Do you fear God?

[Anonymous]

Interested to hear how people subconsciously feel about God. Responses from all religions welcome (I'm Hindu). Is your love and devotion to your Higher Power also affected by fear?

Examples:
- Do you think reverence and moral conduct should be motivated by fear of punishment?
- Do you think fear of God and love of God go together?

I have personally come to the conclusion that fear of God is extremely toxic. Even if I do wrong, the wrongdoing itself was motivated by my innate fears in the first place, (seriously, Yoda nailed it: "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."), so if my crimes are motivated by my existing fears, then what good does it do to fear God?

I believe forgiveness for myself, and unconditionally loving myself, means there is no room to fear God. But I'm open-minded to hearing what other people think.

[Anonymous]

I don't feel afraid of God. I feel respect and love. I do fear Hell, but I know how to avoid going there.
--Catholic

[Anonymous]

On the days I believe in God, which is most days, I find solace in my faith that he is all-forgiving and encourages self-analysis as a means to become a better person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't feel afraid of God. I feel respect and love. I do fear Hell, but I know how to avoid going there.
--Catholic

Thank you for your response!

If I may ask - I'm not super well-versed in Christian theology so I could be wrong - if Hell is created by God and it's within God's power to send you there, then wouldn't fear of Hell also imply fear of God, at least subconsciously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
On the days I believe in God, which is most days, I find solace in my faith that he is all-forgiving and encourages self-analysis as a means to become a better person.

Those words could've come out of my mouth! (OP)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't feel afraid of God. I feel respect and love. I do fear Hell, but I know how to avoid going there.
--Catholic

Thank you for your response!

If I may ask - I'm not super well-versed in Christian theology so I could be wrong - if Hell is created by God and it's within God's power to send you there, then wouldn't fear of Hell also imply fear of God, at least subconsciously?

Hell was not created by God. God created perfection, as in the Garden of Eden. Man created Hell when he turned his back on God. That is why the story of the creation -- although just a story -- is an incredible description of each of us, in our relationship to our Creator.

[Anonymous]

OP, look up Proverbs 9:10:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

I think this is very true. You have to know God to know yourself, to be wise and to understand much about life.

And as to the word "fear" - I read this to mean more of a reverence, a worship, being in awe, rather than the way we more typically use the word "fear."

[Anonymous]

What's to fear? God is love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interested to hear how people subconsciously feel about God. Responses from all religions welcome (I'm Hindu). Is your love and devotion to your Higher Power also affected by fear?

Examples:
- Do you think reverence and moral conduct should be motivated by fear of punishment?
- Do you think fear of God and love of God go together?

I have personally come to the conclusion that fear of God is extremely toxic. Even if I do wrong, the wrongdoing itself was motivated by my innate fears in the first place, (seriously, Yoda nailed it: "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."), so if my crimes are motivated by my existing fears, then what good does it do to fear God?

I believe forgiveness for myself, and unconditionally loving myself, means there is no room to fear God. But I'm open-minded to hearing what other people think.

I am Christian and my love and devotion is not affected by fear at all.

Moral conduct should be motivated by the love of God, not by the fear of punishment. It is like positive reinforcement, if you follow the God, you will get the life.
I am always thinking about verses that refers to fear of God more as a respect to God, complete trust in God, etc. God strictly defines what the wrongdoing is, and what are the consequences of the wrongdoing. Humans have an intelligent choice to do the wrongdoing after being worn or refraining from it. I don't think that human choice is dictated by fear. It is an intelligent choice that we make depending of what consequences we want.

[Anonymous]

Do you fear aliens?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't feel afraid of God. I feel respect and love. I do fear Hell, but I know how to avoid going there.
--Catholic

Thank you for your response!

If I may ask - I'm not super well-versed in Christian theology so I could be wrong - if Hell is created by God and it's within God's power to send you there, then wouldn't fear of Hell also imply fear of God, at least subconsciously?

Hell was not created by God. God created perfection, as in the Garden of Eden. Man created Hell when he turned his back on God. That is why the story of the creation -- although just a story -- is an incredible description of each of us, in our relationship to our Creator.

Ok, thank you for the great explanation, that helps! (OP)

[Anonymous]

No, there is NO god.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, there is NO god.

If you wouldn't appreciate a theist trying to convince you of their religious beliefs, try to extend the same courtesy by not derailing a thread about theology. Thanks. (OP)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, there is NO god.

You seem to be very certain of this.

Let me ask you something since, statistically speaking at least, you are extremely likely to die one day.

When that day comes, do you hope you are right or do you hope you are wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, there is NO god.

You seem to be very certain of this.

Let me ask you something since, statistically speaking at least, you are extremely likely to die one day.

When that day comes, do you hope you are right or do you hope you are wrong?

Right, obviously. If they are wrong and your god is the Christian god they go to hell, right?