Do you fear God?

[Lord Ashtar]

Why or why not?

If you lack belief a diety you probably don't have much to add, so I ask that you refrain from posting to this thread.

[Anaamika]

Are we allowed to answer from when we did believe? I will go ahead and do so, but if I am offending you, I do apologize.

When I did believe in Krishna, I never feared him. I knew He loved me, and it was unconditional love - if I failed or screwed up He would be sad, but not angry with me.

In Hinduism you get many chances anyway. If you screw up in this life, you pay for it in the next, and if you do well in this life, you get good things in the next. It's rather fatalist, I know, but it did give me the feeling that Krishna would only give me another chance...I'd suffer for the things I did wrong, but suffering was a part of life and He'd want me to do better so I could achieve moksha and join him.

I hope that was all right, answering.

[Lord Ashtar]

It was. I'd like as many viewpoints as possible.

[slortar]

I fear dog. He has big teeth and runs faster than me.

[tdn]

It was. I'd like as many viewpoints as possible.
OK, then.

Now an atheist, I grew up a Protestant. My church never really stressed Hell or divine retribution. Or Heaven, for that matter. So the bad stuff never seemed very real. That probably made the transition to atheism all the easier.

By the time I went to a real fire and brimstone church, I had pretty much confirmed my atheism. And the pastor was such an assclown that it was hard to take him seriously.

[Liberal]

I fear Him in the archaic sense of being filled with awe.

[tdn]

I fear Him in the archaic sense of being filled with awe.
Really, is that the archaic sense?

[Clothahump]

Why or why not?

If you lack belief a diety you probably don't have much to add, so I ask that you refrain from posting to this thread.

I used to. Then I found out he didn't exist, so I don't any more.

[fessie]

I don't fear God in the least. I have plenty of fears, but God isn't among them.

I also don't belong to any organized religion, although we did join a Unitarian Universalist church at one time and may do so again.

[lalaith]

Why or why not?

If you lack belief a diety you probably don't have much to add, so I ask that you refrain from posting to this thread.

Oddly enough, this was partly how I came not to believe. When I believed in the Christian god, I did not fear him. I believe he was supposed to be a god of love and forgiveness, the ultimate good parent.

When I was questioning my beliefs I sat down and read, really read, the Bible. In the Old Testament the actions of god are so brutal, so horrific that I decided there was no way I could worship that. That the only kind of worship something like that could get out of me would be a worship based on fear (and not the fear as "awe").

I came to the conclusion that if there were a choice between heaven and hell, I'd rather be in a hell with a ruler, Satan, I was supposed to hate, then spend an eternity with a ruler, Jehovah, who was a mass-murdering butcher that I was was supposed to love, yet I could only fear and hate. Hell struck me as being more honest.

Now, I'm completely agnostic and more at peace about it.

I know you asked us non-believers to refrain from posting, but I did keep my answer relevant to the periods in my life when I believed.

[DeVena]

Fear? No. Respect? Yes.

[anu-la1979]

No-because I don't believe in a heaven or a hell or a punishing god-on-high. Hindu idols aren't meant to be literal "gods" who sit around judging me-they're metaphors and varied representations of Brahman. As a Hindu my life is guided more by ensuring my own salvation by bettering my karma rather than worrying about a parental figure set on punishing me.

[Liberal]

Really, is that the archaic sense?Yes. It's what the King James translators meant. And it's American Heritage's 4th definition: "Archaic Awe; reverence".

[SpoilerVirgin]

I'm all about the revering rather than the fearing. The God I believe in is loving and kind, and tries to show people the right path, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. I should point out that my beliefs come from personal experience, rather than from reading the Bible.

[yBeayf]

I fear Him in the archaic sense of being filled with awe.
Ditto. It's the kind of fear one has upon being confronted with a force infinitely more powerful than oneself. It's what prompted Isaiah to say "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" when he had a vision of God in His glory.

[kevja]

Absolutely not.

Doesn't God love us?

That seems to be what his messengers always say.

If that's true, why would we fear him?

[indierock82]

Absolutely not.

Doesn't God love us?

That seems to be what his messengers always say.

If that's true, why would we fear him?

But isn't there two sides to that coin: yes he loves us, but he's also a jealous God. Not to mention spiteful. Judging by the OT.

[Phnord Prephect]

The thought that The God of Christians (pretty much any denomination, really) might turn out to actually be true scares the crap out of me.

Clearly he doesn't have any idea what he's doing, and he seems rather quick to anger when the rules he lays down result in actions he doesn't like.

The entire universe, run by an egomaniacal omnipotent child with serious anger issues? Yeah. That's scary.

[elfkin477]

Nope. I do my level best to live a moral life, ask for forgiveness when I do sin, and the guidance & strength to improve myself when I have failed.

[Anastasaeon]

I do not believe in the Christian God. Or, at least, not what he has been warped into being, however he got that way.

But I do believe in a God(s). I do not fear this God(s). I also believe that any bad in our life isn't God's specific doing, as much as it is something we planned to experience so we could learn from it. It's the only way to really grow, the way I see it. Yet, I'm not a fatalist.

But I'm mostly Taoist, and don't worry about it too much.

[Theologue]

That and more.

I fear Him because I understand who and what He is, at least a little bit.

And that is a good thing.

[Theologue]

That and more.

I fear Him because I understand who and what He is, at least a little bit.

And that is a good thing.


Was supposed to be in reply to Liberal's good post.

[indierock82]

What kind of irks me is when people start blaming God for the mess that is the status quo. Fine, by definition he is omnipotent, but he isn't controlling our very actions. IF you believe in the fact that he created us, then you also have to believe that he didn't create robots that he uses to satisfy his twisted whims. So, mostly he just exists and watches us destroy ourselves. But what do I know...

[DMark]

Only when he has had a few too many beers at O'Casey's and gets mean - otherwise, he is a pretty good guy. He has some pretty interesting tattoos, and if you get him talking about creation and shit, he has some pretty interesting stories. He's a good tipper as well.

BTW, he liked the Barbra Walter's special, "Heaven" and saved it on his DVR.

[Siege]

No, I don't fear him and, in fact, I'm not sure that Christians are supposed to fear him, at least, not as I read the Gospels. For the record, my mother, who's also Anglican agrees, although Mum's much milder about her faith than I am. I have felt awe and trembling a few times, most notably one time when I got a less than five minute turn around time on a prayer on the way to a church retreat, but fear wasn't part of that reaction.

I know from talking with Fundamentalist and conservative Christians that there are some Christians who do believe the proper response to God is fear and, if you asked this question on a Christian message board, you'd get some very different responses. I gather there are some folks who serve God out of fear. I'm not one of them. God has had plenty of opportunities to smite me, or even fail to save me and I've no doubt that if He ever wants to, he will, but, if I serve God only out of the fear of what will happen if I don't, it strikes me as a bad arrangement for all concerned. My attitude is more summed up by this hymn:
I come with joy to meet my Lord
Forgiven, loved and free
In awe and wonder to recall
His love laid down for me.

Since the OP's interested in a range of opinions, I asked this question of an old friend of mine, the Fundamentalist-turned-Atheist-turned-Wiccan I mention every so often around here. He didn't fear God in either his Fundamentalist or his current Wiccan phase. Instead, his response was more one of love and respect.

CJ

[Malacandra]

I think I'd view a face-to-face with God much as I'd view a peek into the Total Perspective Vortex: self-knowledge in absolute detail, and complete objective awareness of my position in Creation and the searing purity of God. Arrogant as I am, I find the prospect daunting to say the least, but I also trust in God to see me safely through it.

[Tomcat]

I'm an atheist (but gettin' into non-theistic Buddhism) and I fear God because of what he/she/it makes other people do. Killing in the name of the lord has negatively affected billions throughout history and recent times. I fear the day I get in the way of some religious person and their version attaining heaven.

-Tcat

[Czarcasm]

What kind of irks me is when people start blaming God for the mess that is the status quo. Fine, by definition he is omnipotent, but he isn't controlling our very actions. IF you believe in the fact that he created us, then you also have to believe that he didn't create robots that he uses to satisfy his twisted whims. So, mostly he just exists and watches us destroy ourselves. But what do I know...
[Moderator Underoos On]knock it off, indierock82-this is a poll, not a debate.[/Moderator Underoos on]

[Tamex]

No. I suppose that's what turned me down the road to agnosticism. If I feared God, I would be going to church, etc. in order to appease him. But, I don't believe in the God of the Christian bible, and I believe that, if there is a god, he/she/it can hardly fault me for not being reverent, etc. if there has been no credible proof of his/her/its existence. Perhaps this god does not give one whit about me, or even know of my existence. To fear such a god would be to fear everything. Perhaps "god" is just a construct of your brain, the way you can will yourself to a "higher place" when you meditate (and that's just what billions of religious people have been taught to call that feeling). Well, to fear such a god would be to fear yourself.

I can see why people fear God (the Christian one) though. God is blamed for the bad and the good in peoples' lives, of which there seems (to me) to be no rhyme or reason. I mean, people call hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, etc. "acts of God". God is supposed to be loving, and yet can go off and kill thousands of people on a seeming whim. If God is a father, he seems to be modeled on the abusive sort, perhaps an alcoholic (which could explain why wine is used to represent his son's blood ;) .) And, of course, there's the whole "be good or face eternal punishment" thing. I can see why people would fear being judged like that. I had a good friend in high school who was convinced that God hated him. I don't know if that's the same as fearing God, but it's never seemed like a good or healthy outlook to me, even back then.

I wonder why non-believing types were originally excluded from this thread. Most people who come to non-belief do so by thinking of such questions.

[tdn]

Yes. It's what the King James translators meant. And it's American Heritage's 4th definition: "Archaic Awe; reverence".
In which case I fear your knowledge of language.

Thanks for that. I did not know that. :)

[smiling bandit]

God is the only thing worth fearing. Do not be afraid of evil; it is petty and worthless.

But good is terrible to behold in its purity; and merely seeing the Righteous One in righteous wrath would cause you to rip your eyes out and cast yourselves into a the deepest sea to escape Him.

"No, abashed the devil stood and felt how awful Goodness was."

I think one major problem with moern life is that people have this easter-0bunny view of God. He's kind and gentle s the summer breeze - but He is also the thunderstorm and the wild ocean. He's not a tame lion. But He is good.

[Lord Ashtar]

I wonder why non-believing types were originally excluded from this thread. Most people who come to non-belief do so by thinking of such questions.
Because I wanted to avoid the "why would you fear something that doesn't exist?" responses.

[Mint Julep]

I'm all about the revering rather than the fearing. The God I believe in is loving and kind, and tries to show people the right path, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. I should point out that my beliefs come from personal experience, rather than from reading the Bible.


Well said, and sums up my views.

[Regallag_The_Axe]

I fear God in the sense that it would be terrifying to behold Him. I do not fear that He might do bad things (plagues, smiting, ect.) to me.

[Siege]

God is the only thing worth fearing. Do not be afraid of evil; it is petty and worthless.

But good is terrible to behold in its purity; and merely seeing the Righteous One in righteous wrath would cause you to rip your eyes out and cast yourselves into a the deepest sea to escape Him.

"No, abashed the devil stood and felt how awful Goodness was."

I think one major problem with moern life is that people have this easter-0bunny view of God. He's kind and gentle s the summer breeze - but He is also the thunderstorm and the wild ocean. He's not a tame lion. But He is good.
I'm afraid I'm going to continue to disagree with you. I most certainly agree that God is awesome and terrible in that He is completely beyond mortal understanding but something to be feared? No. This is, after all, the same God who, in my religion, made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may have eternal life. I have complete trust in the efficacy and completeness of Christ's death on the cross in atonement not only for my sins, but for the sins of the entire world. Therefore, for me to fear God would be to imply a lack of trust in the promises He has made to His people which includes me even under the strictest Christian definitions. I have complete and utter trust in God's mercy and justice. I also trust Him to know my limitations, even when I don't myself. It's not that I don't expect Him to let me know when I've done wrong or even punish me. It's that the trust I have in Him is so found that even justly given punishment is not something for me to fear. By the miracle of Christ's Incarnation as fully human, complete with the myriad flaws of a human body, I trust God to know what it's like to be mortal and fallible. Therefore, I trust Him to know my human limitations. It's one of the advantages of omniscience.

He may not be a tame lion, but he is also one who will not attack without reason or beyond one's ability to bear.

CJ

[Larry Borgia]

I'm an agnostic/atheist but I have to admit there's a tiny--very tiny--piece of me that worries that after my death my spirit's first thought is going to be "OH SHIT, JACK CHICK WAS RIGHT!!"

[Ice Wolf]

No. If I did, I'd have to fear everything else in this universe that creates and destroys. While you're spending time collapsed in fear, you're not listening.