Why are religious people so motivated by FEAR?

Question

scared to do this, scared to do that cause Satan will punish them.
Don't you have common sense and know right from wrong?
It's common sense to treat people fairly and the way you want to be treated, respect your parents and not to lie, steal, kill others...right,
RIGHT????? Why do you need Satan to scare you into not doing those kind of things?

Answer 1

Religious people don't do or not do things because of fear of Satan, they do or don't do things because of their love of God.........#######

Answer 2

Satan is not the one that will punish us if we behave wrong. Where do you think you get right from wrong? From a heavenly law. You shall not lie, steal, kill, adultery, covet. And to honor God as Creator - you recognize and rest on the Sabbath.(Saturday, Sabado, Sabato, in any language) need I go on? Maybe your question emerges from the idea that there is eternal torment.Satans constant effort to misrepresent the character of God have departed many people from religion. Just like the wicked will receive their punishment on judgement day, so will Satan. His time is running out; this is the reason why satan is trying to deceive so many. Satan tempts you, if you fall, he rejoices because he has succeeded at separating you from God. The more people choose to serve Satan, the lesser his punishment will be on judgment day.
Christians are not motivated by fear, we are motivated by love.

Answer 3

If right and wrong are just common sense, why do so many atheists deny that there's any such thing as right and wrong? They all seem to think morality is just a cultural convention, or that it only exists in the mind.

I can't says that I know a single Christian whose moral motivation is fear of satan. There are some who are motivated by a fear of God, but not a fear of Satan.

Answer 4

If you beleive in something, it isn't fear that makes you beleive, it's faith. The point you are making could be said for society, too. People don't commit crimes because they will get a ticket or end up in jail.

Back in those days, it wasn't common sense. It was 2000 years ago, hon.

I'm scared of Satan and for good reason. I'm not too strict on my religion, but I felt the insight was needed here.

Answer 5

*religion* and faith are two different concepts.... satan and God are two really different beings...... satan does NOT punish, he leads people down the *wrong* path...... God on the other hand will dicipline his children..... the *fear* of the flesh is totally different than the spiritual fear...... to fear God is to RESPECT God and to serve him with humility.... to fear in the flesh is to be AFRAID of something or some one !!! A Christian does NOT fear God as known in the flesh..... satan has NO say about a Christians actions, behavior, deeds or doings...... NONE......Commaon sense tells us *Christians* , along with faith, love, devotion, grace, and YES even intelligence that God is our EVERYTHING !!!!! and all that stuff you question, being fair, respect, lying, stealing, killing, etc., is the little part of God that is in EVERY human...... Now all that can and does get knocked off balance, and yes by satan...... the bottom line is religion has very very little to do with faith....... go in peace..... God bless

Answer 6

The Gospels tell us not to be afraid-- this is the first thing Jesus says when he appears to Mary Magdalene and the other women at the empty tomb. Fear is an effective instrument of manipulation that has been used over the years by many people both within the church and outside of it. Unfortunately many people's faith is based on it. However, there are many Christians whose faith is founded on love and hope, and I pray that you will find the same joy in God's love for you and all creation that we have.

Answer 7

Excuse me, but Satan does not scare me because He is under my feet. He has NO authority in my life because it is Jesus I serve and Jesus who watches over me and keeps me all the day. But I do fear God, which means that I respect Him, His Word.....and this fear is what motivates me to live my life according to His righteous standards. The Christian life is soooo much more than just being a decent person because good people won't make it to heaven, only saved ones in Christ will.

Answer 8

People fear what they do not know. Hehhee and yes, some people have NO internal compass when it comes to morality. Martin Luther did touch upon the topic in his Treatise on Good Works. Luther defined 4 different types of people. One group desperately NEEDed a religion, since without someone telling them that they cannot do something-they would do anything and everything. Luther also talked about one group that didn't need religion, since they already had the divinity within themselves. The other two groups fell in between those two within a spectrum.

One should also remember that Christians did throw common sense out the window with self-responsibility when they use their 'bloody lamb' to clean up all the evil that they do do or the good that they don't do.

Answer 9

Satan doesn't scare me into or out of anything at all. Satan cannot punish me. As to common sense...are you actually implying that everyone you know has it? C'mon...we both know better than that.

Answer 10

i am a Catholic and in no means am i motivated by any fear of Satan or hell. I do what I know is right and my heart, Satan has nothing to do with it. Don't be so quick to generalize all religious people, because you are wrong.

Answer 11

Actually, it's more fear of God than of Satan, but, the reason religious people are motivated by fear is because their parents raised them to fear God.

The same way, they teach you to fear the boogie men, bed bugs and the ouiji board.

Of course you know, you just opened up your question to become a great "there is a God", "no there isn't" debate, but I guess that's what you are looking for anyway.