The Fear of God!

[Rubyrose]

Not a saying I use often or found the use for but lately I have been thinking about it and religion and how it is more about the fear of something bad happening than the willingness to believe!

I am not a religious person and I am not moaning at anyone who is, but as I have grown up I have seen and felt that religion is more about putting 'the fear of God' into someone to make them scared not to believe!
To make them think that if they don't believe then bad things will happen to them... Like saying if someone doesn't get their baby Baptised/Christened then if it dies, it will end up in Limbo! Surely that's a horrible thing to say!

I remember when I was at school and I was friends with this girl who's dad was a vicar and we were about 8-9yrs old and she sat with me on the grass one lunch break and was telling me all about the Anti-Christ and how someone was going to come and make the world a horrible place and she told me we needed to pray that it never happened... but I remember being so scared of this person she was talking about and thinking it was so true and one day someone would come and it would be terrible... then as the years passed I realised she was just passing on what she had heard from her dad and it wasn't as much that she believed it and that it was part of her faith but more that someone had told her this and she became scared of it!

[Rubyrose]

I just don't buy it... I don't buy that the world was created by God and Adam and Eve and all that. I believe in Science and Evolution.
But then at the same time... I have been so scared before that I have contemplated Prayer... But I don't really know why... I mean how can you pray if you don't believe? If you aren't actually praying to anything or anyone! And I think about the day I get married and making Wedding vows and saying things like "As God as my witness" and I would love a traditional Wedding but as someone who doesnt believe then does that seem hypocritical?

I am well confused! Anyway.... I wanted to know what people's religious views are?

Many thanks,
Ruby

[bobtheturkey]

too many wonderful things in the world for them to be created randomly, a new born baby, a frost covered spiders web, a red sunset, a Siberian tiger, and my hairy chest. random could never create such things has to come from a higher power, its just "hip" nowadays to not believe in god i always have and i always will and if im right well im on the pigs back :)

[crossroads]

http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/god.htm

[Rubyrose]

Bob - As ever, I have no idea what you mean and for that I thank you! Lol

I don't 'not believe' because I think it might be hip! I just don't believe! I don't know why! I just can't convince myself that its true!

[Rubyrose]

I'll check that link out later Crossroads... I am at work and everyone can see my screen. Don't know what might pop up! Lol

[crossroads]

Couldn't resist a post from the answer bag:
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/338805

[bobtheturkey]

you dont need to be convinced to believe in something rubes, im not convinced liverpool will win the premiership but i still believe :)

[crossroads]

After some of my previous links, i don't blame you for not wanting to check.
All that comes up is a block of text, a logo and a few links.
Non of yesterdays dirt.

[Octavius]

Linguistically the phrase �fear of God� denotes a systemic belief of eternal damnation or bad karma. Conversely you could say �for the love of God� or �In God we trust�.

Belief and superstition is more than post-it note phrases and personally speaking I do not live in fear of God and my beliefs do not centre on what is right and wrong in the eyes of God, but that which is right by my personal responsibilities, my personal moral code and how/where my actions fit into a humanitarian society.

Anyone who lives in fear, isn�t really living life.

[jake-the-peg]

It's more of a fear of the lack of God.

How many religions do you know that don't believe in some sort of afterlife yet still worship God anyway?

Why do you think that is?

[crossroads]

yest another of my strange URLs:
http://www.sargel18.com/
And one more:
http://www.spellsandmagic.com/astral3.html

[Rubyrose]

I think a lot of it comes down to wanting to have something to believe in. To not believe we are on our own in this great big world. Wanting to believe we don't completely have full control of our own fate and to believe we are a part of a greater plan. Not to feel alone in times when we are in fact completely alone!

I am not saying it's a bad idea.. but it is just an idea! I personally can't believe it when I see the endless evidence of evolution and such other things.. but this doesn't mean I can't fear it! I don't believe in a lot of things... But I fear the possibility of them!

[Clanad]

It's pretty universal, you know... that being the need to believe there's something, well... more. Can it be cultural only, as many suggest? Is it truly only the old maxim of "give me the child and I'll give you the man"? Or is it something in-born in all, even those that choose not to believe? If one accepts that it is a universal need and deep rooted desire, where do you think that comes from? It's apparent that no other creature except man experiences such feelings. Answer that question and you'll be better prepared to formulate and ask the next question...

[commonsense]

pope, bush, blair etc all of these fit the bill.