If the traditional image of God as a harsh judge and punisher of humans is wrong where does it come from?
The answer is fear.
When Jesus and the disciples went up the mountain and experienced the Transfiguration Peter, James, and John were terrified.
This was not caused by anything that God did but was caused by the disciples' fear of incurring God's displeasure.
Contact with the Divine can cause people like Peter, who knew that he was not perfect, to fear God.
But God says: "Fear not".
God does not act in the way that earthly authority figures act.
God does not punish us.
God does not judge us.
God loves us.
And it is His pleasure to do so.
God does not expect us to be perfect.
This is not possible in any case.
Everyone will inevitably make mistakes.
But God does not punish us.
He forgives our mistakes and sets us on the right path.
So fear not.
This is Good News.
(The image has been slightly modified.)
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