Is religion completely fear based?

Question

Religious people go on about how much they love God, but how can you love someone you've never met? How can you love someone, who does nothing about all the misery in the world?

Answer 1

In the bible it says 365 times "Do not be afraid". Once for every day of the year, so No it is not based on fear but love. Fear is the absence of love. We cause a lot of misery in the world for ourselves by not following God's laws. Who says God is doing nothing to help and is not suffering with the innocent people? God works through us when we help those in need.

God bless

Answer 2

Indoctrination is fear-based, and religion is largely indoctrination-based.  

Answer 3

Like a child's attitude towards discipline, religion may start with fear but as one grows older he realizes there's more to discipline that the pain it inflicts but the perspective it develops in you.  It's a puerile assumption to say all believers are ignorant and immature.

Answer 4

No, it's a combination of fear and brain washing.

Answer 5

All Religion is Fear based to create Control

The children stories create nightmares

The words SIN & h**l creates FEAR

Live a Spiritual life and you will live with no Fear

Put all your Faith into your own future after all it is your journey through LIFE

"True religion is not about possessing the truth. No religion does that. It is rather an invitation into a journey that leads one toward the mystery of God. Idolatry is religion pretending that it has all the answers."

"God writes straight with crooked lines".

It is when you follow those crooked lines over time and see that they were for the best - that is when you truly learn to trust in the hand of Spirit guiding you.

Love & Blessings

Milly

Answer 6

Not completely...it's mostly the very lonely, disconnected people that embrace a hard-core case of paranoia...the only people they hang with are people who share the same disillusionment about life...

...Most church folk are quite content, and we try to help other people out when we can...

Answer 7

Hello Consta,

As Niccolo Machiavelli pointed out in his book, The Prince, though governing humans in a benevolent way as much as possible, you also should through fear since fear is better respected and love is easily betrayed.

Cheers,

Michael Kelly

Answer 8

I did meet Jesus ,and God has brought many many miracles to my life.There is no fear when you know The Lord.

Answer 9

fear,not as in for the direct meaning of fear(where u get freaked out and stuff),,it's something lyk compliying to the word of god and such

Answer 10

You are making an assumption that all religions are alike.

I love my gods, I have met them, they do their best for the misery of the world - but they aren't all powerful or all-knowing.

Please do not lump all religions together, because you are only describing monotheism in your question.

Answer 11

That's what your missing, when a person comes to God they have met. In truth and spirit is how He is found, not by searching for "physical evidence" of His existance. We are the cause of the misery in this world, our own selfishness contributes to the evils of this world. Those who believe Him know it won't always be this way and we are exhorted to hold fast to our faith during our wait for His return. With His return comes His promise to put all this in the past. In His rule none of this misery will be present..No death, no war, no disease, no famine, greed, etc..We have to be as patient waiting for Him as He's been with us for all these centuries waiting for all of us to come back to Him.

Answer 12

They are talking about a different kind of love than personal love. It's the kind of love that encourages people to give a dollar to a homeless person, to help a lost child find his parents, to volunteer their time and effort to charity. It's an impersonal love that makes you care about humanity and about people you don't know.

About God not doing anything about the misery in the world, I can't answer that. That question is as old as misery itself and it will probably never be truly solved. (and no, "sin" or "Satan" isn't it.) I have thought that perhaps God means us to solve these problems ourselves, but I don't know if I'm entirely happy with that answer either.

Answer 13

Yes.  Fear creates all Gods and Demons.

One can be empathetic towards one's fellow person.

Apathy and/or indifference are different issues.

Answer 14

Not all religious people are Judeo-islamic-christian.

My religion has no basis in fear, but respect, and honor, for those who came before us, our Elder Kin.

Answer 15

Nope, love is my motivation

Answer 16

The Carrot and Stick Game is used by both xian and moslim; it is a valuable management tool when you need to scare and or control peasant and children.

With out the threat of h**l and or the promise of eternal life in heaven no one would be sucked in but FEAR is a strong elixir; it can break the strongest man if he is at all superstitious.

~

Answer 17

Hey Discord, you sound like a total imbecile saying what you say.  Whats the difference between waiting for "christ's" 2nd coming or waitin for Santy Claus on xmas eve?  America is screwed if we're littered with idiots like Discord.  

Answer 18

Even the gospel of Jesus, the all loving prince of peace is fear based - "If you do not believe in me you won't have eternal life" Whatever. It's all riduclous.

Answer 19

Of course not!

Answer 20

Some are. I follow Jesus and I do it with love

Answer 21

Yes, scaring you into doing good deeds and giving money.

Answer 22

Cults are fear based.

Christians are lovers of God and Jesus. They are love and obligation based.