Is fear a good reason to become Christian

[Tassman]

I'm satisfied, and it's my life.

In this life, yes.

[Cow Poke]

It has served me well, Tass, and God has blessed me and others around me.

Yes, I did. And stand by that. The focus is Grace, redemption, forgiveness, love. God is not willing that any should perish, and Jesus came not to condemn, but to forgive.

Except for them pesky sinners you mean. Gotcha!

Saying that the New Testament is "punishment focused" is like saying that the Coast Guard is "drowning focused". They are about rescue, and many many other things.

[firstfloor]

Of course, because you are fixated on punishment, and do not gasp Grace

[I am less thrilled about it than the author, Wayne Jackson] [Yeah, tell me about it]


Jesus taught that our sins have put us head-over-heels in debt, and no person has the innate ability to liquidate that obligation (cf. Matthew 18:24-27).

When this concept is truly grasped, service to Almighty God will flow with a freshness and zeal that invigorates the soul. Doubtless a failure to fathom the true significance of grace is the reason many church members are spiritually lethargic.

[Cow Poke]

Would would do much better to receive it.

[Doug Shaver]

The very best reason to become a Christian is because it is true.

But should I think it's true just because you say it is?

[Jichard]

There's a fallacy called an appeal to fear where one tries to defend a belief, claim, etc. by appealing to fear (for example: by claiming that the belief calms one fears). This is a fallacy since fear has nothing to with whether a claim, belief, etc. is true, justified, etc. An appeal to fear may also be an instance of a fallacious appeal to consequence, where one thinks a belief, claim, etc. is true, justified, etc. since the belief, claim, etc. has positive consequences in terms of calming one's fears.

Given the above discussion, fear would not be a good reason to accept Christian beliefs. However, some people disagree.


So I'm curious: Is fear of death a good reason to be Christian?

I'm particularly interested in what Christians have to say on this, since:

Pointing to an emotion and saying ""see we win" is not an argument. An argument is not made on emotional foundations as pointed by the appeal to emotion fallacy.

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Emotional_appeal

As I said.

[Tassman]

It has served me well, Tass, and God has blessed me and others around me.

Yes, I did. And stand by that. The focus is Grace, redemption, forgiveness, love. God is not willing that any should perish, and Jesus came not to condemn, but to forgive.

Saying that the New Testament is "punishment focused" is like saying that the Coast Guard is "drowning focused". They are about rescue, and many many other things.

Unlike Jesus, the Coast Guard doesn't assume that ALL swimmers will drown unless they accept them as saviours. The entire concept of the Atonement is punishment focused; it took place solely to rescue people from eternal punishment for being born sinful humans.

[tabibito]

Ἐπεφάνη	was shown (aorist passive)
γαρ	for
η	the (definite article nominative)
χαρις	grace (noun nominative)
του	of the (definite article genitive)
θεου	god (noun genitive)
η	the (definite article nominative)
σωτηριας	salvific (adjective nominative)
πασιν	all (adjective dative)
ανθρωποις	men (noun dative)

For the salvific grace of God was shown (to) all men.

It would be a crying shame if translators bothered to produce something that resembled the original meanings.

[firstfloor]

.... and God has blessed me and others around me.

[Tassman]

Ἐπεφάνη	was shown (aorist passive)
γαρ	for
η	the (definite article nominative)
χαρις	grace (noun nominative)
του	of the (definite article genitive)
θεου	god (noun genitive)
η	the (definite article nominative)
σωτηριας	salvific (adjective nominative)
πασιν	all (adjective dative)
ανθρωποις	men (noun dative)

For the salvific grace of God was shown (to) all men.

It would be a crying shame if translators bothered to produce something that resembled the original meanings.

[tabibito]

A flock of neighbourhood pigeons, around eighty in all. They are all given food: half their number don't approach, so they don't get the better food that is on offer. Of those that do approach, six will perch on my hands and arms - they get individual attention, and extra rice grain. What is on offer for all of them is the same. What they receive is the outcome of their own decisions.

[Cow Poke]

Laughing. It's not that I "like to think so".

Why does it bother you so badly that somebody else has Joy in Christ?

[Cow Poke]

Not fortunate. Blessed.

[firstfloor]

Not fortunate. Blessed.

You make an interesting distinction. What does that mean?

[firstfloor]

A flock of neighbourhood pigeons, around eighty in all. They are all given food: half their number don't approach, so they don't get the better food that is on offer. Of those that do approach, six will perch on my hands and arms - they get individual attention, and extra rice grain. What is on offer for all of them is the same. What they receive is the outcome of their own decisions.

IOW, people are the authors of their own misfortune (or lack of blessings).