Problem: You read two sermons: Winthrop encouraged people to be kind to each other and tried to persuade with reason, while Edwards threatened those who fail to follow God with hellfire and damnation. As a nation, we are divided about politics, and about the pandemic, and about racism (consider the attacks on "critical race theory" in public schools, anti-Asian American language and violence, the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the "white student support groups" that emerged after Derek Chauvin was convicted by a jury).
Do you see more of Winthrop's approach or Edwards' approach among your friends and in your social media feed? Is one more effective than the other?