Forcing Faith Or Membership

There was this emperor named Charlemagne.  He lived a long time ago.  His goal was to unite his kingdom by having one religion.  He was a baptized Christian.  So he went around and defeated in war, people within his borders who might otherwise oppose or ignore him.  But they were not all Christian.  So his policy was conversion by the sword.  Now you say that is old fashioned, but if it is still being done today, then it is not so old.  I hear some people of institutional religion say such things as "Convert to may religion or burn."  Or, what I used to hear, "If you miss mass on Sunday, it is a mortal sin and you burn if you die in mortal sin."  This sounds a lot like Charlemagne.  Some things never change.  It is faith by fear and it does not work.  My big Sis, Maureen, used to say to me that she was the boss who knew what was the right thing to do and if I did not obey her, I would burn.  When I would not obey her rules, she would say, "You are bad.  You will burn."  Fear is one way to get obedience or change of behavior, but it will never be much of a spiritual life.