Religious External Locus: Conditional Divine Love

BY NICOLE LAU

Series: Locus and Spirituality - Worth in Transcendence (Part 2 of 7)

"God loves you if you are good."

"You are a sinner. You are fallen. You are unworthy."

"Obey, or you will be punished."

This is the voice of fear-based religion. And it is external locus in theological form.

When divine love is conditional—when God's approval depends on your behavior, belief, or purity—worth becomes external. You are valuable only when you meet divine standards. And when you fail, you are worthless.

This article explores how fear-based religion creates shame, guilt, and worth dependence, and why "God loves you if you are good" is one of the most damaging teachings for human worth.

Conditional Divine Love: The Structure

The Teaching

"God loves you if..."

• If you believe correctly
• If you obey the commandments
• If you are pure and sinless
• If you repent and are saved
• If you submit and follow the path

This is conditional divine love. And it creates religious external locus.

The Locus Pattern

1. I am valuable when God approves of me
2. God approves of me when I am good/obedient/pure/saved
3. If I sin or fail, God rejects me and I am worthless
4. Therefore, I must constantly strive to be good enough for God

This is worth dependence in spiritual form. Your value depends on divine approval. And divine approval depends on your performance.

Sin, Shame, and Worthlessness

The Doctrine of Original Sin

Many religious traditions teach that humans are fundamentally flawed, fallen, or sinful.

Examples:

• Christianity (some interpretations): "You are born in sin. You are fallen. You are separated from God."
• Buddhism (some interpretations): "You are trapped in samsara (suffering). You are ignorant. You are deluded."
• Hinduism (some interpretations): "You are bound by karma. You are impure. You must be purified."

The message: You are fundamentally worthless. You can only gain worth through salvation, enlightenment, or purification.

Shame as Spiritual Foundation

When religion teaches that you are inherently flawed, shame becomes the foundation of spiritual life.

You are not just doing bad things—you are bad. You are not just making mistakes—you are fundamentally broken.

This is internalized worthlessness. And it is reinforced every time you pray, confess, or engage in spiritual practice.

The Shame Cycle

1. You are taught you are a sinner/fallen/impure (internalized worthlessness)
2. You try to be good to gain divine approval (striving for worth)
3. You inevitably fail (because perfection is impossible)
4. You feel shame and guilt ("I am bad. I am worthless.")
5. You confess, repent, or seek purification (seeking worth restoration)
6. Temporary relief, then the cycle repeats

This cycle never ends. Because worth is never secure. You are always one sin away from worthlessness.

Fear-Based Spirituality

The Role of Fear

When divine love is conditional, fear becomes the primary motivator for spiritual practice.

You do not follow the path out of love—you follow it out of fear of worthlessness.

Manifestations of Fear-Based Religion

1. Fear of Divine Punishment

"If you sin, God will punish you. You will go to hell. You will suffer."

This is not just fear of consequences—it is fear of divine rejection. And divine rejection means total worthlessness.

2. Fear of Spiritual Failure

"If you do not achieve enlightenment, you will be trapped in suffering. If you do not purify your karma, you will have a lower rebirth."

This is fear of spiritual inadequacy. You are not good enough. You are failing.

3. Fear of Losing Salvation

"If you fall away, you will lose your salvation. If you doubt, you will be condemned."

This is fear of worth loss. You have gained worth through salvation, but it is fragile. You can lose it.

4. Fear of Being Unworthy

"You are not worthy to approach God. You are not pure enough. You are not good enough."

This is fear of inherent unworthiness. No matter what you do, you are not enough.

The Cost of Fear-Based Religion

When fear is the foundation of spiritual life:

• Love is impossible. You cannot love God when you are terrified of God's rejection.
• Joy is absent. Spiritual practice is burden, not gift.
• Shame dominates. You are constantly aware of your unworthiness.
• You cannot rest. Spiritual striving is endless.
• Doubt is catastrophic. Questioning the faith feels like losing worth.
• You are never enough. No matter how hard you try, you are still a sinner.

Religious External Locus Across Traditions

Christianity: "You Are a Sinner"

The teaching (some interpretations):

• You are born in sin, separated from God
• You can only be saved through accepting Jesus and following God's commandments
• If you sin, you are separated from God and condemned
• You must constantly repent and seek forgiveness

The locus pattern: Worth depends on salvation and obedience. Sin = worthlessness. You are valuable only when you are saved and obedient.

Example: A person grows up in a strict Christian environment. They are taught they are sinners, unworthy of God's love unless they are saved. They live in constant fear of sin and divine punishment. They feel shame whenever they fail. They cannot rest because they are never good enough.

Islam: "Submit or Be Lost"

The teaching (some interpretations):

• You must submit to Allah and follow the straight path
• If you stray, you are lost and will face punishment
• Your worth depends on your submission and obedience

The locus pattern: Worth depends on submission. Disobedience = worthlessness. You are valuable only when you are obedient.

Buddhism: "You Are Trapped in Suffering"

The teaching (some interpretations):

• You are trapped in samsara (cycle of suffering) due to ignorance and attachment
• You must achieve enlightenment to escape suffering
• Until you are enlightened, you are fundamentally flawed

The locus pattern: Worth depends on spiritual achievement. Unenlightened = worthless. You are valuable only when you achieve enlightenment.

Hinduism: "Your Karma Determines Your Worth"

The teaching (some interpretations):

• Your worth depends on your karma (actions)
• Good karma = higher rebirth and worth. Bad karma = lower rebirth and suffering
• You must purify your karma to gain worth

The locus pattern: Worth is transactional. You earn it through good deeds and lose it through bad deeds. You are valuable only when your karma is good.

The Psychological Damage of Religious External Locus

1. Chronic Shame and Guilt

When you are taught you are fundamentally flawed, shame becomes your baseline state. You are always aware of your unworthiness.

Result: Depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, self-hatred.

2. Perfectionism and Spiritual Striving

When worth depends on being good enough for God, you must be perfect. Any failure is catastrophic.

Result: Burnout, exhaustion, inability to rest, constant self-monitoring.

3. Fear of Doubt or Questioning

When faith is tied to worth, doubt feels like losing worth. You cannot question without terror.

Result: Intellectual suppression, cognitive dissonance, inability to grow or evolve.

4. Inability to Leave

When your worth is tied to the religion, leaving feels like annihilation. You are trapped.

Result: Staying in harmful religious environments out of fear, not love.

5. Projection onto Others

When you believe you are only worthy through obedience, you judge others who do not obey. You project your shame onto them.

Result: Judgment, condemnation, lack of compassion.

Healing from Religious External Locus

1. Recognize the Pattern

"My religion taught me that my worth depends on divine approval. This is external locus. This is not truth—this is what I was taught."

2. Separate Behavior from Worth

"I may make mistakes. I may sin. But that does not make me worthless. My worth is inherent, not dependent on perfection."

3. Challenge the Shame

"I am not fundamentally flawed. I am not inherently sinful. I am human. I am valuable simply because I exist."

4. Reframe Divine Love

"If God exists, God's love is unconditional. I do not need to earn it. I am loved simply because I am."

5. Build Internal Worth

"I am valuable whether I am obedient or not, whether I am saved or not, whether I am enlightened or not. My worth is inherent."

Practice: Assessing Religious External Locus

Reflection Questions

1. Was I taught that God's love is conditional on my behavior?
2. Do I feel shame about being a sinner/fallen/impure?
3. Do I practice religion out of fear or out of love?
4. Do I feel I must constantly prove myself worthy to God?
5. Does doubt or questioning feel like losing worth?

Healing Practices

1. Name the Teaching

"I was taught that I am a sinner and must earn God's love. This is external locus."

2. Challenge the Shame

"I am not fundamentally flawed. I am valuable simply because I exist."

3. Reframe Spirituality

"I can practice spirituality out of love, not fear. I do not need to earn worth."

4. Seek Mystical Teachings

Explore mystical traditions within your religion that teach unconditional love and inherent worth.

What Comes Next

We have explored religious external locus. The next article examines Mystical Internal Locus: Inherent Divinity—how mystical traditions across religions teach that you are already whole, already divine, already worthy.

This is the healing voice. This is the truth that sets you free.