tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post9094480863818709901..comments2024-03-26T08:42:50.357-07:00Comments on One Baha'i's approach...: Recent DaysMeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-5946673638273448892012-03-08T11:49:00.749-08:002012-03-08T11:49:00.749-08:00>Anonymous - You are confusing "fear"...>Anonymous - You are confusing "fear" with "being afraid". They are not the same, although they are related. And while it is not the same awe, I think there are some similarities.<br /><br />What you describe is terror of God, which is not appropriate in either of our opinions.<br /><br />For me, when I saw the concept of the fear of God being the beginning of wisdom in all the different religions, I agreed with what you wrote above. Then I had to admit that I either misunderstood what was meant, or that religion just wasn't for me. Fortunately I looked further into the language, instead of merely accepting our current general understanding of the words.Meadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-37323275580767938782010-10-11T05:41:38.606-07:002010-10-11T05:41:38.606-07:00A great post. Many beautiful observations, above ...A great post. Many beautiful observations, above all the reminder that if we fear God, we fear nothing else. Thank you.Brendan Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09662348550745265317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-2114646296933045802010-10-10T22:28:33.634-07:002010-10-10T22:28:33.634-07:00Why should anyone fear God? The things you discuss...Why should anyone fear God? The things you discuss are not God. The random occurrences of the Universe and the chance that these random occurrences might affect our lives is not God's doing. It is not God's will. So why should we fear God? To think God is out to get you, or you fear what God is capable of is such a Judeo-Christian view. <br /><br />Awe and fear are not the same. To be in awe is to be baffled, impressed even. To be in fear of something is to feel aversive of it. When you fear, the human mind avoids. The human mind represses. That is the exact OPPOSITE of the love of God. To fear and love something never creates harmony. It's like loving your mother, yet you fear that she will abuse you more. The two do not work in conjunction when it comes to complete happiness in the eyes of God.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-31733231279794117732010-10-06T01:19:08.387-07:002010-10-06T01:19:08.387-07:00Fear, an interesting word. In some languages there...Fear, an interesting word. In some languages there is more than one word to express the various nuances. In Italian, there is "paura" = to be afraid, scared and "timore"= fear when you understand (know, are aware of) the consequences of actions (more the fear of God). Further, when aligned with love (for ex,love of God, fear and love seem to blend into one.Jim Holmlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13546862307318518086noreply@blogger.com