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Are you afraid of a higher power?

Lintu

Active Member
For those of you who believe in a higher power (or those who don't and want to weigh in, of course!). Are you ever afraid of this entity (or non-entity)? Do you feel like you just can't be "good" enough? I find that a lot of times I feel like I can't possibly live up to the moral standards I've set for myself and believe that I should follow, and that I will be punished for being so weak. I believe in a merciful supreme being, but I can't help but think I don't deserve the mercy :confused:

A lot of it was being brought up in a "hellfire and brimstone" religious community, and later dabbling in Catholicism (trust me, you don't have to be born Catholic to experience "Catholic guilt"!).
 

Scott1

Well-Known Member
Hehehe...."Catholic guilt".... I hear ya my friend! Know lots of people who feel that way, but, thanks be to God, I'm not one of them.

I believe in a merciful supreme being, but I can't help but think I don't deserve the mercy :confused:
That's the first step in receiving God's grace... humility. God's grace is favor... it is free and undeserved for all of us. We will never be "good enough".... that's why we needed Christ.

Peace,
Scott
 

jewscout

Religious Zionist
I don't really see G-d or any other supreme being as being a creature i should fear. Rather i see Him as a teacher and guide that i can turn to when i have questions.
 

Peace

Quran & Sunnah
Peace be with you,

Lintu, you should do your best to please our God! Whenever you want to do something, think beforhand is that going to please our God or is it going to displease Him. By doing that you will avoid falling in the traps of satan.
God is so Merciful, yes I do fear Him but I do fear the Merciful. I do fear Him whose mercy preceeds His wrath.
God has 100 mercy and He sent down just one mercy, and this mercy that parents have towards their children, the husband towards his wife and vice versa, also the mercy that animals have towards each others.... and He left 99 mercy for the day of Judgement when He will judge His servants.
Whosoever resorts to God with a sincere heart and obey Him will never be disappointed.
May our dear God be pleased with us, ameen!!

Peace
 

Green Gaia

Veteran Member
The idea that one must fear God is one of the big problems I have with the Christian Fundamentalist movement. Love is not emphasized, fear is and I think that is so very wrong. I do not fear God, and do not believe there is any reason to do so.
 

Lintu

Active Member
Maize said:
The idea that one must fear God is one of the big problems I have with the Christian Fundamentalist movement. Love is not emphasized, fear is and I think that is so very wrong. I do not fear God, and do not believe there is any reason to do so.

Yeah, that's something that has stuck with me even now, (even though I'm no longer Christian). Whichever religion I end up in, I may never shake it.
 

Master Vigil

Well-Known Member
Fear in god is not gods doing. Fear in god is man-made institutions doing. For a taoist there is no fearing tao. If your standards are too hard for you to live up to, change them. Or accept that perhaps they may be unneccessary. The tao shapes us, we do not shape the tao. So what we do, in a way is shaped by tao, and/or god. He who has little, can gain. A bowl of rice starts with one kernel. A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. How can one eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Do not focus on the end, for you are here now. When you get to the end, than you can focus on it.
 

cvipertooth

Member
Lintu said:
For those of you who believe in a higher power (or those who don't and want to weigh in, of course!). Are you ever afraid of this entity (or non-entity)?
Do you feel like you just can't be "good" enough? I find that a lot of times I feel like I can't possibly live up to the moral standards I've set for myself and believe that I should follow, and that I will be punished for being so weak. I believe in a merciful supreme being, but I can't help but think I don't deserve the mercy :confused:

A lot of it was being brought up in a "hellfire and brimstone" religious community, and later dabbling in Catholicism (trust me, you don't have to be born Catholic to experience "Catholic guilt"!).[/QUOTE]
 

cvipertooth

Member
Lintu said:
For those of you who believe in a higher power (or those who don't and want to weigh in, of course!). Are you ever afraid of this entity (or non-entity)?
I would have to say that despite some people's emphasis on the "fear god" thing, ive never had this problem. I know many people who have, however, and I would like to point out that this is not caused by Christianity or God, but by certain ignorant poeple trying to use scare-tactics, ultimately causing more harm than good.

[QUOTEDo you feel like you just can't be "good" enough? I find that a lot of times I feel like I can't possibly live up to the moral standards I've set for myself and believe that I should follow, and that I will be punished for being so weak. I believe in a merciful supreme being, but I can't help but think I don't deserve the mercy :confused:][/QUOTE]
I would also like to point out that salvation according to Christianity (forgive me, I do not know much about Judaism, myself) is not dependant on how "good" you are. your key words here are the moral standards you have set up for yourself. God will forgive you no matter what, and you cant "backslide" once youve been "saved". If you cant live up to your own moral standards, try toning them down a notch, dont expect so much of yourself. no one is perfect. you will not be punished for being weak, notice the Bible says that the meek shall inherit the earth. And of course you are not deservant of God's mercy, but he gives it to you freely, which is the essence of christianity. (again i am ignorant of judaism, if this conflicts in any way please let me know) Also, if you belive in the devil sort of thing, you could relate some of your guilt to the spiritual realm.

A lot of it was being brought up in a "hellfire and brimstone" religious community, and later dabbling in Catholicism (trust me, you don't have to be born Catholic to experience "Catholic guilt"!).
The scare-tactics were used a while back predominately in the catholic church and presently in the southern baptist church. I guess some people realize that it doesnt work and only makes people mad or drives them to suicide or what-not. Also, I think when the Bible says to fear god, it means to respect his being basically. I'd check the Hebrew word for "fear" and not rely on our crappy english translation.
 

cvipertooth

Member
forgive my messed up posts, i have no idea what is up with my computer if there is anyone that is incapapble of understanding my nonsense, i will post a more legible reply
 

Circle_One

Well-Known Member
I fear the Gods/esses I follow, but not in the sense that the fear stems from me not being able to live up to their standards or their mercy. I fear their power to an extent. The power they yeild is great and I think it should be feared. So I suppose then, that I don't fear them per se, rather the greatness of them.
 

Feathers in Hair

World's Tallest Hobbit
I used to be afraid of a higher power, to the point where I'd have to sing myself to sleep at night with the "...and grace that fear relieved" lyric to try to remind myself that I wasn't supposed to be scared. What worried me was that I honestly didn't know how one could know if you believed in something or not. I worried that I really didn't believe in god, and that I was going to be sent to hell by that god I didn't believe in. (I'm not saying I was the most brilliant of children, hehee.) As I got older, I began to worry that my thoughts were so sinful I would be going to hell. (It wasn't that I had particularly sinful thoughts, it was more worrying that I'd wish someone harm and then get struck down by a bus, and have not been able to ask forgiveness for that shameful thought.) I would constantly pray for forgiveness, and the fact that I did so with my eyes closed really didn't help those trying to teach me to drive.

Now, I celebrate the higher power. I know there is a reflection of me in her/him/it and vice versa. It's taken me a long path to be able to accept it, though! :)
 

Hope

Princesinha
I fear God, and I believe I'm supposed to--but it's not a bad fear. It's more reverence and awe and respect. I do not fear Him in the sense that I think He will harm me. God is not some bully up in the sky with a whip. He is extremely loving and forgiving. But, on the other hand, He is also infinitely bigger and more powerful than me, so I think when one is in the presence of something or someone of His magnitude, a good and proper 'fear' is to be expected.
 

Mister Emu

Emu Extraordinaire
Staff member
Premium Member
There is no fear in love, and I love God with all my heart. I revere Him, am awed by His unending love and mercy, His all-forgiving heart. The only fear I have is that I will disappoint Him.
 

Dr. Nosophoros

Active Member
Catholic "guilt" is being caught without a bottle of booze in your hand on sunday (lack of planning) and your D*** in a little boys butt on Saturday.
 

lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
Lintu said:
For those of you who believe in a higher power (or those who don't and want to weigh in, of course!). Are you ever afraid of this entity (or non-entity)? Do you feel like you just can't be "good" enough? I find that a lot of times I feel like I can't possibly live up to the moral standards I've set for myself and believe that I should follow, and that I will be punished for being so weak. I believe in a merciful supreme being, but I can't help but think I don't deserve the mercy :confused:
I have absolutely no fear of God. Awe and reverence, yes, which can sometimes get translated as fear. But no fear in the traditional sense. I believe with all my heart that God loves everybody.

However, I know just how you feel. I believe with all my heart that God loves everybody, and that ought to include myself. But sometimes I can't help but feel that I just don't deserve that love - that I am too flawed. (And no, I was never raised Catholic.) It's not God that I fear but myself.

When that happens, I have to remind myself to stop being so egotistical. Surely I am not so special that I would not deserve God's love when everybody else does. It's kinda warped reverse thinking but it works for me.

I don't believe that God will punish you; but it sounds like you are punishing yourself. Maybe you ought to show the same mercy and forgiveness to yourself that you show to others. It's only fair. ;)
 

Faminedynasty

Active Member
I do not fear God, because I believe that if he rains hell upon me, it will be deserved. I like to believe, that if there is a God it is a being that fulfills the justice so lacking on this earth.

But it is a compelling argument to counter those who say that God is just a comforting thought and that is why we believe. God can be just as discomforting a thought when the prospect of his existence means that you will pay for all you have done wrong and get exactly what you deserve. And perhaps that is why they do not believe. Who can say?
 
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