If god exists, does he rule by fear?

Question

No, seriously consider this.

If there is a god at all (something which I am skeptical about right now), does he (or she or it - if it doesn't have a gender), rule by fear?

They demand of us that we follow a given set of guidelines, and that if we fail, then we are threatened with an eternity of punishment and torture in hell.

Is that rule by fear?

And if god exists, just because it created us does not necessarily mean that it has the right to set moral standards, it could be argued: morals are just a guideline for everyday conduct in society.

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

If God does exist is a completely different argument compared to whether or not he rules by fear.

First, it is impossible to design an experiment to prove that God does exist. BUT, this also means that there is no way to prove that God does NOT exist. God needs to be BELIEVED in. Belief takes place when there is very little or no evidence proving that something exists.

If he does exist, how do we know he rules by fear? How do we know if the con artists out there aren't exploiting us? When humans have a situation that can't be explained by everyday life and logic, they tend to "invent reasons"(e.g. "it was God's will", "everything happens for a reason", etc).

If he doesn't exist, obviously, we are being manipulated by others. Don't forget to leave a few bucks in the collection plate when you leave!

Answer 2

Not by fears, but by kindness and life providing warmth.

During 1800s, Anthropologists had a problem as to
how to classify human beings. One researcher
proposed the expression "intelligent animal".
After advanced studies on monkeys, it was dropped.
Another researcher proposed "tool using animal".
After observing some animals making wooden tools
and sharpening them with knife like stones, it was
dropped. Another researcher proposed "weapon using
animal". A decade ago, a rare film was shot by an
amateur in an African forest. One short monkey was
hit very badly by a big monkey. The short monkey
prepared a wooden knife using stones and hid it on
the top of a tree. After some days, when the big
monkey came to attack the short monkey, it ran up
to the tree for the weapon it has hid and killed
the big monkey. The one thing that the
anthropologists found with any group of human
beings, even if they did not have contacts with
the out side world for thousands of years, has
spirituality with some form of religion. So, man
is a "spiritual animal" if you want to call him
that way.

The Upanishads say that "Manush" (human) was so
named because he has "Manas" a mind higher than
that of the animals which realizes the divinity in
creation. It was present since the creation of
human beings. Religion is the characteristic
feature of most of the human beings. It was not
attained through reasoning using mind. Illiterate
tribes located in inaccessible forests also have
religion. It is as eternal and and as unchanging
as the Almighty. Disbelief by a few will not
affect it.

"The percentage of atheists in the world is less
than 5%"

http://www.positiveatheism.org/india/s1990c48a.htm

"Atheists are all scientists" ?

http://www.non-religious.com/statistics.html

Religion is not a blind following. It is a sub-consciously driven
group ritual. It calms the 'collective unconscious' mind. The
religious culture brings unity and belongedness among the followers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_unconscious

" Are Atheists More Depressed than Religious People?

In recent years, the view that religious belief and
participation in religious acts of worship has a positive
effect upon the well-being of man..."

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php

"Is a Belief in God Beneficial? Or, What's an Atheist to Do?

1) Religious attendance is correlated with longevity.
2) Religious belief has been associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms.
3) Religious beliefs may help with addiction.
4) Religious attendance is correlated with lower blood pressure.

http://jewishatheist.blogspot.com/2006/01/is-belief-in-god-beneficial-or-whats.html

Answer 3

"And if god exists, just because it created us does not necessarily mean that it has the right to set moral standards, it could be argued: morals are just a guideline for everyday conduct in society."

You're right, but you must also take into consideration that in the bible it says that God gave his "children" free will to do bad and good

but from the looks of it...yea pretty much whoever people "believe" it is rules by fear...without question! Fear is one of our strongest emotions....it can get a person to do almost anything...

Answer 4

Fear of God is an abomination. Granting the existence for argument's sake, how can the Infinitely Merciful, the Infinitely Loving, demand fear from the followers?

The torture or the rapture has to be symbolic. How can disembodied, anatomy less entities be burnt on a spit (Spirit spit probably) or boiled in oil. The kind of oil is not specified.

God does not rule. By fear or otherwise. Humans allow themselves to be ruled by their own rules and restrictions.

Answer 5

If it exists, it's obviously not human. Some sort of creative force, I suppose. It also obviously does not rule anything on this planet. Maybe it's off creating some other planet in some other universe. The idea that such a force has any interest at all in individual humans is just primitive nonsense.

Morals and ethics are attributes of civilization-- not religion.

Answer 6

I have to disagree. Those who believe don't really believe if they're afraid. People who believe in God have asked to be forgiven and have asked Jesus to come into their hearts thus making them saved. Yes, when you're saved you have to resist temptation and keep a healthy relationship with God, but it isn't a relationship fueled by fear. It's fueled by love because something so powerful and amazing as God loves somebody as selfish and mean as we are causes us to rejoice. We have faith, so we don't have to worry about our future as long as we have faith in God and believe in Him.

Yes, God created us, so he has the authority to set the moral standards. Our actions speak louder than our words. By following his standards, we show that we are serious about Him and are His sheep. Everyday we make decisions based on what we believe is right or wrong. We learn what is good or bad by reading God's word, the Bible.

I strongly urge you to read the Bible and/or visit a church. You are obviously very thoughtful, and I applaud you for your difficult questions. Nobody has all the answers and fully understands everything about God, but that's why it's called faith; it's just a part of life. Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Answer 7

The book of Genesis says that god created man in his own image, so we only need to look at how George W Bush and the Republicans NeoCons and TheoCons have ruled the world with fear and terrorism to answer your question with a resounding YES! ABSOULTELY! Christianity (at least) is a religion that attempts to use fear and war-mongering to keep its poor pathetic followers in line with the party line; just the same thing that Bush does. And in the same way. The whole concept of hell, fire and brimstone and eternal damnation is nothing if it isn't a terrorist act.

The whole question of god existing or not is a question framed by FEAR. Those people who want us to believe that god is real use FEAR and THREATS to try to convince and persuade that eternity is filled with hell and satan if they dont accept god blah blah blah. The whole entire issue of ATHEISM on the one hand versus BELIEVERS on the other is driven by THREATS and FEAR.

I'd like to see just one Christian believer attempt to answer any question re: philosophy and religion WITHOUT resorting to IMAGES OF FEAR AND THREATS. It cant be done.

FEAR and THREATS are to religion what heat and water is to coffee.

Answer 8

You might do well to read "Climb the Highest Mountain," Mark Prophet, "Men in White Apparel," Ann Ree Colton, "Expecting Adam," Martha Beck, "Man, Master of His Destiny," O. M. Aivanhov, and "The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce?", Free and Wilcock.

What these indicate is a loving, just, truthful Mindfulness which further individes to create spirit-sparks which are endowed with a miniature portion of the Godhead, and are intended to develop in joy, love, truth, and the like.

"Love God completely, love colleague as Self, and love as Christ Jesus, Truth, loves" is a valid guide for Life. "You're bad and God's mad" is not the whole story, by any means.

Answer 9

God doesn't exist and still rules by fear.

What is it that the human being wants from this symbol? Pleasure in this life and if not this one, then build a belief of an 'after life'.

It is the desire for control of he events that happen in our daily experience. 'if I follow the rules laid down by this god, I will be blessed' / 'if I reject the rules laid down by this god, I will be cursed.' Blessed is pleasure/cursed is pain. The problem start when the human being assigns a value to experiences and then clings to the desire for the ones assigned the value of 'good or pleasurable' and runs from those assigned the value of 'bad or painful'.

God was born from man to help control the outcome of his day and his death. It hasn't worked yet.

Answer 10

Questioner, I have been alive in excess of 50 years and have degrees in Physics, Mathematics, and Education. I am not lacking in education or in the paperwork that accompanies it. I have an associates, bachelors, and Masters degree from three different great colleges in Ohio that some people would slobber a great deal to have degrees from. I had a Near-Death Experience in my teenage years and that led me to begin a LONG Search for GOD. I hada Bible study about twenty years ago and made a decision then that my wife and I had found HIM. I do not apologize for my beliefs and I do not believe that you should ever apologize for yours. I do not try to change a person's mind about his/her beliefs and I would ask that you not try to change mine or anyone elses beliefs either. I am a Creationist by my religious beliefs and shall remain so until death. Have a great week. Thanks, Eds .