If you were God, would you want to be worshipped?

rebel8

If I was the God of the Bible, I think my priorities would be to set the ground rules of life and manage the planet, ensuring life is good. I cannot envision any reason to desire worship. Appreciation, yes. Worship? No. Why would God want or need worship? What function does adoration serve for a God who is all-powerful and all-good? Doesn't he already have everything he needs? Is he insecure or something?

stillajwexelder

Yes - I would want all the females to worship me

MerryMagdalene

Maybe it just depends on what your definitions of "God" and "worship" are...For me, worshipping God means (as best I can put it into words) recognizing the worth of the wholeness or totality of existance beyond my limited ego-awareness...or something like that. I'm not fully awake yet this morning...

~Merry

rebel8

Oh. When I think of worship, I'm thinking of the Xian concept of worship that entails obligatory church attendance, singing praises, religious icons, obligatory rituals at certain junctures in life, etc. Or you could think of it in terms what kings used to demand in history. Lots of bowing down to them, genuflecting, etc.

Appreciation is something you do by showing respect. For example, to show appreciation to your parents for conceiving and raising you, you would be kind to them, spend time with them, say thanks a lot, help them out when they need it. Very different than worship.

greendawn

In my view worshipping God is aknowledging and being respectful for everything that He gave to mankind, something perfectly reasonable.

seven006

This is one of the more important concepts that I examined when I started looking at religion outside of the watchtower’s grasp. Being a father and a parent I felt that I was more understanding and loving than the god the bible speaks of. I was also a lot more psychologically secure with who I was than that god. I felt that if I could have children and raise them to be good people I certainly did not need them to tell me how great I was all the time or play games with them constantly having them prove how much they loved me.

Then I started reading history books about how people thought and felt about the world back when the various parts of the bible was written. It then began to make sense. I saw that the intent was not so much for people to worship and praise some mythical hebrew god but more to praise and follow those who professed to represent and speak for him.

Then I read about how the hebrew god and his earthly prophets were an amalgamation of gods and prophets from older religious myth passed down and explained by the traveling merchants of the time.

I do not worship or praise any concept. I do appreciate the positive aspects of ancient philosophy when handed down as good ideas to live by but do not recognize them as exclusive to any one religious theory. Love and guidance is one thing. Worship and fear is another.

So no. I would not want to be worshipped. I am not that insecure with myself to need it.

Dave

candysearching

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't really recall God ever demanding to be worshipped. It is something that we do because he is deserving of praise and glory. He does require that if we are to honor him we should not worship false gods, idols. Maybe I'm wrong, because I'm not great at memorizing scripture.

DannyBloem

That's a hard question rebel8,

If you have everything can you still want something?
What does worshipping mean to an almighty God?

First thought was more like, interesting to watch those humans what they are doing. But then you already know the end, so must be pretty boring.
Only conclusion I can think of is that if there is an almighty God he never can have any feelings or other things we atribute to him. he just is.

peacefulpete

Funny how the authors of the Sermon on the mount thought people should not expect or even desire recognition for good deads:

" 1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men (A) to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

2 "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they (B) may be honored by men (C) Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

3 "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your giving will be in secret....

But God is depicted as always wanting us to thank him and praise him. HMMM

robhic

"Worship" seems to indicate that the person/entity being worshipped is 1) a bit insecure and 2) probably has a large ego.

I think "respect" would be sufficient to show appreciation for things received from this person/entity. Treatment as one deserving (note deserving...) respect, good feelings and such. Respect is earned. Worship is usually demanded or co-ersed.

If you were God, would you want to be worshipped?

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