Fear, batty and beyond

Fear.

A four letter word with a lot of connotations.

Fear is what drives us as adults. We finish school, leave home and become responsible for ourselves. It is not especially hard or fearful then. There is the option of going back home to stay if we fail to get our act together. Which is why some cling to the bachelorhood/spinisterhood state with such tenacity. We are afraid of failure and want to keep our options open.

There are some of us who are fearless and take the plunge as soon as we can. Once you have done this you have burned your bridges and the fear of failure is a palpable thing. Going back home after a failed starter marriage is never an option; you just need to move on without going back to the family home. Once you have gone back, you will be labelled a failure and most parents are not too keen on return soldiers (women who have divorced). For men it is better but you lose the status you earned the moment you got married; noone does anything special for you and they ingore you at family functions unless someone takes pity on you. You will need to re earn the priviledges that come with marriage.

People fear change as it is unpredictable and might upset their lives. They fear anything new which they do not understand. It is easy to disciminate and persecute anything new because its existance might upset the chain of being. People are afraid of failure.

It is that fear that keeps people in unhealthy relationships, unsatisfactory jobs and unfulfilling lives. It is that fear which keeps everyone firmly entrenched in their illogical views. It is especially so for christians. There are times when my fellows christians shame me and make me so mad I want to climb walls. The emergence of multi-belief societies is frightening to christians and give rise to bigotry. It is interesting that while the Bible mentions money and in particular the exploitation of the poor far more than sex, christians concentrate more on the sex and sexuality. Why not concentrate on alleviating poverty and ensuring that every child gets a basic education?

Perhaps it is because that christianity, in particular its conventional sects, is on the decline. What with its ultra right views and blatant bigotry, christianity is no longer the drug of choice. And it is no longer the only available opium of the masses. There are other religions and new emerging sects of christianity which are more appealing and accepting of the shortcomings of the people. Perhaps it is the fear of extinction that has christians ranting about the "gaystapo' and forgetting that in persecuting others when they believe that they are in the right, they are further alienating the few followers that they have.

Human beings are social animals and we mostly want to belong. We are inherently afraid of being alone and we strive a lot to belong. Do not be ruled by that fear.

peace,

fadz