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We choose our final judgment

To the editor:

This is in response to a June 18 letter “Disgraceful verses in Scripture” by David M. Keranen. The phrase “Bible thumpers” has been around for a long time, just like the phrase “Holy rollers.” I haven’t heard anyone use them in a very long time. The expression “Bible thumpers” may have come from the “Old Days” when there were so-called “fire -breathing” preachers. They would thump the pulpit (Bible) with their fist and scream as loud as they could: “TURN or BURN.” The intended result was to literally, scare the Hell out of sinners. I watched a preacher friend of mine get so worked up the veins in his neck stuck out and his face got red like it was on fire. It scared me, but not of Hell. I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Fear and hope are very powerful emotions. Religion preachers and politicians both use fear and hope to get there convert numbers up and bring in the cash. I never could understand using fear to preach salvation, it just gets in a persons head; no one want to go to Hell. The Bible teaches with the heart, we believe and with the tongue, confession leads to salvation. It’s Gods love that draws men to him, not wrath. I believe this may be the reason many turned away from organized religion. People get tired of being beat over the head with the wrath of God, instead of being told of his love and grace. God is love. In the Old Testament (covenant) the Jews lived under the law of God, in the New Testament (covenant) we live under the grace of God. In the O.T. God sometimes poured his wrath out on people. In the N.T. God poured his wrath on his son Jesus as he hung on the cross. Jesus was the only one qualified to shed his blood and die for the forgiveness of sin. There was no other way; it was pure unconditional love. God is not angry with us anymore. Jesus paid our sin debt in full. There is one appointment we will all keep. We will all die, then a final judgment. The amazing thing about it is we get to choose the outcome of our judgment: Heaven or Hell, reward or punishment, God’s way or my way?

Jack Sprietzer

Mohawk

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