Crossed

Sept. 18, 2015

A Local Pastor and a Local Atheist Debate The Basis of Religion: Love or Fear?

Faith is not “fire insurance” – nor the fruit of guilt! Yes, the church has used both. Guilt was big in the middle ages. Fear of eternal damnation was big in the nineteenth century. Fear of death looms in every age.

There are still pastors who use fear and guilt, shame and self-loathing, to convict and convert. However, they’re not the benchmark for Christian theology. There are those who don’t believe in lunar landings, but their beliefs do not define our discussion of space science.

Fear and guilt, shame and self-loathing existed long before Christianity. They are powerful, all-consuming, emotions, even for people of faith. “There are no atheists in fox holes.” But the truth is, we all fear death.

Consider the vast medical resources we devote to keeping our stomachs alive. We may face death with resolve, reason, courage or faith, but the knowledge we will die frightens us all.

Guilt works the same way. When we fall short as a parent or spouse, child or friend…When we say or do things we know are contrary to our true nature…Our guilt becomes a burden, whether we are people of faith or not. Guilt doesn’t care about our faith or lack thereof. If we enter a cycle of self-loathing and shame, we will be consumed.

Faith is not “fire insurance.” Faith is a way of life, casting out fear and freeing us from guilt. Our lives are filled with soul consuming anxieties. We live with fear and guilt each day. Surrendering our lives to God’s transforming love in Jesus Christ offers us a better way, a life of hope, joy, and peace!

I have often wondered if the various concepts of god could have ever successfully recruited followers without the fear factor inherent within most contemporary religions. As a child raised Catholic, I was constantly threatened with additional time spent in purgatory for minor offenses and eternal damnation for such atrocities as eating meat on Friday or missing Mass on Sunday. Apparently the Catholic god has since changed her/his mind, as those are no longer damnable offenses.

Today, it is the fear of non-existence that keeps many people glued to primitive religious thinking. Death is a realistic and natural fear. Religion allows believers to pretend they won’t die. When asked about his views on gay marriage, megapastor Rick Warren replied, “I fear God’s disapproval more than man’s.” It is this fear of death and divine retribution that drives the multitudes to fall into line and follow arbitrary commandments such as, “Thou shalt not worship false idols.” Note that each religion’s idols are the right ones and only the alternatives are false.

If you really need an invisible spirit to get through life, I would suggest that the pre-Christianity Native Americans’ spiritual association with the elements is a good starting point. Other non-threatening religions include Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism, among others. Why? No gods.

At this stage in human evolution, it seems to me that it is well beyond the time that we should be fearful of invented supernatural beings. Things to actually fear are the degradation of our educational system, the transformation of our former democracy into a functional corporatocracy, and the self-imposed destruction of our planet. Aren’t those sufficiently fearful without conjuring up hell, fire, and brimstone?

Gary’s Response

The salient point within Bill’s comments is that the pastors who rely on fear, etc. “…are not the benchmark for Christian theology.” I suspect those pastors would disagree. All religions rely on fear to some degree, and all feel their belief is the right path. They all rely upon planting this fear within children who are too young to discern reality from fiction.

Throughout history, conflicting views tend to have resolved into agreeable solutions based on research, science, and collaboration. A growing portion of the world’s population is deciding that they can free themselves from these fears by rejecting all religions, including the one they were originally taught.

Those people are free of conflicting views and free from invented fears. Freedom will always be a worthwhile goal.

BIll’s Response

Gary is right. We need not fear false gods. Wherever superstition supersedes true faith in the Living God, there is a problem. Fear, guilt, shame, and self-loathing existed long before Christianity and when they are used to perpetuate superstitious fears, or co-opted by religious leaders to manipulate and control, they obscure rather than reveal the true nature of God and the life to which God calls us through faith.

I agree with Gary. We should fear the degradation of our educational system, the decline of true democracy, and the self-imposed destruction of our planet – all of which have worsened as our culture has become increasingly secular. Perhaps the time has come not to fear God, but to love and serve the One who gave us Life!

Where We Agree

Gary and Bill agree that whatever the source, when we use fear, guilt, and self-hatred, to manipulate and control, it is destructive to the human spirit. Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, we must strive for mutual respect, understanding, and compassion in our lives together.