Osho – All beliefs are rooted in Fear. Either you are afraid or you are greedy.

Question – I believe in God, And it is not out of fear. Why do you say that all belief is out of fear?
Osho – Then why do you believe? You don’t know. If you know, there is no need to believe. All belief is out of ignorance Belief MEANS ignorance. Buddha knows, he does not believe. I know, I don’t believe at all. But why do you believe? From where comes your belief? It is not coming from your experience – then from where is it coming? It can come only from two sources, which are basically the same source – either fear or greed. Either you are afraid or you are greedy. And these are the two aspects of the same coin, fear and greed.
Greed is out of fear, and out of greed more fear arises. They go together. So either you are afraid of hell or you are greedy for heaven. Otherwise why do you believe in God? How can you believe in God? Your very belief simply says that alone you are afraid; you need a protection. You need a father, you need somebody to control the destiny, you need somebody to look up to.
And all belief is based in fear, and your gods are nothing but your fears personified. Your gods don’t say anything about the God, they simply say something about your pathology, about your mind.
A very religious man, deep asleep, had a dream. In his dream, God appeared and said to him: ’I have news for you – bad news and good news. Which would you like to hear first?’
’The good news,’ said the man.
’Well, the good news is that when you die you will be going to Heaven.’
The man, very happy, said, ’And what is the bad news?’
Said God: ’The bad news is that you are expected there by tomorrow.’
Even about Heaven you are afraid. You are afraid to die.
One alpinist fell down from a steep rock, and when he was falling he took a hold of a branch and kept suspended.
’Help me, help me!’ he shouted. ’Is there anybody above me?’
Suddenly a strong and deep voice echoed over the abyss: ’I’m going to help you, my son. But first I need your faith and you have to trust me.’
The man answered, ’Sure, I’ll do everything you want, my Lord. I trust you, I believe you.’
’Then,’ replied the voice, ’let loose the branch.’
A deep silence followed and the man shouted again: ’Hey! Is there another one above me?’
Even if God comes to you and says: ’Let go! Die! Disappear!’ you will turn your back towards Him. You will start searching for another god.
All beliefs are rooted in fear. And a really religious person is born only when all fears and all beliefs are burned, and the scriptures and the idols destroyed. When you are free of belief you are ready for truth.
Source – Osho Book “This Very Body the Buddha”