1653: You're Right

[Rufio]

Originally Posted by WSEIII

Fear of God doesn't mean to be afraid of him, but to respect him.

I enjoyed most of today's show but it could have been edited so as not to take so long.

go fuck yourself. you're a horrible person.

[JSZilla]

Originally Posted by Rufio

Go fuck yourself. You're a horrible person.

LOL.

Yay for Jonzard. Another person who seems to know shit about religion. I might have to jerk off now. Good to see this after the bullshit from my boss earlier. Yessir. =)

[picard102]

Originally Posted by mrthewhite

I don't fear gods because I don't fear things that aren't real... at least not since I was a kid.

QFT

[VividRave]

Before I shed my christian upbringing, I had an ENORMOUS fear of the Christian God. A fear so strong that I spent two years as a believer HATING the religion, (especially because of it's prejudiced views towards my gender, and towards my bisexuality), and yet still believing. I remember wishfully thinking that it would be so nice to be a buddhist or athiest or ANYTHING else, but feeling that I had no choice but to believe or I would go to hell. For me, god, original sin, the bible, heaven and hell were part of an inescapable reality. It was as much equated with truth in my mind as the law of gravity. Brainwashing runs deep.

I find it hard to think that there are few people with a fear of god. I know plenty of people who have chosen god over their own personal happiness and sense of what's right, because they felt they had no other choice. For example, my younger sister's "first love" upon hitting puberty was a girl. One trip to the church to have my parent's elders pray over her, and she was "cured." She continues to live a pious, christian, and notably miserable life. Because for her, and for many others in my family, God is irrefutable. So what if there's bisexuality on both sides of the family? So what if she can't function in any sort of relationship with a man? So what if she hates her life and battles anxiety and depression now? To her, and to many others, she has no choice but to follow, out of fear. (and the self-hatred that Christianity espouses.)

I'm not attacking Christian's points, just providing another perspective. I think Chemda was right when she said that you are all surrounded by very left-thinking people. Perhaps it makes you forget what the ultra-religious world is like. But take it from someone who was raised to believe demons were literally knocking at our door: the fear of god is very real in the hearts of many people today. Otherwise so many people would not try and force themselves to live in ways that are in complete opposition to their own genetics, happiness, and physical-well being. The Christian Man is not a natural one. I can't see much besides fear that would force so many to live so unnaturally and uncomfortably.

Edit: I also want to note that for several years AFTER I decided to renounce God, I had recurring panic attacks, thinking that I might have made the entirely wrong choice and was now going to burn in hell. The ONLY thing that finally allowed me to escape that fear was when I realized that, if God was against the love I shared with women and the joyous freedom I had found outside of "the fold," I'd rather burn in hell than be on his side. This is after I had used logic to disprove god and the bible hundreds of times over, I might add, but still the fear lingered. Again, I'll say it: brainwashing runs deep.

[bofadeeznizzles]

Originally Posted by VividRave

... I'd rather burn in hell than be on his side. This is after I had used logic to disprove god and the bible hundreds of times over, I might add, but still the fear lingered. Again, I'll say it: brainwashing runs deep.

Strong post. I'm not sure how to answer the poll because I haven't actually believed in god in 10 years, but part of me is still afraid, "what if god is a dick, but he's still real?" I don't actually change any actions in my life based on that "fear" but I do wonder every now and again. I guess the brainwashing does run deep.

[ssgtballard]

I never understood the fear thing, how can you fear someone who looks like Santa Claus and give you whatever you pray for.
I do understand the catholic fear of god, if the priest is the voice of god then does that mean going to heaven is an eternal anal sex ?

[Blitzgal]

Originally Posted by bofadeeznizzles

Strong post. I'm not sure how to answer the poll because I haven't actually believed in god in 10 years, but part of me is still afraid, "what if god is a dick, but he's still real?"

Pascal's Wager - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[mrthewhite]

Originally Posted by bofadeeznizzles

Strong post. I'm not sure how to answer the poll because I haven't actually believed in god in 10 years, but part of me is still afraid, "what if god is a dick, but he's still real?" I don't actually change any actions in my life based on that "fear" but I do wonder every now and again. I guess the brainwashing does run deep.

I never understood the phrase "God fearing person", as in "He's a good God fearing Christian" because they also say your supposed to love God.

When I got old enough to really think about it (around 15-16), it just sounded like an abusive relationship that I wanted no part of.

[Junkenstein]

Originally Posted by stulagu

I think this poll is going to be skewed...more people are afraid, but they think they know what answer Keith wants...

so people have a fear of keith.

[Bucho]

Originally Posted by Jonzard

Christian was getting at the confusion in definition that many self-proclaimed "agnostics" have when thinking they are middle of the road since they are not atheist or theist.

"Agnostics" don't think they're in the middle of the road between atheists and theists.

They think they're above the road.