1. The Fear of God as a Prod to Moral Behavior
World Scripture
O you who believe! Fear God as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of submission.12
Qur’an 3.102
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Proverbs 9.10
May your fear of Heaven be as strong as your fear of man!
Talmud, Berakot 28b (Judaism)
Do not call conspiracy all that this people call conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Isaiah 8.12-1313
God has revealed the fairest of statements, a Scripture consistent, [with promises of reward] paired [with threats of punishment], at which creeps the flesh of those who fear their Lord, so that their flesh and their hearts soften to God’s reminder. Such is God’s guidance, with which He guides whom He will.
Qur’an 39.23
Monks, two bright things guard the world: shame and fear of blame. If these two bright things did not guard the world… the world would fall into promiscuity, as is the case with goats, sheep, poultry, pigs, dogs, and jackals.
Itivuttaka 36 (Buddhism)
Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come.
Revelation 14.7
When the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore, and saw the great power which the Lord had put forth against Egypt, the people were in awe of the Lord and put their faith in him and in Moses his servant.
Exodus 14.30-31
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood, in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
Romans 3.14-19
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
The reason why people who believe in God continue to commit sins is because their faith in God has been merely conceptual. It has not touched their innermost feelings. Who among them would ever dare to commit sin if they experienced God in the depths of their being? Would they not tremble if they felt the reality of the heavenly law that those who commit crimes cannot escape the destiny of hell?
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Introduction)
Today, we are reaping the consequences of the Fall: Immorality is rampant. Teenagers, in particular, are the victims of widespread sexual degradation. The advanced nations are little different from Sodom and Gomorrah of biblical times. God abhors this immoral behavior. We must fear the wrath of God. His punishment is imminent.
(201:206-07, April 19, 1990)
[After she fell] Eve realized that according to God’s heavenly law, Adam was supposed to be her husband. Thus she thought then if she returned to Adam’s bosom, she could escape the fear of God. Centering on Satan’s love, fear and independence conspired together to bring Adam to his knees. Fear and self-insistence has continued ever since to dominate the fallen human race. Now in the last days, the way of individualism has become dominant throughout the world and is ruining the world.
(256:230, March 13, 1994)
At least Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden felt shame enough to conceal their naked bodies with fig leaves, but American young people these days feel no shame, doing all manner of indecent behavior even outdoors in city parks. Because Adam and Eve felt a sense of shame over what they did, they could repent. But these young people are shameless; they are far from repentful.
(95:149, November 11, 1977)