Greg Boyd: Apologies & Explanations Does the Threat of Hell Make God's Love Tantamount to Rape?
Nov 24, 2025
The podcast delves into the complexities of divine love versus coercion, questioning whether the threat of hell undermines God's intentions. Greg critiques the idea that love can stem from forced beliefs, comparing it to medieval methods of coercion. He emphasizes that genuine love cannot flourish under threats, advocating for a model of God that draws people in with kindness rather than intimidation. Ultimately, the discussion highlights the distinction between self-inflicted consequences and coercive threats, affirming that true love is rooted in free will.
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Meaningful Divine Love Must Resemble Human Love
- If God's love is meaningful it must connect to our sense of love; otherwise it becomes meaningless.
- Greg Boyd insists we cannot accept a notion of divine love that is morally indistinguishable from hate.
Personal Memory Of Coercive Picture Of God
- Greg Boyd recounts his early Christian belief that God held an eternal knife to people's necks: love me or burn.
- He compares that coercive picture to medieval torture and says genuine love cannot be won by such threats.
God's Love Draws, It Doesn't Coerce
- True persuasion works by attraction, not threats; God's love draws people by revealing character and humility.
- Boyd cites Romans and John to argue God 'draws' people through kindness and the cross's magnetism.