General Discussion

patphil

(9,230 posts)

31. I find it interesting that Christians are quick to label themselves as "God-fearing".

Mon Jan 4, 2021, 10:13 PM

Jan 2021

I would think that a person would only fear God if they felt they were a bad person and therefore were afraid of God's judgement.
If you are a good Christian, you should be a God-loving person.

The problem is that you can't both fear God and love God.
I know many people will take issue with this, but it only stands to reason.
Love is an expansive energy that opens up to others. Fear is the opposite, it contracts and closes a person down.
If you fear God, you automatically close yourself off to God's love. And, as such, you are no longer able to have your love, if there really is any, reach God.

I say to you that no one who actually loves God would ever want to be labeled as a "God-fearing" person. Fearing God is withholding of oneself from God. Only someone who felt unworthy because of their actions would do that.

It certainly isn't something to brag about.

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I am 71. It occurred to me this evening that most on this board are likely a "few" years younger [View all] Atticus Jan 2021 OP

Good post. Turin_C3PO Jan 2021 #1

"The Brainwashing Of My Dad" movie badboy67 Jan 2021 #2

Ha! I'm only 70! panader0 Jan 2021 #3

Me, too! ShazzieB Jan 2021 #46

Actually, we did a poll a while back, and it turned out that marybourg Jan 2021 #4

I actually bookmarked the last one I saw BumRushDaShow Jan 2021 #14

Great that you did that! marybourg Jan 2021 #23

It sortof validated what I had observed or sensed about many who post here BumRushDaShow Jan 2021 #28

Let's test your powers. How old am I? Nevilledog Jan 2021 #58

Right now I "feel too old" to have any powers to even try to guess BumRushDaShow Jan 2021 #70

Well, you're more discerning than I am. marybourg Jan 2021 #64

I remember when I first started working for the federal government BumRushDaShow Jan 2021 #71

Rings no bell with me. Last TV series I watched marybourg Jan 2021 #72

It was stuff that came out in the '80s BumRushDaShow Jan 2021 #73

My Dad was as kind and thoughtful a man as you could imagine leftieNanner Jan 2021 #5

Yeah, I remember Air America Radio. dhol82 Jan 2021 #6

Amen. Hate radio killed "America" and brought on this division. Rush in particular. Evolve Dammit Jan 2021 #33

Guess what? I am ...O*der than Y*U....(I really don'tlike the O word..(5th word on this line) Stuart G Jan 2021 #7

I am 51. And I hear you Atticus. LSFL Jan 2021 #8

dwight eisenhower would be a biden democrat these days nt msongs Jan 2021 #9

How about elder instead of older? oro Jan 2021 #10

I think this site skews older with an average age of 60ish. Dream Girl Jan 2021 #11

I'm 48 and remember the way it used to be MustLoveBeagles Jan 2021 #12

+1 +1 appalachiablue Jan 2021 #21

you are correct. Started in the late 80's. Evolve Dammit Jan 2021 #34

Raygun made greed a virtue rather than a capital sin burrowowl Jan 2021 #37

And Reagan made Liberal a bad word. Marie Marie Jan 2021 #45

I'm 70 and I remember the 80s the same way you do. ShazzieB Jan 2021 #50

When, and where, I grew up, the Dixiecrats were the meanest, most racist of any political group. Hoyt Jan 2021 #13

Atticus, you're a teenager/senager from my soon to be 79 perspective. I am in total agreement cornball 24 Jan 2021 #15

I'm 76 and everything you say is true. kskiska Jan 2021 #16

I will be a young 73 in 11 more days. LiberalArkie Jan 2021 #17

I just turned 40. And been here since I was... maybe 26. Initech Jan 2021 #18

I'd be less generous to the right wing. Prez candidate B. Goldwater cultivated a rugged westerner empedocles Jan 2021 #19

+ 1 +1 Birchers, The Kochs, The Dulles Bros., McCarthy appalachiablue Jan 2021 #24

Yes and many corporatists including Henry Ford were for Hitler. burrowowl Jan 2021 #67

Them, Charles Lindbergh, the American Nazi Bund-- some history appalachiablue Jan 2021 #69

A helpful post for the younger set. I appreciate the youth coming Still Sensible Jan 2021 #20

I felt the shift started in the early 1980's Generic Brad Jan 2021 #22

There is no doubt the schism widened with Reagan in '80 Moostache Jan 2021 #36

Agreed DENVERPOPS Jan 2021 #48

my dad was hard core Republican until Reagan Hamlette Jan 2021 #57

This message was self-deleted by its author geralmar Jan 2021 #25

I'm 72. TruckFump Jan 2021 #26

Me too - 3 days after the inauguration of Biden. Aussie105 Jan 2021 #32

I've got a year on you. WinstonSmith4740 Jan 2021 #27

My wife and I will be 69 this year, and I met Everett Dirksen DFW Jan 2021 #29

Dirksen deserves immense credit for helping to pass the Civil Rights Act of 64. grantcart Jan 2021 #51

+1 n/t Tom Rinaldo Jan 2021 #74

I'm 67 and I remember much of what the OP speaks of. Mr.Bill Jan 2021 #30

I find it interesting that Christians are quick to label themselves as "God-fearing". patphil Jan 2021 #31

Absolutely BunnyMcGee Jan 2021 #59

Thank you. It's taken me a lifetime to figure that out. patphil Jan 2021 #68

I'm knocking on 74 Deuxcents Jan 2021 #35

74. tavernier Jan 2021 #38

all us septuagenarians have one advantage over these youngsters . . . OneBlueSky Jan 2021 #55

Nicely summed up. Most people have no clue what either side traditionally believed. Pepsidog Jan 2021 #39

Thanks for posting! leighbythesea2 Jan 2021 #40

There have been DU polls on age. former9thward Jan 2021 #41

All of what you say is true but almost every major event I remember as a child was some type of MaryMagdaline Jan 2021 #42

In the upper digits of 50s A_Woman_from_MI Jan 2021 #43

Yeah, all the young people left here a long time ago. progressoid Jan 2021 #44

I like DU because I learn so much from all the posts that folks do. And I'm 78 trickyguy Jan 2021 #47

As a 1949 baby, I'd like to cite Nixon and his backers, and Corporate Personhood. NBachers Jan 2021 #49

Another 1949er. I saw "Millhouse, A White Comedy" aka-chmeee Jan 2021 #52

I remember those days with no small amount of fondness. BobTheSubgenius Jan 2021 #53

I remember (and yearn for) those days!!! I blame Newt Gingrich for the shift. nt LAS14 Jan 2021 #54

One of the best posts around. mtnsnake Jan 2021 #56

54 Tink41 Jan 2021 #60

Exactly how I remember it. Joinfortmill Jan 2021 #61

I remember as well. It took me a long time to "see" it, to recognize there was a species ... Hekate Jan 2021 #62

I'm just a babe in the woods at 66! LOL! Chemisse Jan 2021 #63

I've been around long enough to see the Right use the media to drive a wedge Fla Dem Jan 2021 #65

Age 83 and counting...... BarbD Jan 2021 #66

Agree. ananda Jan 2021 #75

I'm 71 colsohlibgal Jan 2021 #76

Atticus, the age polls I've seen on DU show about 2/3 of DUers are old enough to join AARP highplainsdem Jan 2021 #77

Atticus kpete Jan 2021 #78

One of my favorite bumper stickers is "THE 'DIRTY FUCKIN' HIPPIES' WERE RIGHT!" nt Atticus Jan 2021 #80

Marketing became a deadly effective science during that time, eventually aimed at politics... wiggs Jan 2021 #79

Well stated. nt Atticus Jan 2021 #81