>>512454313here you're assuming that divine judgment is a threat designed to manipulate belief, but that's a category mistake.
if God is real and perfectly just, then separation from Him isn't imposed punishment, it's hte inevitable result of rejecting the source of all goodness.
it's not coercion any more than gravity 'coerces' you when you step off a cliff.
the seriousness of the consequences doesn't negate freedom, it underscores it.
if your choices didn't matter, there'd be no consequences.
true freedom isn't the absence of stakes, it's the ability to choose even when the stakes are eternal.
and calling it a 'fear tactic' misses the point. fear is appropriate when danger is real.
if someone wants you about a fire and offers a way out, that's not manipulation, it's mercy. the gift of salvation isn't forced, it's offered.
you're free to reject it, but don't confuse the gravity of the choice with the loss of freedom.