My Response
First I want to say that I am appalled at some of the comments that we made. They were truly a result of pure ignorance.
"Most people are quite happy with their lives." Really? By that I assume you mean the Upper middle class white people. It is estimated by the World Bank that 2.7 billion [bah bah bah "b" as in Billion or 2,700,000,000 people] live on less the 2 dollars a day. Are those people happy? That doesn't even include the people who are struggling with in the inter cities of the United States, or in the Appalachian region.
Or what about the people who struggle with drug problems, or sexual immorality, or eating disorders, or a broken home, or gambling problems, or living with an abusive spouse, or who were raped, or just can't seem to tell the truth, or who steal money from work, or I could go on and on. Are they happy? Really and truly happy? Granted I am sure they are filled with joy when they get get that fix from drugs, or when they win big in a hand of black jack, after losing 5 pounds because of not eating for 3 days...But eventually they are going to lose that high, or spend that money, or gain the weight back and depression will set in again.
Here is the real issue, The word "love" has lost its meaning.
What is Love? [baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more {insert sideways head banging motion}] Seriously what is "Love"? They said, "There is much secular love and happiness in this world. If our sales pitch for the faith is love and happiness, people won't give it a second thought." It sounds like there is "secular love" but since there is "secular love" people don't need Love from God. If we need to label them differently, Secular love and Love from God, then they must be different. Yet if you think that people wouldn't want God's Love because they already have secular love, then you must think that they are at least equal. Which is just plain wrong.
I just explained how secular love, no matter what the source is, who provides it, is flawed. It isn't eternal love, it will fade, go away, you will need that "next fix". God's love, on the other hand, is unconditional, never ending. No matter what you do, God will not love you any less. [we all know where that comes from]
I agree, sin will lead to death. But to get the solution, we must look at the problem.
It all starts in the beginning.
There was God, Adam, Eve, and a garden. God and Humans were together. Adam and Eve eat the fruit, they disobey God, God kicks them out of the garden. God and Humans are separated. There is a hole in Human's hearts. A hole once filled with God, yet due to sin, is now empty. Humans feel sad, lack joy. Humans try to fill it with anything they can find. Drugs, Sex, Money, Gambling, Lying, Cars, you name the sin, humans tried to fill that hole with it.
Now listen, this is important.
The. ONLY. Thing. That. Can. Fill. It. Is. The. Love. Of. God.
That's it. That is the only thing that can quench that thirst that causes us to sin.
That is why I spread the Love of God, and no matter what anyone says, will continue to do so.