Friday, September 10, 2010

Fear and Fervor

After reading excerpts from Jonathan Edwards', Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" there are a few items I would like you to reflect upon.

Make sure you treat this like a discussion, not just an individual response. I want you reacting to other people's ideas as well. Answer the following:

1. What images and figures of speech do you find most powerful and persuasive in Edwards' sermon? Why are they powerful (thus, what do they help to emphasize?)

2. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that, "Fear is an instructor of great sagacity and the herald of all revolutions." Is fear a powerful motivator for human behavior? Please list some examples to back up your opinion.

27 comments:

  1. 1) In Edward's sermon, I found the image of "God holding us over hell like a spider" the most powerful. I think that this image Edward creates is powerful because the majority of most people probably would never want to be "held over hell." I think it provokes a fear in people of how we aren't always safe. I think this emphasizes how we need to be careful of our actions and decisions because we could end up on the edge about to fall. Another figure of speech I found to be powerful was when he stated this: "You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it." I believe this is powerful because I think at times, we all feel like we are hanging by a piece of thread. We can never really be certain what's next and we live in fear of what might happen. I think both of these statements provoke fear in the reader. It's almost like he tries to scare everyone by reading this. However, he also may have a point and wants the reader to think about what could happen if the wrath of God is provoked.

    2) I believe that fear is a very powerful motivator for our behavior. When presented with a decision to make (usually a right or wrong choice), I know that I think about what bad things could come of the situation. I fear for what could happen and it often influences my decision making. Also, I think that fear can engulf someone when they are in the midst of a hard time. One of my best friends lost her dad this past winter and I remember fear completely taking over my thoughts. I was scared that my dad would be next, or anyone else that I loved for that matter. It caused me to be extra careful and always remember to tell the ones I love how much I care. Sometimes, fear can motivate us to do good things and make smart decisions. Other times, fear can cause a person to do harm because it has completely taken over their ability to think. Either way, I think fear is a motivator for human behavior whether it's good behavior or potentially harmful behavior.

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  2. To answer the first question, i would have to say that the thing that i think Jonathan Edwards really stresses in the writing is that there are the flames below and we have nothing to hold onto and/or save us from it except god. He stresses the fact that there is nothing we can do and we have zero control over anything that will happen to us after we die. I think that plays into Emersons writings that also express a fear. The kind of fear that they both press upon their readers is that if you do not believe in god or live your life a certain way than there are reprocautions. When we are in fear, we usually tend to not think about anything that is happening and we just live how we are told to do so. when we are filled with fear we as humans are easily manipulated because we just want nothing to happen to ourselves.

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  3. I agree with jake, Jonathan Edwards keeps bringing up the idea of flames and burning throughout the entire excerpt. He says, "hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up; the fire bent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out." The most powerful thing in his sermon was just the idea of burning in hell. People throughout their lives admit to their sins and do not commit sins just to, after death, go to heaven. When the idea of burning in hell is presented it scares people. They want to have heaven to look forward to after death not have and even worse afterlife then they have now. People work their whole lives striving to be a better person out of fear of what will happen to them if they don't.

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  4. The image that most stood out to me came from the last page where Edwards writes: “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God…” This quote is a very visual and powerful description because it paints a vivid picture of what Edwards believes will happen if someone provokes God. Like Rachel mentioned, people find themselves on the “edge” everyday and maybe the thought of being dangled over a furnace (hell) by God could cause them to reevaluate their life and change their ways. When Edwards writes “The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart…” is a persuasive figure of speech. When he mentions the heart, this symbolizes emotion and love, which can become powerful. Fear is an extremely powerful motivator for human behavior because people are afraid of the consequences of their actions. For example, if people are fearful of their home getting burglarized, they may get a security system. In reality, their home will probably never be touched but the idea of having security will cause the owners to be less scared. Also, if humans are afraid of the consequences of breaking a law or a rule, chances are they will make an effort to follow the law and rules.

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  5. 1. I thought that when he talked about “hell's wide gaping mouth open”, “nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.” That they were really focused on religion, and living a pure and sin-less life. I can’t imagine that they had time for anything else in their lives because they were so worried about going to heaven or hell.
    2. I think fear could be a powerful motivator for human behavior depending on the situation. It depends on what is bestowing that fear upon you and how quick you have to act to get rid of it. For example if you’re running away from something you’re afraid of then you’re going to act fast, but if it’s something like say you’re afraid of giving a speech at school or something then it’s going to be a different kind of fear and it’s not something you can get rid of, you just have to roll with the punches.

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  6. 1. I felt this was one of the more powerful figures of speech that Edward's used. "Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a fallen rock. " Edward's makes it very clear that we are all sinners and if God chose to let us go at any given point, there would be no one to catch us. I agree with Rachel that Edward's sermon definatly provokes a fear in us and makes us especially careful of our actions and and choices because God has all the power.
    2. Fear is absolutely a motivator for us as human beings. We try to make decisons by thinking about the possible outcomes and consequences of our actions. I listen to my parents, not because I always want to, but because I fear that I could be in trouble if I choose not to. I agree with Renee that many try to do good things in fear of what will happen if they do not.

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  7. 1)One image that I thought was ineresting from Jonathan Edwards’s sermon was the idea that there is nothing between us and hell, and that it is only power and mere pleasure of God that holds us up. I think what he is saying is that we have to watch what we do and say at all times because we never know when god will let go.

    2)I believe that Fear is one of the biggest motivators in our lives. It can make us do things we wouldn’t normally do, such as kill someone. Fear also prepares us for what to come and makes us ask “what’s next”. For example, if you live on the Gulf Cost you might prepare your home for fear that another Katrina might hit. Fear is one of the most controlling aspects of our lives simply because we always have it.

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  8. 1) In Edwards' sermon, the image of "natural men being held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit and are already sentenced to it," is one of the most powerful. This image that Edwards created was very powerful to me because it creates many thoughts and questions in my mind. I wondered if God watches our every move and decision and decides whether we go to heaven or hell when we die. If we make a ceratin amount of bad decisions does that mean we go to hell? Also, I do agree with Rachel. No one wants to be "held over hell" by God. This causes people to become afraid of God and be paranoid about every decision they make. This creates a fear of God in some people because no one wants to end up being "held over hell". That isnt how someone should be living their life. Another figure of speech i found that was very powerful was "neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold them up one moment; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them." This image really scared me. This image is powerful because it shares that God would have no remorse for you. He doesnt want to hold you up for one more moment. He wants to get rid of you and send you to hell as soon as he can. If God were to be this angry, would someone have to commit a terrible crime? What actions would make God this angry with someone? Also, the image of hell and the devil are not very pleasant. This could also create fear for many people.

    2) I very strongly believe that fear is a powerful motivator for human behavior because of personal experience. Many times in my life, I have been afraid of what people may think, or what the consequences would be, or how someone would react, so I back down. Fear can cause many people to act strangley or do something they wouldnt normally do. For example, in Edwards' sermon, fear of God, the devil, and hell can cause people to become paranoid or act differently. It could cause them to be afraid of messing up, making mistakes, or making God angry. Often times, a person lives their life in fear of something. I have learned, through many experiences that fear is an excuse. If you let fear get to you then you will never be living your life to your full potential. You will always be afraid of what others think, if you mess up, or if you disapoint someone. People make mistakes, and if you live in fear and don't make any mistakes, then how does a person learn right from wrong? No one should live in fear because you never know, you might be missing out on something really important in life. Two quotes that inspire me when it comes to fear are, "The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure," and "The key to change, is to let go of fear." These two quotes inspire me to look past my fears and to never be afraid of making mistakes.

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  9. I thought the most poweful statment that Edward's expreced was that sinners will burn in hell. This statment makes people do there best not to sin so that at the end of there life they wont end up in hell. I mean it even makes me think that if I do this or if I do that will that decison end up costing me at the end of my life? Fear is absolutly I motivator for human behavior. Just think about the little number of people who have gotten attacked by sharks for example and most people when they get into the water always have sharks in the back there head. Fear in my opnion will always be a powerful motivator for human behavior for most people.

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  10. 1. i agree with rachel that the image "holding us over hell like a spider" is very powerful because it shows that we have no control and are in the hands of God and at the mercy of what he wants to do with us. This would cause fear in most people because people don't like to have no control and be that vulnerable and certainly no one wants to be hanging over hell. Another powerful part is "There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air" if you think about that, it is terrifying! and the scariest part (depending on what you believe) is that its true. There is somthing very scary about hearing the cold hard truth.
    2. Fear is a motivator because a lot of times people focus on the consequences and all the things that could go wrong. I thought it was interesting that in the sermon there was only negative, frighting ideas, nothing that was positive but that is because people will do what they should do when there is that constant fear.Its very persuasive to use fear because people need to hear move of the bad stuff than the good. If we are constantly told of only the good things in live we wont fear as much but also wont be as motivated because we think there wont be consequences. Fear is a motivator because we have a fear of anything unknown. If it is out of our comfort zone we fear it and in our heads create a fear probably bigger than it actually is.

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  11. I think that after most people read the article, they realized how scary it would be to be held over the fire. As Rachel said, the most powerful image is the image of being a serpent. I think that as a human race we don't realize that their could be a bigger person then us. It matters what you believe in, but we always think we are the big man on top. We have a tendency of ignoring what our actions can lead to. In some ways this creates fear. Most people don't realize, but fear can create crazy impulses. We also all took drivers ed. The main point of that class was to scare and I think that it did. It's crazy how one wrong choice can result in a life long change. I think that Edwards added this into his writing. He didn't just lay it out there, but he wrote about how God is watching and he truly picks your path. Overall, I think that fear has a huge impact on our lives, and in the end we might all just be small serpants waiting to be tortured.

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  12. 1) I agree with Carter. Edward says to be constantly looking at our actions and realizing that God could drop us into a firey pit whenever he feels that we have failed to honor him. "Your wickedness makes you as heavy as lead..." That phrase sticks out to me, becuase eventually, after telling enough lies, you will weigh to much and God will drop you. I don't nessecerilly believe this to be true, but Edward makes a good point.

    2) Yes I believe that fear is very powerful in the human race. Two years ago I got caught doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing, and the fear of getting in trouble caused me to lie in the heat of the situation. It also made me fearful of getting into trouble agian, and therefor I make better decisions.

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  13. 1. i agree with what Carter Edward said when he said to be constaly looking for our actions. I also agree when he said that god could drop us into a firey pit whenever he feels that we have failed to honer him. Something that stood out to me the most was when this quote was used " Your wickedness makes you as heavy as lead..." this stood out to me because when all you do is lie it puts a lot of weight on you and eventually god wouldn't be able to handle it anymore.

    2. My anwer to the second question is yes i believe that fear is very powerful in human behavior. One time when i experiened this myself was about a year or two ago and i got caught doing something that i shouldn't of been doing and when i had the fear of being in trouble and since i was fearful of that it caused me not to tell the truth. After all that happend it made me get fearful about getting into some trouble agian and after that it got me really thinking and it made me make better decisons for myself.

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  14. 1) The image that stood out the most for me was from the first paragraph which was "the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up". This image stood out the most because it's really easy to imagine and the wording in the statement is put very strongly that it should be making people question whether they are doing the right thing. It is showing people that by doing the wrong thing and sinning it is showing us what can happen and where we can end up.
    2) I agree with Sydney that fear is a big motivator to everyone to make them do the right thing. Without fear none of us would be as cautious as we can be and not as many of us would before making a decision stop and think if it is the right thing to do. I believe that everyone has some sort of fear in there life whether it be from insects to the fear of being killed.

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  15. 1. I agree with Rachel how she thought the image of "God is holding us over hell like a spider" was definitely the biggest image that stood out. This piece of writing is very, very powerful and complex. Jonathan Edwards has embarking thoughts. The whole paragraph stating "You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but do not see the hand of God in it; but look at other things, as the goodstate of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling, than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it" stood out as definitely the most moving part of this writing for the reason that he sets up such a dark, real image. A lot of people in this world don't prove themselves to God enough to go to Heaven. I believe that God is the one who sends you to either Heaven or Hell.
    2. I think fear is a big motivator for human behavior because fear is what gets us through the day. If we werent scared of absolutly anything, we would probably be dead. Having fear impacts everybody's lives. I agree with Alli when she stated that fear helps us learn from our mistakes. If we make a mistake, we correct it, but we fear we might do the same thing over again, so we don't.

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  16. 1.) Some very powerful phrases/images in this sermon would be: "So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it..." This phrase creates the image of God holding us over this pit of hell just for his own pleasure because of all that we have done to him. Another emphasizing phrase is: "Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a fallen rock." This phrase creates the image that no matter how much good you do, it does not balance out your 'wickedness' and that is why God will drop you at any time, and all of this 'wickedness' would bring you down like lead into the fires of hell. I agree with Alli that this sermon creates a lot of scary images. It tells about things that I do not believe are true, and really make people paranoid about how much God watches over them, and based on their decisions decides where they will go with their lives. This sermon is over-exaggerated and does not show what I believe to be the true image of God.

    2.) Fear is a huge motivator for people and our decisions. It makes us question every action we take, and every choice we make. Fear makes us wonder what will happen in both situations- The good and the bad. Fear of the consequences of one situation or the other will sometimes/most of the time cause people to simply make the decision that will not get them into trouble. They have fear of their own fear. They fear what they fear. People are afraid of what they may fear so they pretend not to fear anything at all.

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  18. 1) The most powerful lines to me are similar to "god is holding us over hell like a spider," and "if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf." It is the idea that you are helpless to god, and you can only appeal to him and his will, conveniently "interpreted," through a priest or missionary, like Jonathan Edwards. They are powerful and effective becuase they create fear, fear of pain, suffering, and hopelessness. It is very effective to control people by terrifying them, and then giving them a solution.

    2) Fear does not provide clarity of thought. Revolutions are the spawn of people standing up to fear and tyranny, not from fear itself. "Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world." as said by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Fear is a powerful emotion. However, as proven by numerous sermons, speeches, and history, fear is extremely useful tool of delusion. Things like "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" are found throughout time to be used in all sorts of scapegoating, like witch hunts, Hitler's assault on the Jews, and other "cleanings" and purges. Fear is powerful.

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  19. 1. I agree with what Jake said about how there is nothing that can save us but God. Edwards states that, "Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf..." This expresses the fact that God controls what goes down after we die. It shows that if we sin we will plunge into the bottomless pit of hell, so this creates the whole idea of fear.
    2. Fear is definitely a motivator to human behavior. I agree with what Julia is saying about how fear helps us get through the day. Without fear there would be no difference between a right or a wrong and laws would be broken all the time because people wouldn't fear the consequences of breaking them. The fear we have makes us run our lives in a completely different way then if we had no fear at all. Without fear, we would live in a totally different society today.

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  20. 1.I agree with Jake with how in Jonathan Edwards’ sermon the imagery was of usually fire and how we cant do anything to get out of the situation we are in. Rachel and Julia said that the spider over the fires of hell was very powerful and I agree. Edwards makes it so that we are compared to a spider hanging over a fire and I know I would hate to be hanging over a fire like a spider. I also think the rushing water was also a powerful image. I thought it talked more about us and our sins and how with every bad thing we do the waters get faster and higher and more powerful and that God is what is stopping us from being taken over by our sins and going to hell. Without him we would be overwhelmed by our sin, which send us to hell. They are powerful because they relate to our lives and what will happen to us after we die and we want what is best for ourselves and will do anything to keep ourselves in the best possible position.

    2.Yes fear does motivate us to do a lot of things. Like what Rachel said it could make us do good things to keep from the things we fear happening. Also like what Renee said that people do things out of fear of what will happen if they don’t do the right thing. Fear can also make us do bad things like when Sarah Edmondson, from unnatural killers, shot Patsy Byers. She shot her out of fear! Whether or not she was lying about the “demon” she was afraid. Fear also motivates us to lie. I know I have lied because I was scared of what might have happened to me and I know everyone has like at least once in their life because they were afraid of the consequences. That water from Edwards’ sermon is our sins and our fears and that is hell and we are afraid of what will happen so we make choices out of fear to not get in trouble by our parents or to not go to hell.

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  21. 1.) The most powerful sentence to me was, "you...are in the hands of an angry God". I can imagine this and it gives me a clear idea of what the author is trying to get across; but in the end, his words had an opposite effect on me. He speaks of an angry God...now I know not all people will agree with this, but in my opinion, who would EVER want to believe this crap?! When he says "angry God", my brain says "no thanks". So I think he poorly worded his idea.

    2.) Fear is a powerful indicator because if one is afraid of something, one wants to avoid it. For example, if I ask my mommy for a hug goodbye and she says she will cave my chest in next time I ask, I probably won't ask again! Just being theoretical...fear is a very powerful tool if used properly. In this case, I believe it was not used well because I was swayed away from his idea.

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  22. 1. The boldest image that stuck out in my mind as I read Edwards Sermon, was when it stated "Were all exposed to sudden and unexpected destruction."
    This is a powerful statement, because even though many people live in the eyes of the lord, no matter what we do there is nothing separating us from hell but God. Should we live in fear? I don't think so, however we should respect what has been given to us.

    2) Fear is definitely a powerful motivator for human behavior. People who take fear as something that destroys all chances of happiness, usually are vulnerable to the demolishing aspects of fear. Fear should drive us to become bigger, and more dominant than those fears which seem to have shaped our lives. Living in fear is destructive. Using fear to form positive action is ideal.

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  23. Talor's thought made my mind spin; to really truly think that your own God is ANGRY with you, is DEFINITELY something very hard to agree with. Jonathan Edwards definitely contradicts himself when he says "God's creatures are good" only a few sentences before he says god is angry. How can God be angry with his OWN creations?
    One of the many aspects in this sermon that stood out to me the most was the burning motif and the hands motif used throughout. They made a very big impact on what Edwards was trying to get across. I believe he was attempting to say that the ONLY thing between "you" ( as in the sinner) and hell, is his power. Through out the entire sermon Edwards implies that all God has to do is move his hand and you will disintegrate; but he never mentions that God actually does move his hand. My question is, why?
    I strongly believe that fear is a motivator for MOST human behavior. For example when a teenager has disobeyed a parent, instead of wanting to face the consequences, he/she lies out of fear of punishment. Or say at halloween time, many people's pleasures are driven by scaring themselves half to death by encountering a haunted house. Fear drives all of us as humans to do things we are not normally willing to do.

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  24. 1) In Edward's sermon, the most powerful line was "the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose." This line has many meanings hidden behind it. What first came to my mind when I read this passage was a roaring river; when it is flowing, even the oldest, deepest rooted tree cannot stand its ground against the waters. In that same way, when one person consistently breaks the law or sins, all that sin, and hate, and evil builds up. When the floodgate is opened, everything comes crashing down; not one crime will go unpunished. Another message this image gives out is that God, while forgiving, does get angry, just like other people. It builds up, and eventually he will erupt and it will all come down on you... HARD.

    2) Fear brings out the best in people in some ways. Some people go through life doing what they are comfortable with. However, when people take that next step and go for something that is frightening and different to them, and they succeed, then they are doing the best that they have ever done. In personal experience, when I am snowboarding, and I'm standing at the top of a new feature, a large jump, or am preparing to try a new trick, I am terrified. I have motivation though: to go above and beyond anything that I have ever done before; to be the best that I can be. "Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just stand there." Just because what you are doing is now is right, does not mean it will be right in the future. This is an ever changing world, and you can never get ahead as long as you try to get even.

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  25. 1. The most powerful statement that stands out in this article is," the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it.” At first I automatically think wow, that’s stupid. Then when I thought about how bad our relationship with our planet has been recently, it kind of started to stand out. This whole article basically represents an angry God that doesn’t really care about you or forgive you; that is not my cup of tea. I agree with what Talor says, “Who would ever want to believe this crap?!” Almost everyone has a human nature to want to be happy or with God (at least I do) and it just seems natural to want to be living for love, not from fear of eternal damnation. Throughout this whole article Johnathan Edwards talks about what consequences there may be if you are not with God. It could have been a lot more appealing if he wrote about the happiness and joy found within God. He uses fear as a motivation; I prefer love as my motivation.

    2. I am still having trouble understanding this quote. I think it means fear drives good judgment and a possible revolution against bad rulers? Anyone else have any thoughts? Fear is definitely a motivator in our life whether we like it or not. We are afraid of finances, other people judging us, and bed bugs. Fear is sometimes necessary to face so we can grow (like a little kid’s first day of school, a first kiss, public speaking, whatever it is) and realize that it is not so bad and scary after all.

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  26. 1. I agree with Rachel’s comment about "being held over hell." It’s a powerful image that sticks in your mind. It makes you think about fear and how you as a person is never safe. We could fall at anytime. Also the constant image of the flames and fire that is running through your head the entire time is a powerful image. Also Taylor makes a good point with his "Who would ever believe this crap?" I at least have a nature to be happy with God and not be living in constant fear. Another powerful statement is "the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it.” To me that is a complete slap in the face that I am a burden to someone.

    2. I do think fear plays a huge part in our lives. It not as much guides us as Julia says but it impacts the small decisions we make every day. Like the choice to do our homework, are we willing to accept the consequences of not doing it?

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  27. 1. I found that the most powerful part of this writing was when Jonathan Edwards was talking about how we are suspended by God's hand and his willingness to hold us there over hell. It shows that this group of people believed that the path between heaven and hell is easily crossed. We can fall from God's grace, so we need to do everything we can to live a Godlike life.
    2. Fear is huge, it controls our lives in so many different ways. I know for me that fear impacts what I do everyday. And as far as what Zach is thinking, I agree, fear defiantly drives people to make good decisions. But fear doesn't have to be bad, it keeps you safe, and can also help you make decisions that will provide you with a better future.

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