Special note: I originally wrote this before the Sept. 11 attacks. I decided not to put it up. However, after re-reading the rant, I've come to realize that my feelings on this subject haven't changed. If you think this is in poor taste, post on my forums and we'll discuss it, but don't think that you have ANY good reasons for me to take it down.
Please note: This rant is written in reference to Christian dogma. Every time I say "God did this" or "God did that", I'm not saying that He *did*, I'm using it for a point of reference in the Christian belief structure.
Every good Christian should fear God. Every "heathen" should fear God. Why should two groups, almost on opposite sides of the spectrum, both fear God? Heathens should fear God's wrath, because by denying Him, they will burn in Hell eternally. Alright, that argument can be made. Buy why then should good Christians fear Him? This means that, no matter what or who you are, you should just go ahead and be afraid of Him. Great.
I think, to answer that question, we have to ask, and in turn answer, a different question: Why fear God at all?
Do not take that question the wrong way. I am in no way endorsing people shooting the finger up at the sky, screaming "fuck you god!". I'm merely asking a question.
Is God capable of flying off the handle? Is He going to randomly strike people down when He stubs His toe? Is He going to turn His head one day, and think to Himself, "I'm gonna damn Me a soul! Yipee!" and then go skipping off to punish some innocent person, to modify their final fate in a very unfair way?
We all know that God "is a jealous God". Hmm, already sounds like he has an inferiority complex. So is He going to smite the next person that catches His attention? "Hey, there is a sliver of a fraction of a possibility that you might have been worshipping another god. You're burnin', bucko!" I should certainly hope not.
All of this fear is especially strange when you consider the Christian doctrine about how death has no power over those who walk to path the Christ has laid out for them. Ol' JC was crucified, but he was so much of a badass that after 3 days (not just a nice little nap, he goes down to Hell and kicks the devil's ass, too), just got up, because he was more powerful than death. His followers know that if their faith is strong enough, they will go to Heaven when they die. So what is so bad if they die? Please note I'm not advocating killing Christians en masse, I'm merely saying this: what can God do to you here on Earth that is so bad? He could deny you entry to Heaven, sure, but if God is going to do something like that based on the fact that He doesn't like you, it seems to me that God is a bit immature.
I can tell you right now that I do not fear God. Why should I? I go around living my life, He goes around doing whatever a diety does in the off-season (between Creation and Destruction). Sure, I sin every once and a while, but everyone does at some point. No, I don't go to confession, or "pray" in the typical sense. But if (once again, please note the Christian point of reference) we are supposed to get the spiritual smackdown at the end of time, why should we fear him on a day-to-day basis?
If you live your life like a "good" person should, you have nothing to fear. So why bother living in fear? You'd end up spending all day avoiding things that just might taint you, and cause God to turn His back on you. Do you think that He wouldn't know that you're faced with those challenges? If He doesn't know, then He isn't God.
In conclusion, there is no reason to fear God. If God wants to strike you dead, He will; no arguement. God doesn't damn sinners to Hell; they do that themselves by living the way they live.