Your right. I highly advise you stop trying to understand stupid. Your brain will pop.

I always asks which god should I fear? Sets the fundies back

Three simple words: control, control, control.

This isn't hard. "Fear" in this instance is an archaic word for "revere" or "respect". Atheists embarrass themselves by putting their lack of understanding of what they're talking about on display (or perhaps at times, deliberately straw-manning).

That said, we do well to question whether the standard-issue interventionist, authoritarian deity deserves any respect or reverence. I don't think it would be worthy of respect, much less worship, even if it existed.

Also, in fairness, some fundamentalist believers seem to think this usage literally means fear (usually, of retribution / punishment). Maybe because in practice, those groups seem to elevate divine authority over the supposed virtuous attributes of the deity. However ... the meaning of these verses that mention "the fear of god" generally refer to reverential awe, and that is the historic mainstream Christian thinking on the matter.

When people start that babble I have to think to myself if they were dropped on their head one too many times. Common sense and religion are mortal enemies.

It is the cult indoctrination teaching that one should simultaneously fear and love their invented "god".

i am not afraid of any gods, since, well, they're fictional. i am afraid of some real, live god-fearing people, because they are capable of anything from just annoying passengers by preaching on a bus to lighting a cross on someone's lawn to beating up someone who doesn't share their religious fervor, to lynching, to conducting war....

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Without Fear of being able to question god, No one would believe in the stories of the Bible. Imagine if someone told you about a talking donkey or a immaculate birth. Can you imagine the laughter about a woman saying she was impregnated by god. However the fear of questioning allows people to believe that

Fear of god translates into fear of the unknown. It also tends to make people seek out answers and those who claim to they have answers get control over the fearful.

Nonexistent gods are powerless of course but their fan clubs can be much more dangerous

I've always had a problem with this phrase. You shouldn't fear your creator any more than you should fear your parents.

The Faithfools preach endlessly about this Omnipotent, Omni-benevolent, etc, God of theirs and yet THEY must fear him/her/it in the same breath they utter.
Yet when asked WHY they fear their God they reply that it is out Awe, Respect and Love that they fear this God.
IF, you love something/someone and respect them/it then you need not fear it/them, am I wrong here?
One should ONLY fear something/someone that you know full well is/could be harmful to you, i.e a venomous spider or snake, NOT an Omni-Benevolent Supreme Being.
So do these deluded Faithfools merely fear their God, a) because they fear/dread that this being will suddenly have another 'bad hair day,' as it did in the O.T., and wantonly punish them and everyone else, or, b) because they are simply afraid that this being will suddenly grow bored with/of them and withdraw his non-existent love from them?

I was taught that the injunction to fear God meant to have an awesome respect for him, rather than to be afraid of him.

I guess it comes from the prevailing thought that fear equals obedience. Once you analyze the reasons to fear that which created and can destroy everything in the blink of an eye, both sides of the equation crumble.

That's one of those "shut it down" moments - when I see that phrase included in someone's profile. It is such a strange concept to me - to be afraid of a supposedly "loving" god. dumb beyond dumb

I would much rather have a god I did not have any reason to fear.

Ask all the believers why they are afraid of god.

I don't believe in gods or religions, ergo you can't fear something that is inexistent, consequently not "everyone" must be god fearing.

It is not just you.

God fearing means no boundaries or boarders!

They push until caught in some sort of off beat immoral or unethical bias or situation, by stating it was god(s) will or the fear of god like a three year old who peed their pants in public!

Nah, it's not just you. The whole shtick is ridiculous on its face.

might be pertinent to see that "wisdom is hidden from the wise" in the Bible, and black turns into white there real easy imo

wadr the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, implying "not its end" imo.
there is no fear in love

If there was a god, surely we'd fear him, because he treats us so crappy here on earth.