Fear

[imhereforyou]

It works.
Fear of dying in a car crash (or getting fined) causes people to buckle up.
Fear of sharks keeps some out of the ocean.
Fear of clowns keeps some away from parties and circuses (though I'd argue there are many other reason to stay away from circuses).
But the fear of God... that makes no sense.
Why should we fear God if he's loving and wants us to spend eternity with him (like many churches teach)?
But we see how he has, at times, eliminated those that anger him (even innocent ones I'd say). So maybe we should fear him?
Besides all that, there's HELL - Oooooooo the scary places with fire and gnashing of teeth where those cry out for water to quench their thirst but are never quenched (of the place devoid of God whichever version your church teaches you). You should be scared of Hell because 'it's bad so come to God and seek his forgiveness!'
Is that concept, which is taught in many, many Christian churches on the planet, a fair and honest way to get people to God? Should his love, grace and mercy be enough to entice those towards him? Obviously not or this taught fear of Hell wouldn't exist.
So why do we need the fear of Hell? Shouldn't God himself, in all his glory, be enough? Shouldn't his splendor outshine the dank, dearth of Hell so much that fear isn't needed?
Or, like Hell, should we fear God?

[William]

[Replying to post 1 by imhereforyou]

Is there anyone you love whom you also fear?

[2timothy316]

[ttruscott]

It works.
...
Or, like Hell, should we fear God?

Guilt for the suffering we have caused others is a far greater motivation to seek the true change of character promised by the Christian faith than an unproven fear....

[2timothy316]

Guilt for the suffering we have caused others...

That and the disappointment we have caused the most loving person in the universe. That fear of hurting the feelings of God is a healthy fear of God. Though Jehovah forgives in a 'large way', I know that I, still at times look back at past actions and shake my head, saying to myself, 'I never want to do that again'. Not out of fear of what He can do to me so much as the heaviness I put on His loving heart.

[Overcomer]

Fearing the Lord means being in awe of him, having respect for him, reverencing him.

See here:

http://biblehub.com/hebrew/3374.htm

As 2timothy316 pointed out, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10). Biblical wisdom is defined as "living life God's way". It starts with the appropriate reverence of the person of God.

[marco]

[Replying to post 1 by imhereforyou]

Is there anyone you love whom you also fear?

Fear of God can be interpreted as the awe in which we hold a strict but much loved parent. If we transgress, we fear an angry reprimand. That is fine.

But suppose we are just humanly curious and peep at something we are not supposed to; and we are killed instantly for disobedience. The fear of such an individual is not the respectful fear of a loved parent; more terror of a tyrant. The OT God has been depicted as a brutal warrior, the intention being to inspire not love, but terror. He can ask whatever he wants, and he gets it. Such a being, if it existed, would certainly inspire terror. Thankfully the signs are that he lives entirely in the OT.

[William]

[Replying to post 7 by marco]

Fear of God can be interpreted as the awe in which we hold a strict but much loved parent. If we transgress, we fear an angry reprimand. That is fine.

Whether it is fine or not would depend upon the rule itself. Is the rule fine and fair?

But suppose we are just humanly curious and peep at something we are not supposed to; and we are killed instantly for disobedience. The fear of such an individual is not the respectful fear of a loved parent; more terror of a tyrant. The OT God has been depicted as a brutal warrior, the intention being to inspire not love, but terror. He can ask whatever he wants, and he gets it. Such a being, if it existed, would certainly inspire terror. Thankfully the signs are that he lives entirely in the OT.

Where was it that humans started to change their understanding of GOD from being that of an acceptable brutality and unfairness into something more applicable to truthfulness?

Is the idea of the OT GOD only one of a brutal terrorist?

If so, how do we explain today's Israel? We can look at their actions against Palestine as one such example. But what about their internal social structure, which has all the hallmarks of an enlightened advanced civilization?

Certainly they are not beholding to any other ideas of GOD, so is it strictly true that their idea of GOD (the OT one) is simply a brutal terrorist? If so, then how to explain the contradiction?

[marco]

[Replying to post 7 by marco]

Fear of God can be interpreted as the awe in which we hold a strict but much loved parent. If we transgress, we fear an angry reprimand. That is fine.

Whether it is fine or not would depend upon the rule itself. Is the rule fine and fair?

You have lost me. What rule? Fear of the Lord is one of the supposed gifts of the Holy Spirit and is taken as incorporating respect.

Is the idea of the OT GOD only one of a brutal terrorist?

Of course it isn't. Believers in the Abrahamic God read respect into the horrors he is credited with. I don't know how, but they do.

If so, how do we explain today's Israel? We can look at their actions against Palestine as one such example.

We're confusing several issues here. The Israelis don't act directly in accordance with their religious beliefs; they are moved by political and military considerations. Incidentally I think they show plenty of enlightenment when confronting Hamas.

To a disinterested reader the OT God is a brute; religious folk pretend that when Christ came Yahweh stopped being bad. That seems to be the case, since we just hear of him shouting praise from the clouds. Jesus did a lot to remove the fear element by talking about God as a dad.

[William]

[Replying to post 9 by marco]

You have lost me. What rule?

You said;

If we transgress, we fear an angry reprimand. That is fine.

That implies rules.

The Israelis don't act directly in accordance with their religious beliefs; they are moved by political and military considerations.

Since when have political and military considerations been separate from religious ones in relation to Israel, past or present?

Jesus did a lot to remove the fear element by talking about God as a dad.

How would Jesus expect Israel to behave in relation to Palestine? Would it be any different to how Israel is presently behaving?

If your answer is 'no' then we can understand how Israel prefers the brutal in relation to her upholding the idea of 'Never Again' and rather than being the bigger better example as a means of turning her enemies into her friends, she prefers the iron fist.

Not the 'parent figure' but the 'terrible brute'. Israel does not acknowledge Jesus as anything but a western invention which gives unrealistic advise on how to deal with ones enemies.

One does not feed clothe house and educate ones enemies because one's enemies are sworn to your annihilation and making them stronger only increases the likelihood of them destroying you.

No, one cages such enemies into confined spaces in which one targets them with death and destruction and great sorrow and fear because in that way, one's enemies will learn to love you because they fear what you are able to do to them.

What is seen here?