Is religion rooted in fear?

Answer 1

A child is afraid of punishment if he disobeys his parents and hopes to be rewarded if he behaves properly.
Religions that were born a thousand, two thousand or six thousand years ago were for the "infancy" of humanity. So the language they use is for that particular level of understanding.
In the Old Testament all the laws start with a NO. You shall not do this or that.
That is exactly the language that we use when we talk to a small child. Don't do this or that, without greater explanation.
However humanity is not any more in it's infancy. We are going from adolescence to the age of maturity of the human race. This explains in part the great many problems that this transition is creating at the world level.
The requirement for our age is not fear or blind belief any more but a profound logical and scientific understanding of our convictions.

Answer 2

No ... Sure enough, fear is a part of some people's religion, but mainly religion is rooted in a wish and attempt to explain everything.

Answer 3

Not initially, I believe.

I recently saw some kind of special on religion/spirituality and it suggested that the human brain is "hard-wired" to seek outside itself and ask questions about causality and significance of creation. That would seem to suggest that religion is rooted in curiosity.

It is the earthly "organized" religions that give us things like fear of punishment, "services" and "liturgies."

"Organized" religion is more a social construction; people wanting to identify with others around them and be part of a "collective."

No, I tend to think that the fear is secondary and a learned thing; not something indigenous to belief.

It's a shame, too, because too many people have some serious issues about sexual matters.

Answer 4

No. Religion is rooted in faith.

Atheism grows out of fear. Fear of the unknown. A refusal to believe that there is so much more than this. A fear of the concept of eternity, the soul and a supreme Being who created us all. Easier to believe this life is all there is & we're not accountable for our actions, no Heaven or Hell, no soul, no God.

Answer 5

The true religion should be rooted in fear of God, i.e. giving the highest respect to Him. But it should not make us worried or terrified, unless we have commited sin.

Some religious leaders have taught orders and prohibitions ("do this, do that, never do this, never do that") but forgot the importance of compassion. This will borne a fearful or rebellious generation. Some other leaders have done the other way. This will borne a lazy and wild generation. We should be balanced.

Answer 6

No. The true religion is rooted in love, that is based on truth,. And perfect love casts out all fear. And when you know the truth, it will set them free of man's uncertain understanding of the universe and peace and security in God's universe he created.

To accept the God in the true religion you must have faith. And faith is not based on logic or reason. Since both are flawed and limited by mortal man's finite understanding of the universe he lives in.

Answer 7

What human emotion or action isn't rooted in fear?

I believe fear to be the great motivator of mankind. In this case, we fear many circumstances of living that lead us to create and follow religious movements. Some of these fears are of: death, estrangement, pointless living, isolation, a lack of power (seeing as how many communities are largely made up of religious people who tend to vote, support and "speak highly of" others of a similar religious mindset).

It is debatable as to whether fear drives our actions and emotions, I realize. But, in terms of religion, it has long been created as a source of explanation for the "big" questions, and I believe it is our fear of not knowing the answers that drives us to either create or accept on faith the answers religion provides.

Answer 8

I thonk religion is based on people's needs to explain the unknown, and the strange things that happen in our world. I think the idea of it being rooted in fear, in faith or in hope is really a matter of opinion. Mainly I think it helps people to understand the things that area mystery. The idea of thier being a supreme being helps people feel more comfortable, and gives them some since of purpose to our existance. I mean who wants to feel like our lives are really just meaningless, and who wants to truly believe that we just disappear after we die. People by nature want to feel like we have something to look forward to in the afterlife.

Answer 9

Yes, the belief in god is rooted in the inability to explain events like lightning, and rain, and our own existence. Religion however was created to keep the bad people in check. In those days it was really easy to get away with things like murder, rape, and theft.
So religious leaders said lets tell people that god is going to punish anyone who does the following 10 things, that way people will be more affraid to do them, because they'll now they won't get away with it.

Answer 10

"Yes "and "No". Yes because some religion does; And No because, one that I can testify of is rooted in personal communication with the maker of the universe, serves to mankind and hope for eternity. If you care to know this religion........it is Christianity!