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Karma is the consequences of an action. Karma is not an entity or a thing, it's certainly not a god creature.
Karma isn't the consequence of an action, it's more like the power that causes the consquence of an action.
The consequence of an action is what becomes known as history, and history can be considered to be the history of Karma, or God, or the Holy Spirit.
If history isn't something to respect and revere, then maybe we wouldn't even respect our parents for bearing, raising and nourishing us.
Quote:
I'm not going to worship anyone or anything.
My feeling is that someone/thing that "demands" worship is not worthy of it.
We don't have to respect and revere our parents, but many of us do because we believe that it's fundamental that we do.
And for those of us who believe that God is the divine creator, we respect and revere Him for it too. Not because we have to, but because we feel it's a way to reciprocate the love and devotion He shown throughout creation and human history.
There is nothing written that would indicate that there's something wrong with respecting and revering God.
The 10 Commandments say to keep the Sabbath Holy. Everyone deserves a day off from work once in a while to enable them to offer their respects to the creator if they choose to believe and do so.
The 10 Commandments indicates that we should honor our parents.
God is just like our parent.
Some parents may not want to be honored with devotional or ceremonial worship. Who wouldn't want to sing "Happy Birthday" to their parents? However when it comes to God, public worship serves to identify the existence of a true God and His true ways, as indicated by God's historical and Biblically noted creation of His Church.
Of course that church has been beset by schisms, but none the less, they are all still part of the whole world wide foundation of institutionalized Christian worship.
Why does the US Congress open each session with a prayer?
Why does the US Presidential Inaugural oath end with "So help me God'?
It's just an acknowledgement that God has made provisions for us throughout the history of mankind. Our leaders lead by example. We are by and large not an athiestic nation, but rather we safeguard the rights and sensibilities of athiests and minorities.
Our Pledge states "One nation under God". Our nation does not claim to be supreme over God as athiest or Godless nations often try to claim. And even the rise of the nation state itself can be seen as being a creation of God, for which many of us are thankful. If some aren't thankful, that's okay. Maybe some would rather live in a feudal city state or communist dictatorship?
No Christian nation forces worship on it's citizens that I'm aware of. Just the simple examples of acknowledgement as mentioned above. Maybe some Islamic nations might, but that's historically their way and not ours.
Our Pledge states "One nation under God". Our nation does not claim to be supreme over God as athiest or Godless nations often try to claim. And even the rise of the nation state itself can be seen as being a creation of God, for which many of us are thankful. If some aren't thankful, that's okay. Maybe some would rather live in a feudal city state or communist dictatorship?
Please, this is garbage, and has been debunked time and again. The two words "under god" were added in the early 50s.
the original Pledge of Allegiance—meant as an expression of patriotism, not religious faith—also made no mention of God. The pledge was written in 1892 by the socialist Francis Bellamy, a cousin of the famous radical writer Edward Bellamy. He devised it for the popular magazine Youth's Companion on the occasion of the nation's first celebration of Columbus Day. Its wording omitted reference not only to God but also, interestingly, to the United States:
"I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
There are numerous links debunking your erroneous viewpoint. And don't forget, words are made up by man and there are always dissenters from all viewpoints.
Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August 1892. He was a Christian Socialist. In his Pledge, he is expressing the ideas of his first cousin, Edward Bellamy, author of the American socialist utopian novels, Looking Backward (1888) and Equality (1897).
The OP asked why does God want us to worship/respect/revere Him?
For the same reason why we respect/revere our country and our parents. That's why most people will sing happy birthday to their parents, say the pledge once in a while, and understand why public officals acknowledge God.
The 10 Commandments should also count as to why God wants us too.
At the last supper, Jesus also asked us to "Do this in memory of me", which was to become Communion.
It emanates from love, and to cherish & respect, and while some people may not believe in God, Christian nations are the most free in the world and where we live.
They were the first throughout the ages of human history to abolish slavery and free up the divine energy of the human spirit, all in keeping with the spirit of Christianity (unless I'm mistaken, Germany was the first).
While my answer may not be totally appropriate, I've tried to answer the original question.
It's not unreasonable to expect that God would want to be acknowledged. Maybe God wants the believing parents to educate the children of the earth about the justness of our common core values.
It would be impossible to turn back the clock, especially considering that we are living in A.D. (Anno Domini, (In)The year of (Our) Lord). As Christians, we can't just ignore Christ & history and send Him back into Pandora's Box. That's why we feel that the facts show that He wants us to respectfully acknowledge Him with praise.
There's only one true set of facts.
Either Christ was Resurrected or He wasn't. Everything else either flows true or false, both forward and backward from that point in history. This is what leads us to worship Him along with God, and why most feel that He approves.
I apologize for misspelling atheist and atheism wrong above.
In many Asian countries, they use the AD year by default for business, because they have to in this computer age. In Thailand it's the year of the Buddha as in most SE Asian countries. In Japan, it is the year of the current ruler.
For the same reason why we respect/revere our country and our parents.
I do not respect my country just because I happened to be borne here. But as long as my country is just I will respect it.
I do not respect my parents just because they are my parents. I respect them because they love me and believe in me. But I have no trouble telling them that they are wrong when I believe them to be wrong.
I do not respect God because he is a god, or because the bible tells me to. I respect God because he is Love.
If God is God, does He really need us to tell Him how wonderful and powerful He is?
Doesn't He know?
What difference would our little opinions make to Him, especially since we are created in His image?
Is our gratititude of any significance to the King of Kings?
Because its the only way of uniting back to God. Unless you (your soul) goes back to the creator there will never be happiness. In the material existence you have to repeat the cycle of birth, death, old age and disease. No living entity in the material world can escape these four cycles.
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