The enduring entwinement of religion and fear —a relationship that has shaped human societies since the dawn of humanity —is a topic of profound significance. The values taught often revolve around fear, divine punishment, fear of supreme power, and fear of death. These elements have significantly shaped our understanding of these profound concepts, sparking intrigue and engagement in exploring them.
The fear of punishment plays a pivotal and weighty role in shaping our behaviour, compelling us to adhere to religious norms, teachings, and sermons. This fascinating aspect of human psychology warrants in-depth pondering.
The human mind is tuned and trained to intensely seek happiness through rituals and religion, while the truth is that joy exists within each one of us, just needing expression and perception.
In essence, religion is believing in and worshiping a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods. It is a pursuit or interest followed with great devotion. Religion is regarded as holy, sacred, absolute, spiritual, divine, or worthy of special reverence.
Embracing religion is a deeply personal choice, a journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth that should not be dictated by fear or compulsion. It is a path that each individual can navigate, finding their unique connection to the divine. This diversity of beliefs should be respected and celebrated, reflecting each person’s unique journey in pursuing spiritual understanding.
Instead of instilling a fear-based understanding of God, parents and teachers should guide children towards a deeper, more enlightened relationship with their spirituality.
This shift from ‘Fear of God’ to ‘Commitment to the Soul’ can lead to a more profound and meaningful connection with religion, empowering us to grow and evolve personally.
It inspires a sense of hope and fosters a deeper appreciation for the positive aspects of fearing God, showing that a more profound connection with religion is possible and profoundly inspiring, filling us with optimism and positivity.
In childhood, we were cautioned that God would be angry if we disobeyed, told lies, harmed the weak, etc. As parents and teachers, we have shifted our duties to an unseen power to scare and discipline our offspring. We started swearing, ‘By God, Joves, etc.,’ to assure our deeds and versions.
I am a God-fearing person with convictions and faith in the supreme. I feel God is there to love us and all His creations. For Him, everyone is alike and equally lovable. If I take off my shoes outside of a place of worship or fast on specific days, then it should not be out of fear that God might be angry to see me in my shoes. The action should be out of reverence and respect, like not smoking in front of your parents. The goal should be to develop a relationship with a respectful faith rooted in love, rather than one driven solely by fear.
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power, love and a sound mind.
Religion is partly the terror of the unknown and the wish to feel that you have a supreme power that will stand by you in all your troubles and disputes to overpower your fears of defeat and death. But why did religion formulate its rules to be complied with and followed out of force and fear? This question invites us to think critically about the role of fear in religion and its impact on our spiritual journey.
“Faith and fear demand that you believe in something you cannot see.”
From SIGMUND FREUD’S viewpoint – ‘Religion is a delusion created by our subconscious mind in its attempt to deal with fear – fear of death, nature’s destructive forces, and fear of suffering.
The negative side of the enforcement of religion is –
*Induces anxiety – People grow up fearing punishment rather than understanding the more loving aspects of their faith.
*Force fear-based obedience – People follow the rules out of fear, creating a rigid mindset.
*Emotional distancing – People might view God as a source of fear rather than comfort and love.
The true meaning of religion should be doing, performing, and believing in everything that energises our subconscious mind and develops a deep sense of happiness, completeness, and emotional bliss.
A Balanced Parental Approach to Religion – Three Suggestions.
*Highlight love and compassion – Encourage the child to be compassionate and loving, rather than feeling overwhelmed and afraid of God.
* Open communication – The child should be able to navigate his spiritual journey under the guidance of his parents without feeling pressured. He should be able to talk through his dilemmas and apprehensions.
*Behaviour modelling – A balanced and loving approach should be displayed to nurture the correct religious beliefs.
The famous Hindu fasting during ‘Karva Chauth’ should denote the lady’s love, faith, and commitment towards her husband, not out of fear of his death or ill health.
THEOPHOBIA – This phobia involves an irrational fear of religion, encompassing a fear of enduring ‘God’s wrath’.
The greatest fears of humanity are death, suffering, and ill health. The one who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
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Wow, wow, Doctor what a fabulous write up. We both sync with our thoughts on this subject Of fear rather than to live a joyful life.
I appreciate the effort you have put in to illustrate the way we have been brought up and the manner in which you have simplified how we should enjoy ourselves.
A big DISCOVERY.
THANK YOU DOCTOR.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Janice. I appreciate your take on the subject.
Regards.
The blog “Relegion-a fear of God or a soulful commitment” is a thoughtful narrative that has been scripted nicely allaying all apprehensions of evils and fear. In fact nowadays, religion has taken over all the other important issues, one may likely to face in one’s life.. Since childhood, I still remember that the philosophy of an ardent belief in God was never pushed to the fore front. That’s the reason that we used to go to our school directly and our aim was to study and come out with flying colors. Nevertheless, the faith or trust in God, it may be Lord Shiv ji, Ram ji or Hanuman ji or many more, was always there. One can say that we were God fearing and devout theist, albeit it’s never projected.. Though there were no temples enroute to our school, yet we used to bow down before Lord Shankar ji in the temple nearby our house in sector 1. You must also be remembering Dr Anuj. Teachers used to tell us to follow path of truth and should obey your elders.. Nowadays, I have seen that students visit temples and seek blessings of God before proceeding to their school.. Yes…it’s a nice practice such children have developed in their habit. Now, as we grew older, our faith in God became more intense and profound. We would always try to seek blessings of God before taking up exams or of late, before doing any important work. We have started visiting various temples across India. It’s only due to our immense trust and faith in God. Then, we visit the deity again when our jobs or work are accomplished. It is all about faith in God.. You have rightly mentioned that it’s entirely a personal affair.. We are not going to get any reward if we are forerunner in temples head -count. In fact, we get abound satisfaction while visiting temples all over the country.. There is nothing like an evil which will fall on us if we’re not visiting as many temples ad our neighbor has visited. God will never curse you if you don’t worship him daily. It’s only your love and belief in God that matters.. Too good Dr Anuj.. Your blogs are really mind boggling and intensely thought over..
I just love your approach and analysis of all my blogs. In fact, I wait for your valuable comments and suggestions. How can I forget the temple at sector one. It was built in front of us, and we used to attend all the ceremonies there.
After going through a famous book .. Power of the subconscious mind.. I started to energize my subconscious by speaking out what I want. I could feel that energy.
Bowing in front of the Deity is also actually energizing our subconscious mind.
Regards.
Candidly, if anything, I found the article only too fascinating, in the sense that how our minds are wired to seek happiness through the so called religious rituals, customs and beliefs . We tend to overlook that true joy is something that comes from within us, something that just needs to be recognized, no matter it is expressed or not. Exploring this topic has undeniably triggered some deep thoughts about the ways in which fear and faith interact in our lives.
Overall, this exploration not only opened my eyes to the complexities of human psychology but also encouraged me to think differently about my own beliefs and practices. It’s a conversation that feels essential to have, especially in a world where the lines between faith and fear appear still not so clearly demarcated.
Kudos to you for putting forth such an enlightening subject..!
Thank you so much for the appreciation. I absolutely agree with your views. The subject is indeed intricate and took me a while to pen down.
regards.