Universe is a scary place. It is big, beyond your imagination. Sometimes, it screams on your face, do you know what I am, how grand I am, how old I am, can you even comprehend what I am, what are you compared to me? And when you know enough science you reply, dude, I AM you. Just look up at dark sky, the star you see, thousands of light years away, the light emitted hundreds of years ago by that star is detected by your eyes. Even if you can never touch that star you feel a connection to universe by that narrow photon beam. Your eyes are made from same material as that supernova. You are stepped out from the supernova. I feel safe being in the universe despite of the massive force and energy flares surrounding me.
Religion promotes fear in you, fear of death, fear of going to hell, fear of burning for eternity. People who understand science do not fear from it or from the vast universe. Instead they are amazed by it, they are curious about it. Astronomy is humbling and character building experience. If you appreciate universe, you won’t have fear of death. You don’t have to know the ultimate answer or solve any puzzle. I don’t feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose which is the way it really is as far as I can tell possibly, but it doesn’t frighten me.
