Another God Question

[mig]

I'd like to expand something I said in the original God Question
thread.

I don't believe in A God,but that's not relevant.

In my post I said that 'God fearing' was interesting,and why not
'God loving'?.

This expression 'God fearing people' is commonly used.

Well why do you fear your God rather than love your God?.

If I had a God I would sooner love than fear him.

 

[modest mouse]

It seems to me that most religion is carved from fear. Policies are often a reaction to fear. It is far easier to get a large group of people to fear a common thing/idea than to get that same group to love one thing/idea.

 

[StondTmplPilot]

It seems to me that most religion is carved from fear. Policies are often a reaction to fear. It is far easier to get a large group of people to fear a common thing/idea than to get that same group to love one thing/idea.

very well stated mouse!

 

[Mischka]

My Christian relatives use the expression "God fearing" while my Jewish relatives use the expression "God loving." The Christians also speak constantly in terms of sin, while the Jews are more apt to speak of the wonders of a loving God. Difference of perspective.

 

[bluntforcemama]

For the record, I'm anti-establishment when it comes to religion. It's an intimate subject and should be kept as such. Preaching to include the "non believers" is outright hostile to other religions. I prefer to live and let live, but when it comes to religious assimilation, please leave me off the product list. The soul reason for this is the fear associated with Puritan style belief. Now blind faith... that's scary.

 

[Todd]

I have always prefered God-loving.

the only persons I have ever heard actually use the term god fearing were people making fun of xtianity

 

[mig]

Mischka
Now that's interesting.

Myst
Blind faith-very scary.

Todd
Xtianity-looks like some kind of mental disorder

 

[Todd]

Todd
Xtianity-looks like some kind of mental disorder

Most people who think that there preconceived ideas of xtianity are correct have convinced themselves it is. I know as an athiest I did.

 

[pabloback]

one word several meanings

the expression god fearing has more in common with respect for god rather than fear of god , over the many years , people have taken the word fearing too literally from the concept in which the term was originally used . the meanings of words can change coniderably with the passing of time

 

[mig]

Todd

I didn't say that Christianity looked like a mental disorder,but
xtianity certainly does.

 

[LAVA GODDESSS]

I fear God because I love him. My fear is due to the fact that I respect him, due to my love, and my absolute faith. They go hand and hand in my book.

with love, don't you always fear, no matter how great the love, that something may go wrong? or fear how deeply you fall for someone, or fear that love in general?

 

[p_p_man]

My Christian relatives use the expression "God fearing" while my Jewish relatives use the expression "God loving." The Christians also speak constantly in terms of sin, while the Jews are more apt to speak of the wonders of a loving God. Difference of perspective.

That just means that the Jews live in optimism whilst the Christians live in pessimism.

 

[CeceliaSkye]

Well why do you fear your God rather than love your God?.

If I had a God I would sooner love than fear him.

I have a rather simplistic idea about God, or whatever you choose to call him/she/it...
The God of my understanding is the energy of Love... sometimes subtle.. sometimes not.. And where I would like to say I DO NOT fear God... at the same time authentic love like this can seem pretty scary at times... Kind of like jumping off a cliff...
I don't know if this makes sense to anyone.. I tend to be a bit eccentric when it comes to spirituality...

 

[Unclebill]

Originally posted by LAVA GODDESSS
I fear God because I love him. My fear is due to the fact that I respect him, due to my love, and my absolute faith. They go hand and hand in my book.

I don't see a reasonable or rational correlation between respect and fear. In fact, they are antithetical. There is no reason to fear one that I respect and no reason to respect on the I have reason to fear.

If I respect someone, it's because they have earned my respect, not becaue they demand it blindly, i. e., on faith, by fiat.

I fear those who have the power and the desire to do harm to me. I see no need to fear one who cannot or will not harm me. Thus, if you perceive your god to be good, why then is there reason for fear?

But do not correlate that with being held accountable for my mistakes. I do not fear that someone will do so; I expect it. It is the incentive that induces me to keep the mistakes to a minimum.

Originally posted by LAVA GODDESSS
with love, don't you always fear, no matter how great the love, that something may go wrong? or fear how deeply you fall for someone, or fear that love in general?

No, I do not. Why tarnish that love with the potential rot of fear of losing it which may by its very introduction into the relationship, be the agent of its demise?

It is always a potential that one with whom you share a love may find another that they love more and move on. It may be you or the object of your love, but that is always a potential.

Why diminish the value and depth of what you have with the fear (however founded in reality) of its loss.

 

[Adoratrice]

My relationship with God is one based on love, not fear......I bow down not in fear but in reverance for one who loves me with such forgivness and Grace...loving me completely and wanting me by his side even when I screw up and don't deserve his love.


.What's so amazing about Grace By Phillip Yancey is a wonderful book explaining God's Love whether you're a Christian or not.

 

[Todd]

fear (fîr)
n.

1. A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger.
2. A state or condition marked by this feeling: living in fear.
3. A feeling of disquiet or apprehension: a fear of looking foolish.
4. Extreme reverence or awe.
5. A reason for dread or apprehension: Being alone is my greatest fear.

 

[Adoratrice]

I stand corrected........it just doesn't feel like fear.....I'll give you the Awe though

 

[sigh]

a nineteenth century german philosopher named rudolph otto coined the phrase "mysterium tremendum et fascinans" (sorry, but the spelling might be off)...(and i don't know why he chose to coin the phrase in latin rather than german, so don't ask)

anyway, what he was getting at is that there is a general human tendancy to react to that which we can't understand or control (mysterium) in two, equally powerful ways

first we are terrified, but then in nearly the same instant, we are fascinated...we are both repelled and attracted...we both fear and love our gods

consider moses and the burning bush...he must have been scared shitless, but it still drew him in...