Does God Extort People?

Some people say that God's "Salvation is extortion", and put forth the argument:

"However, since the danger is created by the same entity that is offering a way to avoid the danger, and that entity is demanding payment in the form of worship and belief, this makes the offer more akin to extortion by threat of violence than a loving warning about danger."

Dictionary definitions of extortion vary - but have a common theme - the idea of coercing someone to give up something of value due to threats of violence, intimidation, or abuse.

Typically, it is also (see https://www.dictionary.com/browse/extortion) either a crime or an abuse.

Something to consider:

• A judge may choose to be lenient on a first-time offender and then warn the offender that the next offense will be met with a stiff penalty. Is the judge "extorting" the criminal when threatening punishment? No, this is a simple warning from someone in power toward a lawbreaker. It is not coercion, and it provides nothing of value to the judge -- it is simply a statement of fact. Although the judge may strongly desire that the criminal turn from his ways, this is not an abuse of power, it does not threaten violence in order to accomplish the judge's aim, the violent consequence is for breaking the law. It may be intimidating, but intimidation is not extortion.

Like the example of the judge above, God does not coerce anyone to obey him. He does provide assurance of blessings for those who do obey and assurance of penalties for those who choose to disobey, but this is not an abuse, and does not threaten violence in order to accomplish the Judge's aim.

If you try to convict God of wrong-doing, then you must define how he has done wrong and define the standard against how he is to judged. Since he as creator is the standard of right and wrong, you cannot successfully prosecute him.

Lot's Wife

People often attempt to claim God is capricious and arbitrary. Consider the case of Lot's wife. This is a Bible narrative that most people are familiar with. Many think that since Lot's wife "looked back", God turned her into a pillar of salt. Read the text and see if that conclusion is warranted.

In Genesis 19:25-27, you will find that God overthrew those cities who rejected him. Since he is the creator, he has the right to judge and punish those who reject him. He instructed Lot and his family in earlier verses not to look back. This is likely not a curious glance over the shoulder that was to be avoided, but rather the longing desire for that which God had condemned. The account here is brief, but her desire may have led her to stop and look longingly at that which she was leaving, while the others moved forward. The text does not say that God made her a pillar of salt only "Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt". The implication is that her desires led her into being part of the destruction that God had planned. God's desire was that she avoid the destruction. It was her desire that destroyed her.

Reasons to Reject God

According to any article by Neel Burton, published in the magazine "Psychology Today",

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201508/the-psychology-of-self-deception

"In psychoanalytic theory, ego defenses are unconscious processes that we deploy to diffuse the fear and anxiety that arise when who we think we are or who we think we should be (our conscious ‘superego’) comes into conflict with who we really are (our unconscious ‘id’)."

People who want to do that which God is opposed to, look for valid reasons to reject God himself -- since then they think they are not bound by God's judgments.

A common problem that people face is "comfirmation bias" -- it is "the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirm or supports one's prior beliefs or values. People display this bias when they select infomation that support their views, ignoring contrary information, or when they interpret ambiguous evidence as supporting their existing attitudes.¹"

As independent thinkers, we need to be more concerned with searching for truth rather than attempting to justify our desires.

Self-Defeating Temptations

In an article by George Everly, PhD in Psychology Today² he argues about cognitive biases:

• Neuroscientists inform us that cognitive biases are energy-saving shortcuts that help us simplify complicated relationships and a complicated world.

• Sadly, cognitive biases are psychological traps which can erode happiness and success.

• While there are myriad cognitive biases, herein I describe five of the most self-limiting or self-injurious processes that extend across relationships and situations.

One of the key ways we can guard against cognitive biases are to³

• take your time;

• question your own thoughts, intentions and motivation;

• consult with others; and

• guard scrupulously against these common thinking traps.

Do you search the internet for reasons to "do what you want"? If so, you will find it. Remember that the internet is full of people -- and many with wrong thinking.

Do you test what you believe by reading evidence of other perspectives in a search for truth - being willing to acknowledge that you may be wrong?

You are at a key point in life, where your faith needs to be your own. Your parents' or grandparents' faith or beliefs are not sufficient. Truth is not afraid of testing.

(1 John 4:1) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Read about how we got the Bible. Read the Bible itself. Question what it says, but primarily seek truth. May your journey be blessed with finding the truth.