The Fear Factor!

   TV series called "Fear Factor" originally aired on NBC from 2001 to 2006. Contestants performed dangerous stunts, and viewers were warned the stunts ought not to be tried by anyone, anytime, anywhere! The winner received a $50,000 prize along with the accolade, "(Name) . . ., fear is not a factor for you." We admire fearless people. But is it always good that fear is not a factor? I heard a quote similar to the following one regarding education years ago, and found this one recently online at anscotia.com where it is attributed to a Dr. Julia Hare – "When they made our parents afraid of disciplining the children, then what happened? We found out that the teachers were afraid of the principals, the principals were afraid of the superintendent, the superintendent was afraid of the school board, the school board was afraid of the parents, the parents were afraid of the children, and the children ain’t scared of nobody." As I read that I smile inside, but cry a little, too. If you are at all aware of what goes on in many school hallways and classrooms, you realize there is more truth in those words than we ought to be comfortable with. There was a time in America not too long ago when we actually believed and supported the idea that teachers ought to have some authority over students in a classroom (and that "the system" and parents ought to back them up)! And policemen and policewomen over people in the streets. And parents over their children at home and church and other places. But now fear, the healthy kind synonymous with respect for authority, is less and less a factor these days. Instead of fear, there is a demand for freedom from restraints, boundaries and authority of any kind. Like Israel long ago, so it seems today in America – "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6; 21:25).  If you know much about Israel’s moral and spiritual behavior at that time, you know what was right in many people’s eyes was very, very wrong.

America has come a long way since earlier days, but in some ways the wrong way. "Authority" seems to be a dirty word now. Students and some parents don’t like school officials or church leaders talking about dress codes. Many people clearly don’t like speed laws. Some don’t want cops telling them they can’t walk down the middle of the street. Some refuse to show respect for the flag. Some bleed hatred and verbal violence toward the president and other politicians they don’t like. The legal system sometimes seems to care more for the rights of criminals than for those victimized and harmed by the law-breakers. There are no easy answers for these issues. I know this – we desperately need to make fear / respect of proper authority – for God and proper human authorities – a factor again. Christians can’t control culture at large, but Romans 13:3-4, calls on God's children to make sure fear is a factor:  "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil." Heaven help us make fear a factor again.

   Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN