I hate the term "God Fearing". How is someone to have a connection with anyone or anything that they "fear"? I don't wanna fear God, I wanna feel bond with and rely on him .

Opinions on this??

Well, "God Fearing" means exactly what it says. They fear God the same way you fear snakes, heights or any other phobia. Not necessarily a bad thing to say. What it does for people who find solace in their religion is give them a peace of mind and keep them line because they fear not being able to enter those pearly gates when they pass on. So I don't think when people say that they mean they have a disconnection from him or they're not close to him. They fear him enough NOT to do the wrong thing.

My outlook on the term "God-fearing" is that the Lord is supposed to be this supreme being of righteousness - who gives us free will, with the expectation and/or hope that we use it to decidedly choose goodness over wickedness...and that every consciously 'wrong' decision we follow through with has repercussions.

Some religious fanatics, OTOH, have a habit of making the term "God-fearing" out to be much more abrasively superstitious than that. Some paint the almighty as this virtually vindictive being, who will chillingly damn anyone who does not follow the bibles exact beat and path.

My illustration I subscribe to; every action has a reaction. I don't subscribe to the latter. I don't take the Lord as a punk who you can play with, but at the same time, I don't see him as this spirit who has a cold streak that should be feared. I don't believe in a "vengeful God," who you need to be frightened of.

I think the whole concept of "God fearing" and a "vengeful God" is a mere tactic that religious zealots use to manipulate and control others, and themselves. You shouldn't fear God, you should celebrate and draw inspiration from him.

Nystyle709 wrote:

Well, "God Fearing" means exactly what it says. They fear God the same way you fear snakes, heights or any other phobia. Not necessarily a bad thing to say. What it does for people who find solace in their religion is give them a peace of mind and keep them line because they fear not being able to enter those pearly gates when they pass on. So I don't think when people say that they mean they have a disconnection from him or they're not close to him. They fear him enough NOT to do the wrong thing.

Thas it N. Did you go to Catholic school too? I did 8 years!

Tony Marino wrote:

Thas it N. Did you go to Catholic school too? I did 8 years!

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I went for six yrs. From first grade through sixth. From grades 7-12, I went to public school

Far as the whole "God fearing" thing goes, I think it's more figurative than literal. As Nystyle says, it's a way of keeping people grounded in their life choices. I can see how some might take the term too far to the point of superstition, but generally I take it to mean understanding that there is a such thing as "karma" and that doing duplicitous things will come back around on someone. Some people need a stern reminder of that.

To me, "God Fearing" is about the fact that we fear what will happen to us if we don't believe. I am so lucky that despite my faults, I know he is real. So, I fear ever not knowing Him, but I don't fear Him.

I see it as fearing the consequences of willfully enacting sin. In my opinion, this is not necessarily so much a 'negative' thing, as it is more a "you reap what you sow."

Well the way I always read it was that to fear God meant to hate evil, and when you consider what evil has done to countless hundreds of millions of people throughout the world over thousands of years...makes sense to me.

I don't see fearing God as fearing things in the same sense as earthly things. It's more acknowledgement of his power and authority, and our proper place in proportion to that, and then clearly the duties we have resulting from that. Fearing God isn't a bad thing. IMO, if you can't fear God in that sense, you might be more interested in making him conform to your will than you conform to his.