If God is so merciful, why do people have to fear him?

Not just merciful but supposed to be our father,why should you fear your father.

No one has to!

The people who know God's mercy do not fear.

The people who want you to fear God dislike to whole idea of mercy.

Because if you dont fear him, then you start saying God has a son, and that son is God too, and that his mother is Godly mother, so you start making a family of God, all and all God is recording everything you do, for judgement Day. God is one. John 5:30, Mathew 7:21-24

Because you don't know the meaning of the word fear in the context of the bible.

You need to look this up.

Fear does not just mean to be scared of. That is only one definition.

Fear actually means to be in "awe of "

Unfortunately some Christians actually believe Jesus meant to be scared of him, on the contrary, which is even more confusing when they say Jesus is Love. Knowledge is power.

Cheers

The fear that is described in the Bible is called filial. It's that which has its spring in love, and prompts to care not to offend God and to endeavor in all things to please Him. Fear and love have to co-exist in us in order that either passion may be healthy, and that we may please and rightly serve God. "The fear of the Lord" is used for the worship of God. The "fear of man" is that dread of the opinions of our neighbors which makes us cowards in the performance of those duties which we fancy they do not practice.

We often feared our parents, yet we loved them. The same holds true to God. We fear punishment but we know that He loves us and we love Him. I fear that I have not done enough to deserve His love, yet I fear Him because I love Him so much and I know that by not loving Him I have a lot to fear.

God fears me.

The beginning of wisdom is to fear the lord.

I don't know about you, dude, but I'd be real scared if I ever met it. Whether it has mercy or not. Think about it.

Because he's got a Napoleon complex. I'll bet he'd drive the biggest SUV too. Penis envy and all.