"Because I said so!" is not the answer.

     When parents are finally at their wits end that statement comes out of their mouths.  It's usually annoyed or even angry,  The words reach the person but often fall on deaf ears.  Having come to that place myself a few times I know what it feels like to say it as well as having it said to me.  No one goes away from the situation feeling heard or loved.  Whether we encounter the statement in our home with family, in the office with your boss or co-worker, or even with a friend who is trying to be helpful; the feelings are the same.  That's the way the religious authorities functioned both before and after the birth and death of Jesus.  The laws were controlling, consuming and contrived by men and women who were hell bent on having things work their way.  Free will was taken away and replaced with the better judgement of men and women who said so.  Like small children the rest of mankind feared reprisal and went along with the will of the few over the weakness of the many.
     One of the first events in the Bible is the conversation Moses had with God at the burning bush.  As you will recall Moses had quite the history of power, knowledge and then he discovered who he really was.  The Lord met Moses in a burning bush on a mountain side. God told Moses to take off his sandals as he was standing on holy ground.  Moses complied.  God told Moses to go and set his people free.  Moses didn't object.  God told Moses he was to tell the that he had heard their cry.  Moses then asked, "Who shall I tell them has sent me?"  You can almost hear the frustration building as God was probably thinking, "What a stupid question."  Keep in mind that Moses had been schooled in other religions and as an Egyptian was probably worshipping other gods prior to his awakening.  God says, "Tell them I Am sent you."  You see, the problem wasn't that God was in some kind of holy war with other gods.  He had been there through every moment of every day of every year of the peoples life and history.  He had preformed miracles and took extraordinary measure to care for his people.  Yet, Moses asked "Who should I say sent me?" The people would recognize the I Am statement from their history.  It was the basic, "Because I said so." because there were no other gods.  He was, is and will always be the only God.
     For the Christian the problem arises when we use that statement in any context.  That problem being we are extending our being into godhood.  By that statement we assert ourselves as God having the last word.  There are lots of television and radio and pulpit preachers who think they are God.  They are their own god but they are not God.  Demanding allegiance by your giving and the amount of what you give is only one manner in which this takes place.  One pastor has taken to having people on the air become members where they can then use the airwaves to assert "Because I said so." as the gospel according to them.  The devils tools are manipulation, control and secrecy.  He used that phrase (kinda) in the garden with Eve.  He uses that same phrase today to seduce the populace. When we in turn take the "Because I said so." gospel to the people (or your pastor might) we then are fighting on the wrong side.  It's not okay to choose to serve any other God. 
     When we say "Because I said so." we use our anger to manipulate, control and practice secrecy.  When God says, "Because I AM said so." he is lovingly pleading with us to follow Him, choose Him, and tell others about Him.  His love is so great for us that he gives us a choice.  What do you choose today.  "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15