I Am Not Afraid of My God (Updated from 1/15/2015)

 

I have a real problem with the concept that God put us here to satisfy some dark sadistic need to have a specie cower in fear throughout their existence, at the very thought of him.  We were created as a tool, caretakers of the world we were created into.  I would rather think that we would spend our time wanting to make our Creator proud than worry about angering a "supreme deity" that could squash us at any moment.  I suppose, if you buy into the whole "fear God" thing, one would have to constantly be asking themselves, "Why?"  The simple answer?  We angered our creator by not following the rules, just like all those before us.  Adam and Eve were the last shot at glory for a Creator that doesn't fail, but we needed "free will" in order to do our job.  The Creator understood this.  Socialists, not so much.

"To fear is to have more faith in your antagonist than in Christ."

-- D.L. Moody (1837-1899)

I have better things to do with a life that God "gifted" me than to worry about that which God already knows, after all, God knows everything, right?  Like any "father" would, God hopes that we utilize the tools bestowed upon us, but knows that we will have to fall and get back up again before we finally "get it" and succeed.  Why would you fear a Creator that offers unconditional love?

Brad Miner, is an author and senior editor of The Catholic Thing.  I both agree and disagree with his opinions, but find his insight interesting and thought-provoking.  His latest post, Afraid of God, did not disappoint.

In the article, he does what Catholics are famous for, he quotes those whom Catholics have to thank for instilling this fear of God deep into our faith.  Is it any wonder why, after several thousand years, mankind has no progress toward peace and tranquility as we constantly bicker over who is more right in order not to offend God?  Is it just me, or is it more logical we might have progressed further if we had just concentrated on doing the right thing, creating beauty, and making the most out of our world?  God gave us all of the tools to make this happen, and then we let our ego get in the way.  If we're not letting ego distract us, we're blaming God for falling short.  Do we really want to go there?

The advertisement, above, seems to be typical of religion baiters, God-haters, or hard-liner atheists.  I don't disagree with it, at all, but this is an example of both hitting the nail on the head while missing the entire piece of wood.  

God gives us the tools to stop the rape of our children, but religion-baiting, with ads like this, is not making use of those tools.  It would be like holding a bucket while standing on the dock watching everyone else bail a sinking boat and criticizing them for not having enough buckets.  The folks in the boat feel it can be saved, but you standing on the dock, with a bucket, criticizing them, won't help.  You have the tools. God gave you a bucket.  Get in the boat and stop finding excuses to not take ownership of the fact that you have a bucket and are choosing to let the boat sink.

The ad, however, is spot on if you have no knowledge of what you speak.  The statement from a person of faith would read, "The difference between me and you is that I was born with the courage to actually stop a person from raping a child, or die trying."  The difference is I don't use "should" or "would" in my statement.  Atheists seem to waffle a lot.  Cowards do that.

If God steps in at every turn to rescue us from our fiascos, when we're too dense to use the available tools we were endowed with to rescue ourselves, we would just sit in the boat and wait for God to bail us out.  We will drown and find ourselves back in a sinking boat in the next life, and the next, and so on, until we learn to use a bucket.  

When you think it out, the boat would have never been built, seeing as God would have constantly provided everything for our existence.  No need for the boat.  Oh, wait, Garden of Eden, right?  Everything was provided for us.  Well, we screwed that up.  There are those that still blame God for us not following the rules.  God warned us to follow the rules.  Religion, as mankind wrote it, leaves a lot for us to explain.

But, back to the advertisement.  So, on the other hand, this advertisement is actually a statement in support of my argument.  I could stop a child from being raped because God has given me the righteous tools to accomplish this feat.  There is no "would" or "should" about it.  It is a waste of God's "gifts" not to make use of them.  In the wise words of Master Yoda, "Do or do not. There is no try." 

I'm a great one for stating that, God helps those that help themselves.  But, God already has helped us.  God has given us the tools, and the knowledge, to make everything right.  We have only to start down that path to the rediscovery of that which we lost.  It is like looking for the reading glasses that are perched on our heads.  We have them already, we simply have to look in the mirror to realize what we thought was lost was with us all the time.  Are people really that lazy?  Our wanting to look in the mirror, and then actually doing it, is just more trouble than simply cursing God, constantly, for not just showing us the way.

I prefer to take ownership of my time here on Earth.  It has taken some time for me to understand this because of that.  For everything we do, or don't do, there will be consequences.  Consequences can manifest in many ways, including the death and suffering of the very young and innocent.  These consequences become memories, reminders of what has been done wrong, or right.  Death of the innocent is a necessary, albeit cruel, reminder of cowardice, the wages of sin, and the loss of Eden.

"Fear has to be the opposite of God because it is the opposite of love.  Fear is selfish, needy and focused on you.  It makes no sense for God to want you in fear about Him or your life. 

It comes down to this:  either God wants you to live in fear of Him, always afraid you aren't good enough and focused on yourself, or He wants you to live in love, knowing you are safe, and focused on loving other people.  Which feels more accurate to you?"

-- Kimberly Giles

I know what is right and what isn't.  I don't need religion to know what is expected of me, it was written across my mind and my heart before I was born, and I know that I have fallen short of the mark.  Does this scare me for the "judgment" to come?  No.  My faith in the Creator is like faith in my father.  I will be shown the error of my ways, I will learn, I will be given kudos for having already recognized my shortcomings, and I will earn my way back onto my path to continue my journey and hopefully do better next time.  The only fear is in having to repeat the same task over and over again like some sad "sack of hammers" too dense to learn.  But, even this fear will do nothing but slow my ultimate destiny of which fear is a part.  Nothing will be built if I keep hammering at the nails and missing the wood, and the boat will sink if I constantly complain and find fault without ever getting into the boat to help bail.  There will be little progress.

I love my Creator for giving me the opportunity to muck this life up.  Failure is, after all, the best way we learn.  I hope I learn enough so I don't muck life this much the next time around, and there will be so many next times.  This is the loving and forgiving Creator I believe in.  All God asks is for us to do, even though God knows we might fail.  Without trial and error, there can be no knowledge; without knowledge, there can be no doing; without doing, no progress, and without progress, we will never find God's kingdom, which is right where we left it.  We need to stop assigning blame, especially for our short memory, and start taking ownership.

As for fearing God, I leave you with one last thought.  I quote the scripture rarely, But, I'd like to remind you of the thought at the start of this post, a thought that everyone "fearing" a loving God should chew on:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

-- 2 Timothy 1:7

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and, finally, a senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Western Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research.

Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony: tolerantpastor@gmail.com