What does "God-fearing" mean exactly?

What does it entail exactly?

It means to believe in god and be religious

Luke 12:4-5
"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Malachi 3:5
And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
Against perjurers,
Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien,
Because they do not fear Me,'
Says the LORD of hosts.

it would have been the easiest shit ever to grift in the single digit years

hell, it's easy as shit right now

captpackrat posted...

Malachi 3:5
And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
Against perjurers,
Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien,
Because they do not fear Me,'
Says the LORD of hosts.

So Trump is going to hell.

I always took it to mean humble.

Not people who are obsessed with power and abuse it if/when they get get it

fettster777 posted...

So Trump is going to hell.

There was ever any doubt on that point?

I always took it to mean that you'll bend over and take it whenever the phrase is invoked.

https://youtu.be/52TApVamDak

A line in the Bible that shitty people use to justify "fearing authority is good actually" as an excuse to beat their kids.

When I went to church and took classes, it was explained as being synonymous with respect. As in, we respect God's authority and the consequences for disobedience.

The same concept can be applied to terrestrial authority. People obey laws because they fear the consequence of prison time.

fettster777 posted...

So Trump is going to hell.

" Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. "
--- Matthew 19:24

" It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. "
--- Mark 10:25

" Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. "
---Luke 18:25


The Bible is pretty insistent on that particular point.


...but let's be real - if Hell is real, pretty much all of us are going there. Ain't none of us passing the entrance exam.

Well, you know, needles were a lot bigger back then

captpackrat posted...

And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers

wtf?? absolutely not based and Harry Potter pilled.

It means withholding aid to Ireland until they convert to Protestantism

Zareth posted...

Well, you know, needles were a lot bigger back then

But it balances out, because the camels back then were actually dire camels, which were 40 foot tall.

acesxhigh posted...

wtf?? absolutely not based and Harry Potter pilled.

Keep in mind that there are countries where that sort of thing is enforced to the extreme, although none of them are Christian. You can still be beheaded for "sorcery" in Saudi Arabia, which can be as simple as being a fortune teller or possessing books on the occult

ParanoidObsessive posted...

But it balances out, because the camels back then were actually dire camels, which were 40 foot tall.

Still doable, with sufficient pressure behind the camel. Of course it will be more like camel puree by the time it gets through the eye of the needle but no one said the camel had to get through intact.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

But it balances out, because the camels back then were actually dire camels, which were 40 foot tall.

The Dromedire

willythemailboy posted...

Keep in mind that there are countries where that sort of thing is enforced to the extreme, although none of them are Christian. You can still be beheaded for "sorcery" in Saudi Arabia, which can be as simple as being a fortune teller or possessing books on the occult

You think that's bad?

https://theweek.com/articles/515064/magical-penis-theft-cherstern-confusion-chest-hole
https://www.straightdope.com/21344243/what-s-up-with-penis-stealing-sorcerers-in-africa

"No, honey, it's not like that! A sorcerer cast a spell on me and made it shrink!"

Zareth posted...

"No, honey, it's not like that! A sorcerer cast a spell on me and made it shrink!"

have you tried getting out of the cold water?

fettster777 posted...

So Trump is going to hell.

I think it's the opposite of this guy, where he's quick to judge his brother not realizing he's in danger of judgement himself.

You can always repent (ie stop breaking the law and do what's good for you) and be saved. We don't know what kinda of relationship Trump and God have. He certainly dodged a bullet.

It is taking an action based on knowing your action will be judged by a higher power so you make it based on the law not your own reasoning. How often do you slow down just because a cop is present? Why don't you just fly by him like you would if he wasn't there? because you fear judgement, and you know the law, so you obey it out of fear of the cop judging you, not that you necessarily agree with or understand the speed limit in that place. God is going to judge you to life or death on a personal level based on his law, weather you understand or agree.

The law will kill you, as it can only kill you (all law, man's or God's can only condemn you), and God can let you go, just like any Judge vs any law. So you fear God in hopes he'll let you go, same as you humble yourself before a judge hoping he'll let you go. If you don't humble yourself and your in the wrong, your an idiot.

It's good to be good out of fear of Judgement its better to be good because you understand it, but either can be sufficient to life. Good news is Gods pretty merciful as judges go, and already knows your stupid and pretty messed up but if your heart was in the right place he can work that. He's got forever to correct you, if your trying to participate.

If God were to judge like the above person, we'd all be dead already, that's how evil judges though, bow to the serpent or die right now, no questions, no mercy no forgiveness, no understanding. But God will put up with a mountain of stupid and still be willing to forgive you if you humble yourself and return.

And nothing against the above person, idk anything about them or have anything against them - just that spirit of hatred.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

The Bible is pretty insistent on that particular point.

...but let's be real - if Hell is real, pretty much all of us are going there. Ain't none of us passing the entrance exam.

Well, if we're going that route, a rather central point to Christianity is that we all would ...

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," -- Romans 3:23 ESV

Except while the paying for sins is not a thing man can do, Jesus could, and did, allowing salvation for those who follow Him. That's not what Hollywood likes to go with, though.

God-fearing meanwhile is less being afraid of Him than it is respecting and admiring Him and following His law, though afraid is certainly suitable if one does not, Scripturally.

caprontos posted...

I think it's the opposite of this guy, where he's quick to judge his brother not realizing he's in danger of judgement himself.

You can always repent (ie stop breaking the law and do what's good for you) and be saved. We don't know what kinda of relationship Trump and God have. He certainly dodged a bullet.

It is taking an action based on knowing your action will be judged by a higher power so you make it based on the law not your own reasoning. How often do you slow down just because a cop is present? Why don't you just fly by him like you would if he wasn't there? because you fear judgement, and you know the law, so you obey it out of fear of the cop judging you, not that you necessarily agree with or understand the speed limit in that place. God is going to judge you to life or death on a personal level based on his law, weather you understand or agree.

The law will kill you, as it can only kill you (all law, man's or God's can only condemn you), and God can let you go, just like any Judge vs any law. So you fear God in hopes he'll let you go, same as you humble yourself before a judge hoping he'll let you go. If you don't humble yourself and your in the wrong, your an idiot.

It's good to be good out of fear of Judgement its better to be good because you understand it, but either can be sufficient to life. Good news is Gods pretty merciful as judges go, and already knows your stupid and pretty messed up but if your heart was in the right place he can work that. He's got forever to correct you, if your trying to participate.

If God were to judge like the above person, we'd all be dead already, that's how evil judges though, bow to the serpent or die right now, no questions, no mercy no forgiveness, no understanding. But God will put up with a mountain of stupid and still be willing to forgive you if you humble yourself and return.

And nothing against the above person, idk anything about them or have anything against them - just that spirit of hatred.

Forgive me for I have sinned. I too hastily cast judgement.

I often find self-described God-fearing people as being people who lack a moral compass yet somehow paradoxically think that theyre morally superior.

Sashanan posted...

Well, if we're going that route, a rather central point to Christianity is that we all would ...

Well, no. It's more like the central point is that we all can .

Jesus basically points out what I was saying (that no one is getting in by virtue alone because pretty much all of us suck - and even the most virtuous and pure of us still have Original Sin to worry about). Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, etc etc.

But Jesus is the doorman at the exclusive club who can sneak us in. By his sacrifice humans are redeemed from Original Sin (and everything else), and if you believe in him and accept him as your Savior , he'll get you into the VIP room.

Basically, Christianity has never been a religion that says if you're good you go to Heaven and if you're bad you go to Hell, no matter how many people think it does. The deciding factor is more whether or not you believe in Jesus, and that he died for your sins. The best person in the world is still going to Hell if he doesn't believe. The worst person in history can still go to Heaven if, in the last couple months of his life, he sincerely comes to love and accept Jesus, and is presumably all "Hey dude, my bad about the whole genocide thing". And then Jesus goes "Hah hah, it's all good brosef!"

My point was more that if you're going to assume Trump is going to hell because of his actions and beliefs (rather than assessing his personal relationship with Jesus), then we're going with the viewpoint that your actions matter more than your submission to God. And in that scenario, and if we judge everyone by the same standards, we're all screwed.

Christianity is slightly more complex than that depending on which denomination you belong to, but the core of it is basically that "loving Jesus and accepting him into your heart" is waaay more important than "try to be a good person" if you want to go to Heaven.

A lot of the "You have to be a good person to go to Heaven" mindset was more the influence of the Calvinists and others like them, who believed in predestination (where nothing you do matters because God decided whether or not you're getting in before you were even born), where, since you have no idea whether or not God has decided to save you, you should act like he has just in case, so thereby trying to act like the sort of person he would choose regardless of whether or not he actually has. But most people don't like that philosophy, because it removes all real agency, and feels really, really unfair.