By: BK Geeta
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2880/the-daily-guardian/15
Dated: August 23nd, 2025
When someone is said to be “pious and God-fearing”, it generally means they have a genuine commitment to religious practices such as prayer, and live according to the moral teachings of their faith. Fearing God implies having a sense of awe and respect towards the Almighty. God-fearing people usually live with the awareness that their actions are accountable to a higher power. That may make them more responsible in their behavior, but does fear of God’s judgment take them closer to Him?
Most of us know what happens when we fear someone. Our relationship with that person is characterized by anxiety, avoidance, submission, and even resentment. The destabilizing effect of fear does not allow us to interact normally – let alone amicably – with the other person. We may see them as all-powerful or even threatening, leading to an exaggerated perception of their power and the potential consequences of angering them. This fosters a sense of vulnerability, because of which the main goal of our thoughts about the other person, and our behavior towards them, is to minimize risk, or perceived risk, rather than engage meaningfully with them.
Fear also leads to attempts to appease or satisfy the feared person. This is the driving force behind religious rituals that are focused on appeasing or gaining favor from a deity, rather than having a deeper spiritual purpose. In some ancient religions, sacrificial offerings of food, animals, or even humans were made to ensure a good harvest, protection in war, or safety from disasters. In some cultures, deities were seen as temperamental and were regularly appeased with offerings to maintain their favor, as it was feared that otherwise they might bring droughts, famine, or destruction. This starkly illustrates how fear creates a transactional relationship between believers and the Divine.
Is the fearsome image of God a projection of human flaws like anger, violence, and the desire for control?
The major scriptures highlight the compassionate and merciful nature of God. The Bhagavad Gita portrays God as compassionate and merciful in offering forgiveness and liberation to anyone who sincerely turns to Him. The Sikh holy book says that God is unconditionally compassionate and forgiving. Divine grace is earned through devotion, humility, and surrender – and not rituals - it says. In the Bible, numerous passages emphasize God’s love, care, and willingness to forgive, even in the face of human failings. The Koran describes Allah’s mercy as the greatest of His attributes, and nearly every chapter of the holy book begins with the phrase, “In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate”.
Our conditioning, karma, or lack of spiritual maturity might distort our perception of God, but the above scriptural assertions make it clear that it is love and faith that take us closer to Him. Fear may nudge us onto the righteous path, but it cannot be the basis of a loving, trusting, and fulfilling relationship with the Divine.
BK Geeta is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris
headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.
