Spot on, bb.
Love isn’t love if it’s not freely given.
Forced compliance results in bondage and servitude.
God wants hearts willingly given to Him.
We ought to be living for Him out of love and gratitude, not fear of punishment and retribution.
Agreed! And if anyone seriously wants to discover the reason why such a large number of people do NOT do as they are told, they should first look at the very real human reaction to authority - obedience or rebellion. Catholics, who deliberately go against the dictates of their church, are doing it out of rebellion because they certainly know by now what is expected of them at the voting booth. That there are probably just as many clergy joined in that rebellion against the authority seems to further identify the root cause of the discrepancy.
For those of us who answer to the Lord rather than a human global overlord, we are much more likely to vote in ways that confirm our loyalty to things that are good and righteous and honoring to the Lord. I can't explain why ANY Evangelicals voted for Obama this time around except that it may only be a category to them and not a true representation of their faith.
When I answered a poll taker on the phone before the election, I was asked specifically my faith identity. I answered Evangelical Christian, and it surprised me, but she asked me to clarify if I had had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and considered myself "born again". I don't remember being asked like that before. I would really like to see the results of THAT poll. It was being conducted by a college, though I do not recall the name. Interesting.