We humans need something to beleive in. I want to know what you guys think. Please respond and dont just read the post like most of you do.
I think you posted this in the wrong forum. Do more reading, and less posting.
How about knowledge ?
Ignorance is the root source of many fears, wether its panic about losing 11 days of your life because of calender changes or the irrational fear of AIDS.
Alternatively if you are ignorant of the seriousness of a situation you may not feel fear when it would be appropriate.
Is feeling fear such a bad thing ?
Fear often motivates in positive ways, fear of fire, for instance, is a logical process of self-prservation in man animals.
Blind faith in an idol or cause is not necassarily such a wonderful thing, would you say that a suicide bomber who genuinely believes he is going to paradise is a good example to follow ?
There is no cure for fear. Courage is action in spite of fear, not a lack thereof.
Fear? What the hell is everyone so afraid of?
IMHO, fear is useful only for a non-sentient creature…
As sentients (you who are not sentient should read no further… trust me! And bang the rocks together…), we know that we are going to die, and most of you reading this will die within the next 50 years or so (face it, it’s true!)! So what’s to be afraid of?
If you know something is going to happen, and there is nothing that you can do about it, isn’t fear a waste of time and resources?
The absolute worst thing that can happen is that you f*** up so badly that the rest of your life is a living hell… and that routinely happens to otherwise OK people, but if you are careful it won’t happen to you!
Even if it does happen to you, so what? You live in hell for the next few years, and then you are out of it!
As for the Afterlife, at the risk of being sent to Great Debates, who knows what will happen there (assuming that there is one… which is a moot point {I always wanted to say that!})
Questions like this inevitably lead back to the basic question of whether God exists or not… and once that is answered, what does God (if he/she exists) want us to do. IE: what purpose did he/she have for making us?
Or maybe I’ve had one too many drinks to be posting tonight…
Cheers!!
There’s nothing to frear, now give me a kriss and go back to sleep.
As an athiest I can claim that, for myself, faith in a deity is no cure for fear. Indeed, I don’t think fear should have a cure.
I think fear, like pain, is a sort of early warning system, letting you know that something is not quite right and needs immediate attention (I’m not talking about phobias here). It’s a physical reaction to a situation that pumps up your awareness to prepare you for fight or flight. I believe it is a very positive thing self-preservationwise, providing you react to it in a constructive manner and don’t go tharn or run around screaming in panic.
I’d second much of what’s already been said–the best cure for fear is knowledge, which is achieved through intelligence and reason, and fear is often healthy–and add that faith hardly means the end of fear:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” – Proverbs 1:7
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” – Phillipians 2:12-13
And without religious faith, there would of course be no fear of eternal hellfire.
long time no see. You been hanging out over here huh? Glad you are still stirring… 
What about us fear junkies? I dangle high in the air off thin sheets of ice on 4 little pieces of metal ON PURPOSE! Other people enjoy horror movies. Sure, in my case there may be some brain chemical deficiency involved that causes me to act this way, but I don’t want anyone coming around curing me. Go pick on an alcoholic
I personally don’t believe in anything, (except the IPU) but I also don’t think it’s my job to convince everybody that they’re wrong. There are way too many of them, and not enough time.
Well, I’ll take that back. Everyone has to believe in something - I believe I’ll have another beer.
Off to IMHO.