[PetroniusMaximus]

"It is tragic that some Christians have been so battered with stories of a prideful, vindictive God that they have fled from Jesus' fold."

Where are these people? In my years as a Christian I haven't met them.

I have met a ton of "Christian" folk who believe God to be of the Downey-soft, wouldn't hurt a flea, non-judgmental, co-pilot, meek & mild, wall-flower sort.

Our problem is not too much of a fear of God, but an almost complete lack thereof!

[beelzepug]

"Where are these people? In my years as a Christian I haven't met them."

I had a good friend in college--we were both late twenties at the time--who had spent all of his school years being taught by the nuns. By the time I met him he had completely left the church, all churches to be exact, and vowed never to return. He told me he was so sick and tired of constantly worrying about whether or not he was in a state of grace, in case he was run over by a bus or struck by a meteor, or some other unforeseen disaster, that he just couldn't take it anymore. All those years of pressure just took a toll on him, I guess.