What does Fear of God bring you? Good Morals or mental Problems?

I once said that people who are afraid of God are afraid of everything. It is logical, they believe God is everywhere and controls everything that happens on this earth. So if they are afraid of God, they are afraid of everyone and everything! As I mentioned such thoughts not only once, I received a certain reply not only once but several times: fear is something necessary! You need fear, it is good for people! Seeing that this was not only one person’s opinion I felt like I should write some more about the question whether it is important to be afraid, especially of God.

Someone actually took the time and effort to explain me the benefits of fearing God. I got to know that according to some religious people all kinds of morals in cultures all over the world have their root in the fear of God. Only because people were afraid of God, men did not cheat their wives, people with a sense of honour did not steal or kill, were nice to each other and tried to help their neighbours, friends and even people whom they did not know.

There was even a comparison to the fear of law and order. If nobody was afraid of the law, of police and justice, of judges and courts, everything would get upset in this world, people would do crime and nobody could live in peace. Fear of God was obviously similar in their opinion.

As I said, had it only been one individual who had this opinion, I would not bother even writing about it as to me it is so obviously a wrong logic. As I repeatedly read and heard such answers though and also read other people arguing about it, I thought to give my point of view to this topic, too. I somewhere read a little paragraph once which I find quite fitting to this:

How can you not believe in God and have morals? Without God I’d probably be out killing people, raping people, molesting kids and hurting my own kids, robbing banks, stealing, cursing out everyone I see, cheating on my wife, beating my wife, hurting animals, and probably hurting myself. But I believe in God so I don’t do these things, because I know if I did I’d spend eternity in Hell. Without fear you can’t be a good person.

Does this logic really make sense to you? Are you really not out there murdering others because you are afraid God would punish you? I don’t believe that every God-fearing person would actually be such a villain if they had just never heard of God! And I know for sure that people who don’t believe in God are mostly just as nice, normal and well-behaved as people who do! They are just not as afraid!

No, I don’t believe it is important to fear God, I actually believe it is completely wrong. This fear is instilled by religious parents who manage to make their children afraid of something that is just omnipotent, a danger and an angry supervisor who is always there to punish you! This is what creates insecurity in adults, too! It makes them sheepish, insecure child-like adults without self-confidence who always search for a confirmation of a third party who tells them they are doing alright and God won’t punish them for what they are doing.

I believe this fear is just wrong. When it comes to morals, I think we can let the above text speak for itself – prisons in this world are not filled with atheists only! Morally right behavior is not limited to religious people – the biggest responsibility lies with parents who have to teach their children. In my opinion that has to be done without making the scared!