Tradition.

So why does the Church teach punishment and judgement if God loves us like a Father?

The answer is that these practices are associated with authority and God is the ultimate authority.

But these things, which may originate in primordial fears, have been handed down from generation to generation as Tradition.

Jesus, however, is critical of Tradition.

He says in Mark: "'thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on.  And you do many things like this.'"  Mark 7:13 (NRSV)

So love the Lord through study and prayer.

And put aside the Traditions of the Church.

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A, and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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