What does it mean to say you are a god fearing person?

[upaloopa]

Magic Johnson said today that he was a God fearing man.
I would take that to mean be was a believer in God and that effects his thinking and actions.
But does it also mean he fears God?
When I was religious I never feared God. I thought God was on my side.
I don't understand God fearing.

[Exultant Democracy]

1. Pat Robertsons god causes hurricanes to punish gay people, so if he's real that god should be feared

[Warren Stupidity]

18. ^this^

[AtheistCrusader]

20. If for no other reason than his crappy *aim*

[Prophet 451]

2. I don't understand it either

By my theology, god is a cruel tyrant but I don't fear him. Hate him, yes, but not fear.

[TexasProgresive]

3. My understanding that the Biblical concept of fear of God

is not fear as we understand it. It is like a child who loves a parent and fears doing something that would dishonor the parent or displease. It is the fear of somehow losing the love the parent has for the child.

The parable of the Prodigal Son is a good example of this. The son ran off and wasted his inheritance feared that he could never return home. Hunger got the best of him and he came back wishing only to be a servant in his father's household. The father never stopped loving this son and was overjoyed to receive him as his son.

I doubt many understand fear of God as fear of losing his love. BTW- God's love is unconditional.

[hrmjustin]

4. Fear of the Lord is wisdoms beginning. proverbs 9:10

I do fear the Lord but I beoieve he is a loving God.

I fear his judgement.

[upaloopa]

5. Ok thanks

[edhopper]

8. Sounds like

an abusive relationship.

[hrmjustin]

9. No I havve been through that and thid is not that.

[edhopper]

10. Sorry to hear

and forgive my off-handed post.

[hrmjustin]

11. No problem my friend.

[rug]

6. If you are in the presence of God you are seen unvarnished. That's the fear. Of seeing ourselves.

Genesis 3:

8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

[goldent]

7. Good question and some good answers!

[LostOne4Ever]

12. Just guessing

But I think it goes back to the idea that god is a patriarchal figure who doles out punishment and has a short temper. A remnant if you will, from the beliefs of the puritans and specifically the preacher Johnathan Edwards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinners_in_the_Hands_of_an_Angry_God

Ultimately though, the only way to know what he meant for sure would be to ask Magic Johnson himself.

[upaloopa]

13. He said he would still say hello to Donald Sterling

and that was because he (Magic) was a God fearing man.
Nice thought by Magic.
In Buddhism we have a concept called loving kindness which is similar to Magic's thoughts toward Sterling.

[Humanist_Activist]

14. I don't understand it either, and combined with the whole "loving God" thing...

its like Stockholm syndrome or something. Its weird.

[Iggo]

15. It means they're afraid of god.

If it didn't, they'd say something else.

[TygrBright]

16. In my personal experience it usually means...

...that the person so describing themself has invested in a particular theology defined by a particular sect and or/priesthood, and believes that strict adherence to the tenets thereof is the highest priority for them.

And the person so describing someone(s) else regards those they are describing as sharing that investment.

The term "fear" originates with the 16th-Century English translations of the OT, of Hebrew/Aramaic terms that, essentially, carry the connotation "highly regard/concentrate on."

The KJV has much lovely poetry and prose in it, but a whole buttload of translation problems to answer for.

responsively,
Bright

[upaloopa]

17. Thanks never heard that before

[trotsky]

19. There is unfortunately some prejudice in the expression.

Being "god-fearing" is meant to say that you try to live as a good person.

Implying, of course, that those who DON'T acknowledge a god are bad people.