Originally posted by: chatbuster
R, these are really difficult 😳. I have not thought a whole lot, but will write what comes to my mind first.
1. does our belief in God affect the way we lead our lives? should it?
God cannot be defined and that is the first level of difficulty in answering this question. Let me consider that some people who don't believe in God, but do believe in THE FORCE / Mother Nature all fall under one category. That may make it a bit simpler. I would love to believe that such people are not involved in what we call anti-social activities. However, many of these indulge in violence. Most religions and the belief in Mother Nature and its supremacy itself should have a HUMBLING effect. It should help us look at not only our troubles, but troubles beyond ours and also to use our power in every way, to make LIFE better (Every thing is nature is teaching us to be in harmony and balance- from trees, creatures, rivers, oceans and mountains- even earthquakes and hurricanes for that matter) But it does not seem to be the case. If one indulges in war and mass-murders, rape and killings, in spite of believing in God, I wonder if the belief is enough and whether the belief affects our lives.
On the other hand, a person who doesn't believe in God, may be a great human being! 😳
2. when we think of God (assuming we do), is the dominant feeling one of a God we should fear or of a loving God?
I ended up thinking about fear of God, while ending my first thought (are you a mind reader? 😆)
Speaking for myself, on a personal level, LOVE is for God / The SUPREME, while the NON-questionable fear is of Karmic consequences. I think the love for mother Nature really surpasses everything. I could not hold my tears in banff national park just last year. the glacier truly made me cry. There is nothing as powerful as mother nature and her creations.. and this is merely one planet I get to see. The awe I hold for the Creator makes me skip a heart beat thinking about it. Fear IMO originates more from religious beliefs rather than the concept of God in itself. It is my belief in KARMA that is a good warning 😆. On a global level, one can be afraid of Mother Nature in terms of destruction caused by geological events such as earthquakes, Volcanoes and similar natural disasters.
People who believe in God and pray, sometimes don;t fear God / Karmic consequences - These are the ones indulging in wars, murders and other crimes.
cheers😊 Cheers to you too . 😊