" It implies that I wouldn't do good things without hope of eternal reward, or refrain from doing bad things without fear of eternal punishment."
*nod* The teaching of my faith is that once one is Saved, that cannot be undone; so the idea of preachers waving the carrot and the stick to get people to behave always struck me as odd -- I'm already promised I'll get the carrot and avoid the stick, so, duh, that's not the reason for me to do good and shun evil.
The reason I came up with (beyond things like "enlightened self interest" and all the non-God-based reasons, which are also useful) is love and duty; that is, not because I fear punishment or am trying to earn Celestial Green Stamps, but out of a sense of duty to God, or out of love for Him, with reward and punishment having been removed from the equation.
Translating that to the broader issue you raise, I guess that means I expect God to expect me to not be a child.
Obviously I do not speak for all subsets of Christianity in this ...
(no subject)
*nod* The teaching of my faith is that once one is Saved, that cannot be undone; so the idea of preachers waving the carrot and the stick to get people to behave always struck me as odd -- I'm already promised I'll get the carrot and avoid the stick, so, duh, that's not the reason for me to do good and shun evil.
The reason I came up with (beyond things like "enlightened self interest" and all the non-God-based reasons, which are also useful) is love and duty; that is, not because I fear punishment or am trying to earn Celestial Green Stamps, but out of a sense of duty to God, or out of love for Him, with reward and punishment having been removed from the equation.
Translating that to the broader issue you raise, I guess that means I expect God to expect me to not be a child.
Obviously I do not speak for all subsets of Christianity in this ...