Godfearing?

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, opinion, politics, question
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Godfearing?

The atheist would, of course, answer this with a resounding ‘No!’. But what of those who profess a faith? The term, Godfearing, is considered a praiseworthy appellation, in many faiths, for the believer. The question then is ‘Why?’.
What is it about this deity that inspires fear?

This is only a teaser to take you to the full post, which appears on the platform Medium, here.

9 thoughts on “Godfearing?”

  1. I set myself the task of reading the Bible when I was about 14 and quickly realised that it was no different from other types of mythology. As time went along and I read in more depth about the ancient Egyptians and Greeks (including running across the Egyptian stories about a “saviour” and his family), any residual belief was dropped. Living in Canada has cemented my position (about 30% of Canadians are atheistic, a percentage that is growing quickly).
    I think it’s possible that people who read the Bible and still believe that drivel are already terribly compromised by their exposure to religious brain washing or they have decided to pursue and exploit what they know is a load of codswallop.

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    1. Your comment reveals the benefits of reading to satisfy curiosity, Lynette. And I agree with you about those people who have actually read the Bible but still persist in believing the drivel.
      My own experience was a little different. I grew up in a family where church was a regular Sunday experience. I became a choir boy, and at one time considered joining the clergy. But my mother was killed in a road accident 2 days after my 16th birthday. Not a single member of our congregation offered help to a heart-broken family, though the village streets were lined with people who loved and admired my mum as her funeral cortege left the church for the cemetery.
      As a result of this experience, I began to question my faith. And I read the Bible from cover to cover. It took only a little while before I realised what an awful book it is. Afterwards, I read a lot of books about religion, I suppose in a search for a replacement for the comfort of faith. I discovered that all religions are basically either fairy stories, or else con tricks designed to control people. It’s clear religion is a divisive and ultimately destructive device. The sooner we can rid the world of it, the better!

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      1. There are very few “Christians” who behave the way their religion says they should. It’s awful that (and especially as a 16 year old) you had that experience in conjunction with your mum’s death. I agree that the sooner religion dies off, the better, but that’s a long way down the road.

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        1. I agree. That’s certainly been my experience. As an optimist, I’m hoping the decline in religious belief is already accelerating and will continue to do so. Whether its malign influence on the world will decline in time to make the changes the world needs for us to survive is, however, doubtful.

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          1. I looked up some stats on atheism around the world and there are areas where it’s apparently at zero (most of S America, for instance). Not sure of the accuracy of some of the information I looked at, though. Canada was down at 60% atheism and the UK at 70. My sense is that those numbers are high. In any case, I agree that theism is declining; I hope it will happen fast enough to make a difference, especially around climate change.

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            1. Here in the UK, as far as I can tell from the census figures available (2011, as 2021 is not yet published) around 65% of the population considers itself as ‘non-religious’. I have serious concerns at the nature of the questions asked, but only around 12% apparently attend a place of worship on a regular basis. My expectations are that the 2021 figures will show a further decline in such attendance. Fingers crossed that people are finally not only less religious but more willing to admit to this!

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    1. Thanks, Lynette. There have been numerous surveys about how many Christians have actually read their guiding manual, the Bible. The consensus is that between 10 and 20% may have read the entire book, and around 12% admit they’ve never read it at all. So, the vast majority of people who claim to believe in this particular god, do so on the basis of either received information or, at best, very partial information.
      Having read the entire, tedious tome many years ago, I conclude that only someone evil, mentally unstable, or incapable of understanding could possibly read it and remain a believer.
      You’re right. It’s a control mechanism designed to frighten people into obedience and, often to purloin their funds.

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