Maybe I'm a little naive, but...

A&Aa · April 2009

what exactly does it mean to be "God-fearing"?

Are you scared of God? I thought God loves everyone (according to bumper stickers) so why the fear?

It is a strange term.

Thusadeedoo · April 2009

:waits to hear answer:

tct1219 · April 2009

i think it's just because people have used that term for so long. God in the Old Testament/ Koran/ Talmud is not as sweet and caring as most people like to think of him nowadays. that's why a lot of churches/ denominations seem to almost exclusively refer to the New Testament and often discount the Old Testament altogether.

buckin · April 2009

Fire and Brimstone philosophy. Many denominations teach you that God is a vengeful God and a jealous God and if you are not on your best behaviour he will punish you or seek retribution from you in addition to he only grants good things to people who are deserving blah blah blah.

lizwilson09@gmail.com · April 2009

I don't think it means being afraid in the literal sense, but it is a term meant to show God should be respected. This is the same being who created the whole earth (which I know not everyone believes) and therefore should be given respect. And while He is a God of compassion, He is also a God of justice. That's what I've always understood it to mean, anyway...

HopingForOne · April 2009

As a Christian, I hate that phrase. Kinda goes against the "loving God" image, to me.

two-pink-shoes · April 2009

"The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom".

So I agree with what Fred said. "Fearing" God means we respect and obey Him. And I only think it goes against the loving God thing if you don't read both halves of the Bible.

islelily · April 2009

I have always heard the term used as meaning to be in awe of, or respect.

oller2be · April 2009

We need to keep in mind that there are different kinds of fear. When people think of fear, they usually have in mind a morbid feeling that destroys hope and makes us discouraged. Obviously, God would not want us to feel that way about him! Our heavenly Father wants us to come to him just as a child would come to his father, confident of his father?s love and yet at the same time fearing to displease him.

Stategrl21 · April 2009

If you look at the original Hebrew/Aramaic that was used to write the Old Testament, the word fearing or fear meant great awe and respect. Not necessarily a scared of kind of fear.

And I agree with PP that not reading the first half of the Bible doesn't make a lot of sense. If you don't go back and look at the meanings of the original words for a lot of things they don't make sense. You have to take everything in context and in the situation in which they were first written.

CassieD · April 2009

fredalina:
i think "fear" in this phrase is more like respect. Like people are "afraid" of their parents. (For example, i wanted a nose ring my whole life but i was too "afraid" of my parents to get one. Not that they would hurt me, but they would be disappointed in me, and i was afraid to disappoint them.)

This. Also, more than anything anymore, I think people say it because it's tradition. I doubt too many Christians who say they are "God-fearing" people ever truly think about what that means.

tct1219 · April 2009

Stategrl21:
If you look at the original Hebrew/Aramaic that was used to write the Old Testament, the word fearing or fear meant great awe and respect. Not necessarily a scared of kind of fear.

And I agree with PP that not reading the first half of the Bible doesn't make a lot of sense. If you don't go back and look at the meanings of the original words for a lot of things they don't make sense. You have to take everything in context and in the situation in which they were first written.

exactly

Want a personalized experience?

Maybe I'm a little naive, but...

Re: Maybe I'm a little naive, but...

Choose Another Board

Search Boards