thread: 2007-01-10 : Some questions about worship
On 2007-01-11, NinJ wrote:
To this day, I shudder when I hear the phrase "God-fearing."
Me too! I just don't get that part a-tall. To be in awe of, to feel humbled by, but to fear? Weird.
Yeah, "God-fearing" is a mistranslation of a Hebrew phrase, too; it means "In awe of God". But honestly? God's to be feared as well as everything else. God makes hurricanes, car accidents, wars, mass extinctions, plagues, and tooth decay. The question is what you do with your fears, just like in the rest of life. Do I live in fear of hurricanes? No, but I acknowledge their existence and take proper precautions. (This matters more when I'm at home on the coast than when I'm up here in the hills, of course).
This idolatry thing also brings up the question of whether or not God is loving and kind, or is a stingy, reluctant bean counter who wants to always and forever hold all mistakes against you for eternity.
Here's a little story. Jehova's witnesses are at my door. I've already called them false prophets, expecting them to fuck off.
JW lady: Do you believe God wants you to be happy?
Me: Holy crap! You think you know what God wants? Do you know the word "hubris"?
Same with "Is God loving or jealous?" The sum force of nature is not so easily contained in simple human emotions.
