Subliminal Messages are Powerful, Especially Religious Ones

By Charles Slagle

That is what organizations and people count on when they advertise their products, isn't it? God advertises what will impart life and hope. The spirit of antichrist advertises what fosters death and despair. However, all advertisements pack subliminal messages designed to unconsciously affect those who receive them. So let's look at the subliminal messages of--

ARMINIANISM'S ADVERTISEMENT: You shall love the Lord with the unconditional commitment of all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength--while also remembering--that His commitment to you is conditional on your performance in this lifetime. The subliminal message, therefore, is that you must love God more (with greater commitment) than He loves you.

CALVINISM'S ADVERTISEMENT: You shall love your neighbor (both friend and foe) as yourself--while also remembering--that Unfailing *Holy* Love has "foreordained" from eternity past to consign most of His little neighbors to never-ending fiery torture. The subliminal message, therefore, is that you are to love your neighbors more than God (your Heavenly Father and Role Model) loves them.

UNIVERSALISM'S ADVERTISEMENT: You shall love the Lord with your total being and your neighbor as yourself--while also remembering--that this is not merely a command; it is also a promise. He is committed to love ALL His little neighbors as Himself, so your Heavenly Father and Role Model will hang in there with them until all of them loves as He loves and are holy and happy. The subliminal message, therefore, is that sin MUST
perish, so it is futile to continue therein, and that Love Himself NEVER fails, so we can always count on Him even when we cannot count on ourselves.

Which of the above subliminal messages do you think provides the most motivation to turn from sin and to love God and others wholeheartedly? Which one glorifies God more? Which one promotes greater faith and trust in God?