Scare tactics?

I have recently been confronted with this concept of "Christian Scare Tactics" and it makes me think:

Are we really using scare tactics is an inappropriate way to get people to accept Christ?

Now, my answer is a little complex...if it wasn't I would not be blogging about it.  There is a yes to that question and a no to the question.

Let me be clear first on what a scare tactic really is.  In almost any example of a scare tactic being used in a negative way, the person using this tactic is adding nonsense or excessive threats to the claim.  They are taking the fear that the statement may make and enhancing it.

If we go to war BILLIONS of people will die.

This here is a scare tactic to persuade people not to go to war...obviously.  Now, the very objective (and kind of DUH) way to put this would have been, "If we go to war people will die."  And that in itself would have been a scare tactic...but not in a negative sense.  It was explaining a reality that needed to be faced.  To not claim this bit of "scare tactic" would be ignorant and irresponsible.  Only the addition of BILLIONS is where it becomes negative.  First of all, when have we ever had BILLIONS of people die in a war?  Second of all, it is simply an unnecessary addition that is ONLY used for the sake of creating greater fear.

Now, let's look at the NO part of this question first.  I do not believe we are using scare tactics inappropriately due to the fact that we are not using them in a negative way.  Hear this: I CANNOT SPEAK FOR EVERY PREACHER OUT THERE but from what I have seen of a great majority of preachers, when they are pointed out as using scare tactics in a negative way, they are merely sharing the reality of what the Bible very clearly tells us.  How is it a scare tactic to tell people about Hell?  The Bible clearly lays out that there is a heaven and hell.  No one gets upset when we talk about Heaven....but all of a sudden every goes coo coo for cocoa puffs when we say anything about Hell.  These are people who are only comfortable picking a choosing the pieces of the Bible they like and throwing away the rest.  If we are to accurately and responsibly teach the Word of God we MUST teach on the reality of Hell and what will be experienced there.

Next there is the YES part of this blog.  Yes we are using scare tactics inappropriately because of the content of them.  Like I have said, we MUST teach on Hell.  However, there is another scary concept in the Bible that holds a lot more weight.  It is the subject of persecution.  We talked a little about this in the last blog where Peter was telling Jesus He couldn't be so blunt about the suffering that Him and His followers would endure.  Jesus says, "Get behind me Satan!"  So telling people that they should be hush hush about persecution is of SATAN!  Last time I checked, we are NOT supposed to work for him!  A lot of pastors, especially recently, seem to believe that God has a PR problem right now.  So He is looking for anyone that will just accept Him a little bit.  So these pastors will sugar coat the gospel, make Jesus seem like an effeminate fairy, and create the perception that when you accept Christ everything will be blue skies and gum drops.  News Flash! Jesus was crucified for this message!  Paul was beheaded by a Roman axe.  Stephen was stoned.  Peter was crucified upside down.  The list of people who died for their faith goes on and on and is still growing to this day!  We NEED to give people a perception of what they are getting into.  I mean, we do need to explain that whatever happens God will use for good.  Whatever you go through He will be there to comfort you.  But we have to have people count the cost of taking up their cross.

So guys, don't shy away from the scare tactics.  Just don't add anything unnecessary in.  This message doesn't need help!  It's already scarey enough.  And DO NOT refrain from telling people that if you're a Christian, your life may NOT get better.  In fact, it might get worse!  But we receive peace knowing that He is always with us and is drawing us closer to Him and one day we will stand before Him in a real place called Heaven.