February 4, 2021
Religion has one goal despite what it claims: to control the actions and behaviors of the masses.
And throughout human history and into the modern era, religion has been very successful at accomplishing this goal.
But once on the other side of religious deconstruction, it can seem strange. How can religion, which teaches something so outlandish and provably and demonstrably false still continue to control the masses?
The answer:
Fear.
Fear is the key ingredient of it all.
As most people who have deconstructed their faith now know, the idea of hell as a physical place of conscious torment is not found in the Bible. Rather, that little concept was added later. Why? Because those in charge realized that people weren’t going to accept being controlled by religion without a good reason.
It’s been known for a long time by kings, emperors, dictators, presidents, and prime ministers that the masses of people aren’t just going to accept them as an authority over their lives and actions. They aren’t going to allow themselves to be controlled. So, in order to convince the masses to consent to control, people need to fear something that the ruler can then protect them from.
Throughout history, people have been made to fear other nations, other races, and even other religions just so one person or group could rise to power.
When the idea of hell was inserted into official Christian and Catholic doctrine, all of a sudden the masses had something to be afraid of. And who better to protect them than the religious leaders who could help them avoid hell?
So powerful is this fear that Pope Urban II used it to start the Crusades. He declared that anyone who died fighting in the Crusades would have all of their sins absolved. Several centuries later, it’s obviously a ridiculous thing for him to claim. But the fear of hell was so strong that countless numbers of men—many who weren’t even soldiers—picked up what weapons they had and marched off to war to fight an enemy they knew nothing about.
This same fear persists today in the modern era. People still believe in religions out of fear of going to hell after they die.
If you’ve ever had the frustrating experience of debating a Christian about the existence of God, then you know what it feels like to have well-researched, rational arguments rejected in one sweeping blow. You may have wondered how this person couldn’t see something that is so plain and rational to you.
The reason this happens is not because this person is dumb. It’s because he’s in a state of fear. He’s afraid of rejecting his faith, angering God, and going to hell.
But why fear? How does this work?
Because fear displaces reason and logic, even in people who are otherwise reasonable and logical. It’s a survival mechanism that all humans have—fight or flight. That means fear is universally useful to those who seek to control.
Take for instance someone who is drowning. Despite what the movies show, it’s very unwise for an untrained person to attempt to rescue a drowning man. Why? Because the drowning man is in such a state of fear for his life that he’ll do anything to save himself, including pushing the rescuer underwater just so he can breathe again. Of course the drowning man would never intentionally cause someone else to drown, but in his state of fear, he just doesn’t have access to that rational part of his brain.
But drowning is a pretty “big fear” in the grand scheme of things, one that most people won’t ever experience. However, that doesn’t mean you’re successfully avoiding fear. Rather, life in the modern era is comprised of (and often controlled by) a bunch of little fears that add up to quite a lot. A few examples are:
- Is my boss pissed at me?
- Are my retirement investments safe?
- What if my kids don’t do well in school this year?
- What if my girlfriend breaks up with me?
Now, if you can, imagine the thought process of your typical practicing Christian. In addition to the commonplace fears listed above, his head is filled with other fear-based thoughts such as:
- Did I pray enough today?
- Was what I just did considered a sin?
- Would it be okay if I missed church this Sunday to catch up on sleep? I already missed last Sunday.
- I think my brother has been backsliding lately.
- There are so many mean atheists on social media.
This is why you felt so free after you finally deconverted. Gone was a whole list of fears that drug you down every day. It’s no wonder why people who deconvert feel so much lighter.
Fear is also the reason why so many people pass through a liberal Christian phase before they finally deconvert. Once they realize that hell doesn’t exist, they are relinquished from the fear mechanism that religion uses to control.
And after the fear is gone, they realize they no longer need religion at all.
What roll did fear play in your life during your time as a Christian? How did it feel once you were no longer afraid of God and the Church? Let me know in the comments!