Fear Not! - (borrowed from some other blog - but couldn’t have said it better myself!)

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&blogID=443740961&Mytoken=FFC70260-86FF-4D0F-854990105D9FF1BB28576431

FROM INFIDEL:

"We are taught from our birth to fear - to fear the hot stove, the long fall, the big dogs, leaning back in chairs, putting things in our mouths - and most for good reasons. But, along with these reasonable fears, we have been taught to fear monsters, boogey-men, evil probing aliens, demons, devils, ghosts, and things that go "bump" in the night. Our parents play on these fear, and even reinforce them because they are physical consequences for bad behavior or not doing what we are told, "Go to bed, or the boogeyman will get you," and "Stay in bed or the monster under your bed will grab your foot," and "Don't go outside after dark, or (insert Monster XYZ) will get you and eat you!" Many parents use these fears to keep us away from harm or from doing things that are against our best interest. As we grow up, we grow out of most of these fears - we realize that the boogeyman doesn't exist, that there are no monsters under the bed, and those things that go "bump" in the night are nothing to worry about.

However, spiritually, emotionally, many people remain captive to fear - fear of Hell, fear of demons and "spiritual warfare," fear of Satan and his minions that roam free, causing death, destruction and pain. And who is the "parent" reinforcing these fears that should have been tossed out with the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause? The "parent" is the church, a religious "holy" book, or childhood religious belief. And why do the leaders or beneficiaries of these religions continue to play to those irrational fears? For the same reason our parents did - to keep us in check or to get us to do something: tithe, be good, "witness," and whatever else they want you to do. Fear of Hell is no reason to believe in anything, fear of Satan is as irrational as fear of the evil witch in the spooky house down the street. Ghosts, demons, monsters don't exist - neither do the "big" monsters of god and satan. People need to grow up, emotionally as well as physically, and shed the cloak of fear that was placed over them as a child. Take responsibility for your own security, safety, and decisions and don't let some fictional childhood belief dictate what you do or give you something to blame for bad behavior.

Being free from the binds of religion and irrational belief leads invariably to a reduction in fear of life, allowing people to live more and fear less. Sure, there may be no god there to "save" you from anything, but honestly, he wasn't going to save you in the first place, so once you realize that no super-natural being is coming to the rescue, you can start to rescue yourself. On the bright side, because there is no benevolent god to protect you, there is also no mean, evil, powerful satan or devil out to get you. The "forces of evil" are in your mind and its never to late to let them go and start living without fear.

At one time, I believed in those scary irrational things, so I am in no position to judge anyone who still does. It took me all of 20+ years to rid myself of most of those irrational beings and forces that plagued my thoughts and strummed the strings of fear. Now, without those chords being played, I am more secure, more confident, and more capable in everything I do. I don't rely on any supernatural forces to come to my aid, and I also don't worry that any supernatural forces are working against me. Every encounter is on equal footing - mano a mano.

Instead of fearing what is waiting for us around the next corner, or worrying about what is silently sneaking up from behind, we can concentrate on the present situation, evaluate it rationally and make the best decision - not based on fear, but rather, based on our experience and understanding of capabilities. When we are weighed down with the beliefs of forces beyond our understanding and well beyond our power to affect, we become the prey - hunted by whatever we fear and stalked by the shadows that move around us. Prey attracts predators - and the REAL predators in the world recognize that fear and use it to their advantage. When we drop the fear, we have the choice to be the predator if we so desire, recognizing the fear in others, seeing who the prey are and either going after them, watching over them to render aid when its necessary (which they will probably take a sign from their god), or just letting everyone deal on their own. Because we are no longer the prey, we at least have the choice."