Friday, March 14, 2008

Are you God Fearing?

If yes, then my next question has to be WHY?
Is not God supposed to be a kind being? Why would one fear what should be loved?

If you are wondering what triggered this tangent of thought?
I was checking out some matrimonial candidates' expectation. Invariably everyone wants a housetrained (doesn't this sound like something you expect of a new puppy... aargh!!!) God fearing girl. Or they describe themselves as God fearing.

Why did the term even get coined? Who dya think first thought let us use Gods wrath to frighten people into our control? After all Power is a great aphrodisiac.

I have read and seen movies and documentaries about how the christians were threatened with everything from maiming to death for the least bit of blasphemy or crime against the church, how the church is the highest authority in all manner of things, especially from around 12 the century to the regency period
Kali ma punishes her offenders with Chicken pox and Paralysis until she is appeased (usually with a song and walking on fire or lighting camphor on the palms etc etc)
Even the oldest Epic of Illiad and Odeysseus has its basis on the roman gods' petty nature and tendency to play with humans for entertainment.

People who can ill afford it, still clean their pockets to bribe Him with all kindsa stuff, asking for all kindsa boons. Praying is a serious Business transaction (oh! I try it sometimes too *sheepish*)
But God to me is a buddy, a pal, someone I can confide with , go for help and sometimes wonder if He exists at all.

But coming to back to my point (and yes I do have one :-))
Why should God be feared if he is not the good guy? (Isn't being evil the work of Satan or asuras or all those zillion other creatures??)

I would, of course, love any opinions/ thoughts on this topic from y'all

3 comments:

RS said...

God for me is a friend too - someone who would atleast listen to my inner most secrets (dreams and nightmares) and not share it with anyone - though he might not grant me all that i ask for! :-) Does it make any sense?

aragorn said...

god is the guardian. just think about ur parents. for example when using the expensive tea set of ur mom, wont u be cautious so that it doesnt get broken? because breaking it would be some wrong. if u break it intensionally then u should be punished (by the parents/guardian off course). does that make ur mom/dad less caring to u? god is/should be feared to keep u on track. this off course is my point of view. :)

Anonymous said...

there is a couplet in urdu which goes like .
Kisko baqshe teri rahmat
jo gunahgaar na ho

which translates to .. whom will You show mercy on if there were no sinner.. and how You call yourself the most Merciful one.

my take on god fearing is like this.. if you love someone, the thing that you fear most is losing the goodwill of that person, the same is with the ones who believe in god as their beloved, god fearing would mean taking the utmost care not to do anything which would take yourself away from god.
on the topic of marriages ... it is unfortunate that though the matchmaking process has gone hitech .. but the mindset remains old.