Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7788

7788 Mental coercion....

January 4, 1961: Book 81

This is My will that your spirit develops freely, that you are not subjected to any spiritual compulsion, for this hinders your development and will never lead you to perfection. I can only evaluate what your freest will does, what you do out of love for Me and your neighbour, which you are not forced to do from any side. But if you are given commandments with promises of reward or threats of punishment.... be they of an earthly or spiritual nature.... then every work, every fulfilment of the commandments, is of no value for the soul. For earthly life is about the human being's free decision of will which, however, is hindered when the human being is put under pressure. And this happens on the part of ecclesiastical rulers when the human being is forced into a system, when actions are demanded of him which have no effect whatsoever on the human being's soul, which are worthless precisely because they are demanded, because the will is thereby made unfree. I place the freedom of the will above everything, for this shall be proven in earthly life.... The human being's will should be able to decide in every direction without being prevented from doing so. And thus you should also be allowed to believe or reject doctrines of faith as your free will deems right, but of your own accord you should try to find out what seems credible to you.... You should also be allowed to take note of the most diverse teachings and then decide for yourselves; you should form your soul completely freely, i.e. help it to reach the highest possible maturity.... And you will only succeed in this through love.... I certainly gave you the commandments of love but nevertheless you cannot be forced into love, it will always remain your own matter of will but also be the only path which leads to the right faith and to your perfection. And if you humans look at the ecclesiastical organisations from this side, then choose the one which guarantees you freedom of thought.... Examine all schools of thought and join the one which gives you freedom, which demands nothing but the living connection with Me as your God and creator, Who wants to make Himself known to you as father.... Join the 'church of Christ' which He Himself founded on earth, which only requires a living faith from you which is gained through love.... Then you will also be guaranteed complete freedom of thought, because I know exactly that you will attain the right way of thinking if you live out love, if only you fulfil these two commandments of love which grant you truth and knowledge, and then you will think and act of your own free will as it is right in My sight.... For if you have love then you truly don't need to be prompted to act by promises of reward or threats of punishment, for you will change your way of life according to My will and yet always decide freely out of yourselves, for then the love within you will push you, which is free but makes you unspeakably happy, which gives you a living faith which is strength in itself and which unites you most intimately with your father of eternity.... And then you will also be able to recognize every religious doctrine as truth or error, and you will only ever turn to Me as the eternal truth and desire to be taught correctly by Me.... Then your earthly life will be free, you will not act under compulsion, you will be driven by love for Me and for your neighbour, for everything you want, think or do.... And then you can also perfect yourselves, which, however, is never possible under spiritual compulsion...._>Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers