concerning God's judgment and wrath - which I assume you would agree is right to do, since all Scripture is God-breathed. So I guess I'm not connecting the dots to how mentioning wrath and judgment is the same as describing God as satan.
Yeah... I agree. Its not exactly a "straw man" argument, because there are definitely people like this. I think its just painting with too big a brush. just my 2c.
Oh my gosh, I love this so much. I have found myself praying over the last 10 years or so that “God, you are safe, kind, good,” always leading with safe. Which fits what therapists and social scientists and such say about relationships, that they have to start with safety, that there is no trust if you aren’t safe. But I grew up with the conservative/evangelical world latching onto the “he’s not safe” and making it out that God loves, sure, but he’s also holy and just and has to have his holiness satisfied when we screw up. It’s been a lifetime of experiencing God very differently than what I learned about him when I was younger. This also fits with the 23rd Psalm, in that I never understood how a rod and staff were comforting, until I realized that they were being used to drive away the enemies that would harm me the sheep.
"...God loves, sure, but he’s also holy and just and has to have his holiness satisfied when we screw up."
But that's 100% true. That's a major part of the message of the Bible, from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22.
God is love, God is extremely good and merciful. He's holy and just. He can't let the wicked run free over His own beloved sheep. Our sin itself is our oppressor... our sins keep us locked up. It would be unloving of God to leave us in our sins down here.
Thats why its such Good News that God took away our sins in Jesus on the Cross. He proved it by raising Jesus from the dead.
That's why the fact that Jesus Christ is Risen is the best, most joyous fact in the universe!
Without the reality of wickedness being judged, there's no power in the Cross. But Jesus is our hope, freedom, eternal life. Theres total safety in Christ. Total freedom. Absolute peace and quiet confidence in him.
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 17:10
Unfortunately this mindset also supports their harsh, and judgmental approach that has turned off so many, and does the opposite of bringing others to hear the gospel. This has become increasingly harsh and unempathic... encouraging and mirroring the political hatefulness we experience. Jesus was a safe place, the evangelical fundamentalists are not. I too grew up in this and know it well.. and have followed the movement to the right, and to this increase in intolerance, turning into a nationalistic religion. I have never heard people be so negative about the christian church as I have of late... and I attribute much of this to the evangelical movement over the past decades. Safety is the root of love.
Fascinating line of thought -- thank you for pointing it out so plainly!
Forgive me, but this feels like an "undistributed" argument. You mention that conservatives and evangelicals cite scripture concerning God's judgment and wrath - which I assume you would agree is right to do, since all Scripture is God-breathed. So I guess I'm not connecting the dots to how mentioning wrath and judgment is the same as describing God as satan.
Yeah... I agree. Its not exactly a "straw man" argument, because there are definitely people like this. I think its just painting with too big a brush. just my 2c.