I refer primarily to the actual definition of the word retardation—a slowness in learning that induces problems in development, leading to hindered growth—although my use of the word is also somewhat pejorative as it also conveys my overall disapproval of those who promote fear as a spiritual virtue.
Promoting fear as virtue lies in the injunction to serve God in fear and rejoice in trembling. How this squares up with Jesus’ teaching of God, particularly in the Fourth Gospel, is a bit of a mystery to me.
Of course, it’s no secret that organized Christianity has and, to some degree still does, employ the injunction to fear as a motivational tool to keep the pews and coffers full, but that is not the issue I want to focus on here.
Many put a positive spin on the notion of fearing God by claiming the fear is rooted in the anxiety of unintentionally turning away from the Divine. Others cite the word fear as a mistranslation and suggest the word is closer to something like reverence, devotion, or worship.
Either way, I posit that the injunction to fear God and regard such fear as a spiritual virtue is woefully misguided. As Dr. Charlton recently pointed out, the Christian God is not a God of Fear but a God of Love, and when Christians think about God, they should be doing so from the perspective of love rather than fear.
Why?
Fear is a poison that inhibits, impedes, and thwarts all spiritual thinking and activity. This includes all fear, not just the fear of God.
People gripped by fear immediately surrender their spiritual center and grounding to the external world, which is governed by fear. Human civilization is founded upon fear. All governments and organizations utilize fear, as do all marketers, advertisers, and propagandists. The sad truth of human society and the individuals who comprise it is that nothing—nothing in the world—entices, persuades, influences, sells, controls, manipulates, or commands as effectively as fear.
Whenever we allow fear to influence and govern us, we alienate ourselves from our spiritual core and disrupt and obstruct our spiritual awareness and learning.
At the most fundamental level, fear is an enslaving force. It strips away all sense of spiritual freedom and renders one vulnerable to impositions and demands of external forces.
One needs to look no further than the events of 2019-2022 to recognize the spiritual devastation and havoc fear can wreak on individuals and society. What we were all privy to during those years was fear-induced spiritual retardation on a grand, dare I say, epic scale.
Far from being a virtue, fear is a sin—a sin that must be repented rather than embraced.
Fear slices through freedom and restrains the capability of love. Far from aligning with God, an individual gripped by fear, any fear, is an individual misaligned with God and the divine purposes of Creation.
Berdyaev noted that fear is never a good counselor and went as far as to cite victory over fear as the first spiritual duty of man. Victory over fear can only be achieved through freedom and love. One cannot love if one is not free, and one is not free if one cannot love.
Thus, fear must be faced and overcome. And if it cannot be overcome, it must be repented, for that alone counts as spiritual victory to a great degree.
Perfect love casts out fear. Unfortunately, the converse is also true—perfect fear casts out love.
Mortal life, however, is about orientation and alignment, not perfection. Thus, we should aim for perfect love and eschew perfect fear.
And those who preach fear and trembling should consider making the switch to love and repenting.
Promoting fear as virtue lies in the injunction to serve God in fear and rejoice in trembling. How this squares up with Jesus’ teaching of God, particularly in the Fourth Gospel, is a bit of a mystery to me.
Of course, it’s no secret that organized Christianity has and, to some degree still does, employ the injunction to fear as a motivational tool to keep the pews and coffers full, but that is not the issue I want to focus on here.
Many put a positive spin on the notion of fearing God by claiming the fear is rooted in the anxiety of unintentionally turning away from the Divine. Others cite the word fear as a mistranslation and suggest the word is closer to something like reverence, devotion, or worship.
Either way, I posit that the injunction to fear God and regard such fear as a spiritual virtue is woefully misguided. As Dr. Charlton recently pointed out, the Christian God is not a God of Fear but a God of Love, and when Christians think about God, they should be doing so from the perspective of love rather than fear.
Why?
Fear is a poison that inhibits, impedes, and thwarts all spiritual thinking and activity. This includes all fear, not just the fear of God.
People gripped by fear immediately surrender their spiritual center and grounding to the external world, which is governed by fear. Human civilization is founded upon fear. All governments and organizations utilize fear, as do all marketers, advertisers, and propagandists. The sad truth of human society and the individuals who comprise it is that nothing—nothing in the world—entices, persuades, influences, sells, controls, manipulates, or commands as effectively as fear.
Whenever we allow fear to influence and govern us, we alienate ourselves from our spiritual core and disrupt and obstruct our spiritual awareness and learning.
At the most fundamental level, fear is an enslaving force. It strips away all sense of spiritual freedom and renders one vulnerable to impositions and demands of external forces.
One needs to look no further than the events of 2019-2022 to recognize the spiritual devastation and havoc fear can wreak on individuals and society. What we were all privy to during those years was fear-induced spiritual retardation on a grand, dare I say, epic scale.
Far from being a virtue, fear is a sin—a sin that must be repented rather than embraced.
Fear slices through freedom and restrains the capability of love. Far from aligning with God, an individual gripped by fear, any fear, is an individual misaligned with God and the divine purposes of Creation.
Berdyaev noted that fear is never a good counselor and went as far as to cite victory over fear as the first spiritual duty of man. Victory over fear can only be achieved through freedom and love. One cannot love if one is not free, and one is not free if one cannot love.
Thus, fear must be faced and overcome. And if it cannot be overcome, it must be repented, for that alone counts as spiritual victory to a great degree.
Perfect love casts out fear. Unfortunately, the converse is also true—perfect fear casts out love.
Mortal life, however, is about orientation and alignment, not perfection. Thus, we should aim for perfect love and eschew perfect fear.
And those who preach fear and trembling should consider making the switch to love and repenting.
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