By definition, once a person relies on faith to answer the questions they have about
life, the universe, and everything, they lose the ability to determine the facts for themselves. Once someone places their life in the service of any
deity, they put themselves at the
mercy of those who have appointed themselves the
arbiters of that deity's intentions and desires.
Many religions use fear to keep the rank-and-file in line, leavened with promises of an idyllic life in the world beyond this one. A fear of "The Lord" is simply a displacement of critical thought in favor of accepting whatever rules that those who claim to be speaking for the lord give to their congregation. (They don't refer to the worshippers as "sheep" for nothing.)
Since no person alive has any real information about the nature of the mystery that is God, any person's interpretation of the nature of God is no more valid than the next person's. The Pope may have spent a long time in prayer, contemplation, and study, but his position on the nature of God is no more accurate than Jub-Jub the medicine man's. Any real discussion on the validity of any given faith is no more than a debate by children on who has the best imaginary friend.
A discussion of this wu with isogolem made me realize that some may find this a condemnation of God, which is certainly NOT the case. I am a Deist myself. The fear of the Lord is the ending of freedom.