That's very good parenting advice. I agree diversion techniques is the best way to go. I hardly ever punish my son either. When I discipline, it's usually not allowing him to play with a favorite toy or something similar. You sound like a great parent. That's a good point in the example of scissors. However, in my opinion, in any kind of environment, whether in the home, school, workplace or society, rules and laws, having appropriate boundaries are always necessary.
I totally agree with you that love is not a right and needs to be earned. God never demands love or forces anyone to love him. That's why he gives that free will, and much of the suffering in this world are direct consequences of us choosing not to follow God's ways. God also allows us to reject him, but we miss out on the best he intends for us.
Final point I would like to make is that God has already earned our love by creating amazing beauty in the world and universe, and the ultimate love is that he was willing to come into his own creation to die in our place. That's what I believe anyway, and we can discuss more if you have questions/doubts on the evidence around the crucifiction of Jesus and historicity around Jesus' life etc. But we'll get around to it in future videos.
Thanks again for this discussion. It's been very interesting to hear your views, and I look forward to further discussions. :)
Thanks @nextgen622. You seem like a very rational and understanding person. Rules and boundaries are absolutely necessary. It is how we handle those who break the rules that shows who we are.
There are many people who try very hard to follow God's ways, yet are still lumped in with those who do not and in some instances suffer more than those who reject God's ways. This is not right. Infants who are still innocent are also suffering through no fault of their own. Generations of people should not pay for something done by others.
Love is not something that once earned cannot be revoked. Love is like a living thing. It requires constant feeding and nurturing. At least that is how I define love. Would you still love your parents if they brought you into a wonderful world and then deliberately abandoned you in the middle of the jungle when you were just 8 years old?
I'm good with waiting for the appropriate video to discuss this further. I'm a seeker of the truth and always open to compelling evidence.
Thanks for the opportunity to have this discussion.
Thanks @happyme. Some really good points you made, especially about love, which I totally agree with.
I've just put up episode 2 of the series here. Hope you could check it out, and let's continue the conversation there. :)