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The fact that "God" wants us to worship him is a pretty good reason for me not to. No offence but how could I ever believe in a deity who so needs this ? I would have thought any "God" above this kind of attention seeking. If he/she loves us what is the big deal about the worshipping/prayers etc... when all that should matter is us being good human beings, decent and loving to one another, moral and kind? Why should a creator need some kind of "approval". I just don't get it. It seems so incredibly irrelevant to us being productive and morally responsible human beings. I would have thought the best way to worship "God" is not to build churches, pray to him or build rituals around his persona but to go out and try to show a bit more love and compassion to others ? If all the the time spent on prayers, reading the bible,or in churches was spent on relieving other people's suffering wouldn't this be a lot more effective and a far more creative and practical way to show our true appreciation of our "creator" ??
Moose, again, God is not demanding worship because He's ego-centric, but rather because it's just "right" to do. Refer back to my post about my teen-age son. I didn't demand respect from him for his father and me because I wanted it. I tried to instill it in him because it was right.
The scripture says that if we don't praise God "the rocks will cry out."
Moose, again, God is not demanding worship because He's ego-centric, but rather because it's just "right" to do. Refer back to my post about my teen-age son. I didn't demand respect from him for his father and me because I wanted it. I tried to instill it in him because it was right.
The scripture says that if we don't praise God "the rocks will cry out."
Respect and worship are two different things though. I respect my partner, I do not worship him. I love him and it is right for me to respect him as he is worthy of respect but worship is a different matter. Also I show him my respect by my actions not my words or any strange rituals.
Respect and worship are two different things though. I respect my partner, I do not worship him. I love him and it is right for me to respect him as he is worthy of respect but worship is a different matter. Also I show him my respect by my actions not my words or any strange rituals.
I agree respect and worship are different, but God and man are different too.
God represents "perfection." Man does not.
Well I can understand that man would demand worship, simply because he is imperfect. But why would God, a perfect being, have the need or want for worship (from imperfect beings nonetheless)?
Forgive me for sounding flippant, Alpha, but your assumption of so much more wisdom than the rest of us possess ("I can't help you understand....but I can assure you...") almost makes it sound as if YOU want to be worshipped.
And surely you don't mean that.
I am certain he did not mean that!
As for this topic, I can only add these thoughts:
For those who believe, there is no doubt in my mind that who or what they worship is absolutely real to them, in a very, very real way. For those who do not believe, it's not so simple. I suspect it's difficult, at times, to fully understand the true nature of the believer's worship. My lack of understanding, however, does not (and should not!) negate the reality of another's belief. --And especially not negate the genuine reality of a person's worship...
--Or, to put it another way, is there any meaning/credence in pondering the notion of the knowable "unknown," versus the unknowable "known?"
For those who do not believe, it's not so simple. I suspect it's difficult, at times, to fully understand the true nature of the believer's worship.
Take gentle care.
I have not read through this thread, so forgive me for being OT. I did want to comment on June's above statement, though, because the same can be said for the believer in respect of the non-believer.
For the believer, our faith is so much a part of who we are. We know, we see, and we understand and most of all, we want to share this gift that is our reality. Just as the non-believer is perplexed by the believer, we, too, are perplexed by the non-believer. Imagine the greatest dessert that you have ever tasted (for me, it is chocolate. But not just any chocolate. Chocolate X 100)...That is our God. And it is hard for us to not understand how you could not want to taste it.
No, I didn't. Hence my eagerness to grant Yeledaf's request for forgiveness.
I think what happened there was that my post wasn't fully read and/or fully understood.
What I said was....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpha8207
I can't help you or make you understand what all the term 'GOD' encompasses, but I can assure it's all that's needed to make that entity worthy of worship.
Which should be read like this "Everything that the term 'God' encompasses makes that being worthy of worship."
Let's talk about big IFs .
If there is a God, then by definition that God would be worthy of worship. He/she is a god. My GOD(The Christian God) is, according to what I believe, not a god but rather THE GOD. If you can get your arms around that (and I can't fully) then I don't see how anyone has a hard time understanding how that being is worthy of worship. If you reject God, then of course you think that's egotistical or something, but to the believer, it's just Christian 'common sense'.
If God is God, then He's God. Simple really.
Now I'd like to say something regarding Mooseketeer's post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mooseketeer
I would have thought the best way to worship "God" is not to build churches, pray to him or build rituals around his persona but to go out and try to show a bit more love and compassion to others ? If all the the time spent on prayers, reading the bible,or in churches was spent on relieving other people's suffering wouldn't this be a lot more effective and a far more creative and practical way to show our true appreciation of our "creator" ??
Of course, I can only respond to this as a Christian. Muslims, Jews, Hindus etc will have to answer from thier perspective.
Anyway, if my worship of God only involves, as you say "time spent on prayers, reading the bible,or in churches" then you'd be right. That's not true worship, not by itself. But if you marry that with the rest of your sentence where you said time should be "spent on relieving other people's suffering", then that's real worship.
Look at what Jesus said:
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. Mark 12:28-34
It's both, Mooseketeer. Loving God AND loving your neighbor.
If I love God, but don't help my neighbor, I'm not honoring God and I'm not worshiping. No, I'm in a self-centered relationship with me. If God's at the center, I HAVE to love and care for my neighbor.
That being said, if I love my neighbor and don't honor and worship God, I'm disrespecting God and, really, my service is my God. I'm now works based and God is out of the equation.
Worship of God is not limited to singing, praying, preaching, etc....worship is a way of life. That door I hold open for someone and that smile i give to a stranger because I care for them, is an act of worship, if I make it that way. For a Christian, most everything we try and do should be an act of worship.
Because worship is just the place where what we do meets what we claim to believe.
To believe in God is to worship Him.. IMO to worship God is to acknowledge him, by prayer, and to honor his creation, and to love and respect our believing and unbelieving brothers and sisters...
Just as the non-believer is perplexed by the believer, we, too, are perplexed by the non-believer.
I wonder whether it is the very capacity within mankind for both sides, (believers/nonbelievers) to somehow meet within that middle, centered, co-existing space that answers the original question posed in this thread....???
I believe that some of us(believers and non believers) already share an existance in that middle space you talk about, June. It is a gentle ,loving space of understanding..
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But why would God, a perfect being, have the need or want for worship (from imperfect beings nonetheless)?
Calming a discourse...
