Fear is a normal, basic response to something which causes one to be 'afraid'. Life does not prefer to be afraid, but being afraid often sharpens the skills necessary to overcome whatever is causing it.
Along with that is the chemical havoc being wreaked upon the organism that is experiencing the fear (several hormones and compounds play roles - see Fight-or-flight response).
There's POWER in them-there body-chemicals! If exploited, there's also opportunity for gaining control and otherwise manipulating people, y'know?
This topic originated as a question at Quora.com. An individual described a young son who was science oriented, and wondered how best to explain God to such a child. While I am not an 'expert' in child psychology or child education or religion (or anything, really!), I decided to offer my (humble) opinion in an effort to at least try to encourage the individual somehow. It seems that science and religion (or spirituality) don't mix very readily. I'm not sure exactly why, but that's how it is. Not in every case, but surely most of the time. Scientific evidence often 'disproves' or otherwise brings into question, certain religious (though not necessarily spiritual) claims and even some beliefs. How DO you explain these things?
OK, so this question is nothing new. As we all know, love is something we all need and want, and it is associated with the very core of our existence as a species and is part and parcel of the overall 'success' of humanity itself. By 'success', I mean mostly that humanity has continued to procreate and evolve somewhat 'successfully' through the relatively short time we have been here. Indeed, it is love which draws together two individuals for purposes of procreating and sharing in blissful intimacy only they can define and describe. It is the same basic formula throughout much of the living world (except in asexual organisms, as far as I know), though perhaps in varying methodologies and measurement of how much of a sensation of "love" is involved...as we think of love, that is. Is love, then, merely a 'chemical influence' on our psyche, our being, triggered by hormonal substances acting upon specific segments of our brain? Or, is love more of a spiritual and emotional concept that is really only perceivable or appreciable by higher forms of life...such as humans? And, does humanity know how to foster and teach and practice love in all things, toward the betterment of our world?
