Are you ever afraid to embrace religion/God?

Question

I know that sounds strange. But when I see bibles or prayer books I get such a scared feeling.

I'm not ashamed of it, I'm afraid to believe in it.

Answer 1

Maybe you realize all the harm religion has caused the world.

Read The God Delusion, understand religion and be forever freed from it.



Nobody can prove any gods, much less a specific god, exist; many people will tell you their god exists but no others, but will never be able to prove it, even if they think so. Some will threaten you with eternal pain or promise eternal joy to get you to believe in their god; these are all stories, created for people who were scared long before we understood the universe. Now we have no more reason for these superstitions.

How terrible the bible in particular is:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/
http://www.evilbible.com/

What's the origin of the Jesus stories?
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa5.htm
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen048.html

How silly and horrible religion in general is:
http://godisimaginary.com/
http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/

The alternative:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/
http://www.infidels.org/
http://www.positiveatheism.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism

Answer 2

Maybe it's the fear of the unknown? I mean, God can be rather imposing at first. And the Bible is so full of "begot so-and-so, who begot so-and-so...". Maybe if you take it more on a personal level? like he's your Father in heaven. Not just some big faceless deity. He knows you, He loves you, and He wouldn't want you to be afraid of Him.

Or is it fear of rejection? do you feel like because of things you've done, you aren't worthy? or God will reject you? If so, there is forgiveness. God doesn't just forgive, once you repent it's like there was never a sin. That's the amazing thing about Jesus' atonement for us.

Or is it a fear that you'll never live up to some "perfect" image of a religious person? Regardless of what some people here say, or the way they act, we are all just people. Normal people, who make mistakes, bad choices, and wrong turns. We fall down, and have to get back up again. We "put our pants on one leg at a time" just like everyone else. The difference between a religious person and someone who isn't "religious" is that we know that when we fall down, we have help getting back up. We have a direction we are trying to go, and when we make a wrong turn, it's not forever. We can get back on track.

Other than that, you'd have to elaborate on what kind of "scared feeling" you have.

Added - ----

Or is it a fear of being wrong? Choosing the wrong thing? I can totally understand that fear. I felt that way for a while before I converted. I knew which denomination held the most truth for me for months, but I was so afraid of being wrong I froze up. It finally hit me one day that not choosing was just as bad as choosing wrongly.
The only thing I can say about this is if this is your fear, then you should read the scriptures (whatever scriptures you're interested in) and pray about them. Ask God to help you make the right decisions, help you see the truth and he will.

Answer 3

I think we all have some degree of fear of the unknown. If you did not grow up being taught the Bible, that could be part of your uneasiness. But I can tell you that a God who loves you more than anything is nothing to be scared of. And you don't need a prayer book; you can talk to Him anywhere.

Answer 4

I know what you are saying...when I was younger, it was all so foreign to me, I was uncomfortable. But mostly uncomfortable with myself...I didn't think I was even worth anything or that I would be able to understand even if I did study.
I believed, but I had no mentors to guide me on where to start or even just to talk to.
Join a Christian Bible study or get hooked up in a Christian based church Sunday school study time. Utilize others that have already been where you are now.

Answer 5

No - I get no fear when I see the Bible or I see a prayer book. It is only when I see or hear the words of the potty fringe, those who will try to force us to believe in the myths as if they are reality. Those who cannot enter the 21st C.

Here I not only speak of Christians but Muslams and all other religions too.

Answer 6

When there's so many things going on in the world that is really frightening to be honest dont understand how even the Bible can scare you anymore,!!!

Answer 7

Not since I read the Universal Theology of the New Jerusalem by Emanuel Swedenborg.

Answer 8

The Bible can be scary if you do not know where you stand with God. The Bible is clear that your sins will find you out.

This is why God sends forth a command to all the nations, to repent and believe the gospel. What does it mean to believe the gospel? We are called to fully believe and completely trust the promises of God in our hearts. When Jesus told a man that his son was alive the man "believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him". We too are to believe the word that Jesus speaks, which is the Holy Bible. We are to believe in the gospel, that is, the good news of salvation provided by Jesus Christ. We are to believe that Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law of God and died and rose the third day for the sins of His people. We are to believe that Jesus today sits at the right hand of God the Father as a victor over death and the grave. We are to believe that He not only provides a way of salvation but that He alone has the power to save.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
(Romans 10:9)

At the beginning of this letter I mentioned priorities. What I lay before you logically should be on the top of your list of priorities. It is a question of where you will spend eternity. Jesus told a story once of a rich man that had ongoing plans to build to enlarge his wealth. This rich man thought to himself;

“Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”

And God responded to him;

“Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”

Do not be like this misguided man that had poor priorities. I challenge you to make this your top priority. Today is the day of salvation! You are called to turn to God, repent of your sins and you are to believe the good news of Jesus Christ. May God give you the grace to believe and confess Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord.

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
(Isaiah 55:6, 7)

Answer 9

Before i became christian i kinda felt the same way, maybe it's God trying to reach you and satan whispering in your ear not to. I think I felt like that because there was more out there than this life we live on earth. when i became christian i never looked back.

Answer 10

Religion is to study through the man-made rules, dogma and creeds of a particular group. To study God is to enter Him in your own heart and see his hand in all things (nature).