Why is it that we have to love God out of Fear?

Answer 1

The Buddha, like modern sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and especially the god idea have their origin in fear. The Buddha says:

"Gripped by fear men go to the sacred mountains,
sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines".

To this day, you will notice that people become more religious at times of crises, you will hear them say that the belief in a god or gods gives them the strength they need to deal with life. You will hear them explain that they believe in a particular god because they prayed in time of need and their prayer was answered. All this seems to support the Buddha’s teaching that the god-idea is a response to fear and frustration. The Buddha taught us to try to understand our fears, to lessen our desires and to calmly and courageously accept the things we cannot change. He replaced fear, not with irrational belief but with rational understanding.

Based on his own experience, the Buddha saw that each human being had the capacity to purify the mind, develop infinite love and compassion and perfect understanding. He shifted attention from the heavens to the heart and encouraged us to find solutions to our problems through self-understanding.

http://www.buddhanet.net/

Answer 2

Well we don't have to Love God out of fear. Love should be first but as a child fears the reprecussion of it's parents when doing wrong so should we fear the Lord when doing wrong. Proverbs says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. WHy would that be wise? Well, I think because we wouldn't get in so much trouble. SO love God and be joyful but also fear God and prosper. The Lord disciplines those He loves. He will teach us the way with knots or without. Lol

Answer 3

"There is no fear in love. but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18. I do fear God, I stand in amazement at his love for his creation. His love is like nothing I have ever experienced I never want to lose that. "Fear: A reverential awe, esp. toward God" Webster's encyclopedia. Great question, I hope that helps!

Answer 4

I look at it like this . Its not fear its respect. When you were a child and you thought of doing wrong the fear of what your dad would do caused you to think twice. I think this about God. To fear him is to show obedience. Through that obedience is true love and devotion.

Answer 5

The word fear is respect, in it's proper translation. The same as you would love your parents or your child. In fear is also in want. This is the same as looking at the 10 commandments as rules God is telling you not to break for His good, He tells us them so we won't hurt ourselves or others. Unless you belong to the faith, it will seem like gibberish when taken out of context, it would be like taking a line out of "Gone With The Wind" and then try to form the rest of the story from it.

Answer 6

A Child when young, we make them obey us by offering Candies and Gooddies.

Once they get old enough we do not offer them candies anymore, but scold them and threaten them with punishments. So they get afraid and obey you.They still love you as Parents.

Similarly We Love God out of fear that He does not Punish Us for our Sins and Wrong doings.

He is the Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful. No one can Claim that he or she will achieve Salvation just through their own Deeds, if His Mercy is Absent..

All the Praise is to the Almighty the Most Merciful and Benevolent.

Answer 7

We don't have to, nor should this be our motivation. Yes, it is probably wise to have at least a little bit of "Fear OF God", but not let this fear motivate our entire relationship with Him.

Our Love of God should be just that: LOVE. We should be swept away and overcome by Love of Him. For me, that tends to stem from my Gratitude towards Him. I am so thankful for the gift of Life, for the Blessings that come my way, and when I contemplate that, I am filled with Gratitude and Love.

Peace.

Answer 8

I love God because He first loved me by sending His Son to die for me. I also love Him because of some of the things He's done for me personally. I won't divulge those things here but I don't think anyone can really love anyone else out of fear. We choose to love God or people because it's our choice, not necessarily because they are always good to us or whatever. I am learning more and more to love God for Who He is and not just for what He does. That's a good practice toward anyone and that is real love. I fear Him because He's big. That's just plain wisdom, although the fear of the Lord also includes reverence.

Answer 9

Why should any love be based on fear?

This does not make sense to me, no matter what the relationship.

The closest human parallel I can imagine is the Yanomamo tribe, whose males beat or cut their wives so they will not commit infidelity.

How do physical threats and suffering (like hell) lead someone to love their abuser? Gods would be no exception to this, because human responses do not change.

Answer 10

We don't have to - that's at the core of the true Christian message.

The Jewish God protrayed in the early OT was a God to be revered (feared). The God shown to us through Jesus was the lovin God - who wants a relationship born out of love, not fear of punishment.