Let’s Return to the Fundamental Truth

[Treasure Hunter]

There is activity on this forum but much of it seems unproductive and meaningless in the bigger picture, so let’s start back from the beginning.

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.

To act or not to act. The default human state of mind is to be at ease, to be in the center of our comfort zone. It’s not until we get jolted and stung by a painful reality check do we reconsider our default state, and nobody changes at this fundamental level after the first handful of reality checks.

It’s easy to understand why we want to stay in the middle of the comfort zone, but the desire to deviate from this comes after the exasperation and frustration of getting smacked by reality with your guard down over and over. So we remember the pain, and we hold the memory in the back of our mind. This scoots us out of the middle and toward the edge of the comfort zone.

This is what it means to fear God. Our first direct experience of God is through getting smacked by reality checks. The message is “Wake up, this world is not paradise yet!” It primes us for action.

You can call this message the first moral truth and beginning of wisdom. When you get stuck, retrace back to here, remind yourself of this truth, and make sure you haven’t slid back to the middle of the comfort zone.

 

[McBell]

I can agree that fear of god is a fundamental truth.
There are those who, without fear of god, would be murdering and raping.
Some on this very forum have strongly implied they are amongst that group.

However, there are those who do not fear your god or any other god.

How do you apply this fundamental truth towards them?

 

[Treasure Hunter]

I can agree that fear of god is a fundamental truth.
There are those who, without fear of god, would be murdering and raping.
Some on this very forum have strongly implied they are amongst that group.

However, there are those who do not fear your god or any other god.

How do you apply this fundamental truth towards them?

The fear of God isn’t supposed to last once you learn the truth being communicated. The point of my post is to bring to mind that truth - wake up and be alert. Make sure you haven’t eased back into the middle of your comfort zone. All other wisdom stacks on top of this foundation, but this one is first.

 

[Samael_Khan]

There is activity on this forum but much of it seems unproductive and meaningless in the bigger picture, so let’s start back from the beginning.

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.

To act or not to act. The default human state of mind is to be at ease, to be in the center of our comfort zone. It’s not until we get jolted and stung by a painful reality check do we reconsider our default state, and nobody changes at this fundamental level after the first handful of reality checks.

It’s easy to understand why we want to stay in the middle of the comfort zone, but the desire to deviate from this comes after the exasperation and frustration of getting smacked by reality with your guard down over and over. So we remember the pain, and we hold the memory in the back of our mind. This scoots us out of the middle and toward the edge of the comfort zone.

This is what it means to fear God. Our first direct experience of God is through getting smacked by reality checks. The message is “Wake up, this world is not paradise yet!” It primes us for action.

You can call this message the first moral truth and beginning of wisdom. When you get stuck, retrace back to here, remind yourself of this truth, and make sure you haven’t slid back to the middle of the comfort zone.

Is a painful reality check a traumatic life experience?

 

[McBell]

The fear of God isn’t supposed to last once you learn the truth being communicated. The point of my post is to bring to mind that truth - wake up and be alert. Make sure you haven’t eased back into the middle of your comfort zone. All other wisdom stacks on top of this foundation, but this one is first.

So then, if fear of god is not the fundamental truth being taught, what then is the fundamental truth being taught?
If it is not the fear of god that you want to be focused upon, you should probably not enbolden it in your post.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

Is a painful reality check a traumatic life experience?

Often, yes. It’s what sobers you up and knocks you back into the contemplative state of mind.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

So then, if fear of god is not the fundamental truth being taught, what then is the fundamental truth being taught?
If it is not the fear of god that you want to be focused upon, you should probably not enbolden it in your post.

My mistake. It is the fear of God, but it becomes integrated and embodied to the point where the anxious feeling subsides.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

My mistake. It is the fear of God, but it becomes integrated and embodied to the point where the anxious feeling subsides.

I should say that it’s common to have fear and anxiety toward the world, but this is separate, even though it’s easy to confuse the two.

 

[Samael_Khan]

Often, yes. It’s what sobers you up and knocks you back into the contemplative state of mind.

So basically in most cases life has to suck in order for someone to have the fear of God?

 

[Altfish]

There is activity on this forum but much of it seems unproductive and meaningless in the bigger picture, so let’s start back from the beginning.

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.

To act or not to act. The default human state of mind is to be at ease, to be in the center of our comfort zone. It’s not until we get jolted and stung by a painful reality check do we reconsider our default state, and nobody changes at this fundamental level after the first handful of reality checks.

It’s easy to understand why we want to stay in the middle of the comfort zone, but the desire to deviate from this comes after the exasperation and frustration of getting smacked by reality with your guard down over and over. So we remember the pain, and we hold the memory in the back of our mind. This scoots us out of the middle and toward the edge of the comfort zone.

This is what it means to fear God. Our first direct experience of God is through getting smacked by reality checks. The message is “Wake up, this world is not paradise yet!” It primes us for action.

You can call this message the first moral truth and beginning of wisdom. When you get stuck, retrace back to here, remind yourself of this truth, and make sure you haven’t slid back to the middle of the comfort zone.

As an atheist, the fear of god means nothing to me, in my world there is no god.

But, looking at this from the outside, any loving relationship should not be based on fear.

 

[Tamino]

It's called cognitive dissonance.
Those reality checks? When you're forced outside your comfort zone because you notice that reality does not work the way you want it, and your usual explanations don't apply?
This is a perfectly well-known psychological phenomenon, and it's called cognitive dissonance.

The fact that you interprete it as wake-up calls from your deity is a specific strategy of dealing with cognitive dissonance, I believe. But that doesn't make your individual strategy a universal truth.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

So basically in most cases life has to suck in order for someone to have the fear of God?

You could say the silver lining of suffering is the wisdom attached to it. That wisdom ultimately is meant to help us overcome suffering. It starts with the fear of God.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

As an atheist, the fear of god means nothing to me, in my world there is no god.

But, looking at this from the outside, any loving relationship should not be based on fear.

Atheists aren’t immune to reality checks. You just don’t interpret them as an initial encounter with God even though it’s what it is. There is no opting out of the game.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

It's called cognitive dissonance.
Those reality checks? When you're forced outside your comfort zone because you notice that reality does not work the way you want it, and your usual explanations don't apply?
This is a perfectly well-known psychological phenomenon, and it's called cognitive dissonance.

The fact that you interprete it as wake-up calls from your deity is a specific strategy of dealing with cognitive dissonance, I believe. But that doesn't make your individual strategy a universal truth.

The fact that you interpret it in a way that keeps it contained to the secular is a strategy as well.

 

[Twilight Hue]

There is activity on this forum but much of it seems unproductive and meaningless in the bigger picture, so let’s start back from the beginning.

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.

To act or not to act. The default human state of mind is to be at ease, to be in the center of our comfort zone. It’s not until we get jolted and stung by a painful reality check do we reconsider our default state, and nobody changes at this fundamental level after the first handful of reality checks.

It’s easy to understand why we want to stay in the middle of the comfort zone, but the desire to deviate from this comes after the exasperation and frustration of getting smacked by reality with your guard down over and over. So we remember the pain, and we hold the memory in the back of our mind. This scoots us out of the middle and toward the edge of the comfort zone.

This is what it means to fear God. Our first direct experience of God is through getting smacked by reality checks. The message is “Wake up, this world is not paradise yet!” It primes us for action.

You can call this message the first moral truth and beginning of wisdom. When you get stuck, retrace back to here, remind yourself of this truth, and make sure you haven’t slid back to the middle of the comfort zone.

Reality has nothing to do with God.

Wisdom declines if one thinks a mental puppet has to do with how things are.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

Let me double check.. yep I posted this in the theological section, but for the atheists you can think of the fear of God as metaphorical if you must.

 

[McBell]

Atheists aren’t immune to reality checks. You just don’t interpret them as an initial encounter with God even though it’s what it is. There is no opting out of the game.

Thank you for your answer.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Let me double check.. yep I posted this in the theological section, but for the atheists you can think of the fear of God as metaphorical if you must.

How would fear of God work as a metaphor?

 

[Samael_Khan]

You could say the silver lining of suffering is the wisdom attached to it. That wisdom ultimately is meant to help us overcome suffering. It starts with the fear of God.

Ok. So then a person who gets hit with a reality check isn't in the right frame of mind. They are susceptible to manipulation because they are in a vulnerable state because they are looking for a way out. A hope.

The most reliable people then are the people who have not made decisions based on such emotional circumstances.

 

[Tamino]

The fact that you interpret it in a way that keeps it contained to the secular is a strategy as well.

Me, personally? I don't really see a division between the secular and the religious spheres in my world view. But yes, that's my strategy. You have yours. "Fear of God" is a valid interpretation of your experience, but it's not universally applicable.