CTLR DECLARED EMER FOR ACR FLC WHEN FLC DISPUTES CTLR QUERIES TO PROCEED ON COURSE. FLC IS WAITING UNTIL CLR OF ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS. WHEN WX IS NO LONGER A FACTOR; ACFT PROCEEDS ON COURSE. NO OTHER ACFT APPARENTLY AFFECTED BY WX DIVERSION. PLTS PERCEIVE CTLR IS TRYING TO INTIMIDATE FLC.

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CLRED RTE ETX DIRECT RAV J64 CIVET. TSTMS JUST N OF RAV. ENRTE FROM ETX TO RAV; REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC FOR 20 DEG L OF COURSE TO AVOID WX. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; CTR BEGAN ASKING US TO TURN BACK TO RAV. WE ASKED TO REMAIN ON OUR PRESENT HDG. A TURN TOWARD RAV WOULD HAVE PUT US WITHIN 20 NM OF A STRONG (RED) RADAR ECHO. THERE WERE NO TARGETS ON OUR TCASII AT THIS TIME. CTLR THEN SAID IF WE DID NOT TURN TO RAV AT THIS TIME; THEN WE SHOULD SQUAWK EMER. WE ASKED 'WHY?' BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EMER. THEN WE WERE INFORMED THAT ATC HAD DECLARED AN EMER FOR US. OUR SQUAWK REMAINED THE SAME AND A FEW MINS LATER WE WERE ABLE TO TURN TOWARD RAV WITH A SAFE DISTANCE BTWN OUR ACFT AND DIRECT THE TSTM. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID ABOUT THE EMER. SUSPECTED CAUSE: CTLR OVERLOAD. RATHER THAN COORDINATE WITH THE NEXT SECTOR; THE CTLR TRIED TO BULLY US INTO WHAT WE CONSIDERED AN UNSAFE FLT CONDITION. NORMALLY; CTLRS NEGOTIATE REGARDING WX AVOIDANCE. AN ATC CLRNC REQUIRES ISSUANCE AND AN ACCEPTANCE -- WE DID NOT ACCEPT THE TURN BACK TOWARD RAV. THE CTLR WAS TOO IMPATIENT TO HELP US FIND A SAFE RTE OF FLT.