God created all things. Does that mean he is worthy of respect?

by sabastious 48 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • sabastious
    sabastious
    Revelation 4:11 - 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
    for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”

    According to the above scripture God is worthy of our worship and respect because he created us.

    I think this verse describes humans as objects. We, as objects, were created by God therefore we are HIS possession. Therefore as HIS possessions, he is worthy of our respect.

    I don't agree at all.

    I think all SENTIENT (keyword) beings have fundamental rights. One right being that respect is earned got dulled out by default in any situation.

    Of course God can do anything he wants because he is vastly more powerful than us.

    -Sab

  • sabastious
    sabastious

    This argument is synonymous with:

    "You will obey me because I am your father."

    It doesn't matter if your father is a hypocrite or he abuses you severely you obey him because you are biologically connected.

    -Sab

  • PSacramento
    PSacramento

    Yeah, Luke Skywalker didn't agree either ;)

    Respect is something that some people give and others feel it has to be earned.

    I start everyone off at 100% respect, just by their virtue of being my "family" under God.

    How much of that respect they keep is up to them.

    As for God, yes, I give God and My Lord Jesus 100% respect for all they have done and do for us, but that is me.

    I think that if you are the kind of person that gives respect when it is earned then you need to evaluate what God has done and see if it deserves your respect.

    IF you believe that God created the universe ( via whatever process you choose to subscribe to) then you would be hard press NOT to give the Old Guy props, it is a wonderful creation.

  • sabastious
    sabastious
    As for God, yes, I give God and My Lord Jesus 100% respect for all they have done and do for us, but that is me.

    So you have weighed his actions and feel he deserves respect. That goes against Rev 4:11.

    He is worthy by default. (according to the Bible).

    -Sab

  • sabastious
    sabastious
    you would be hard press NOT to give the Old Guy props, it is a wonderful creation.

    Honoring his creation as magnificent is one thing, because it can be quantified.

    But just because he created something magnificent doesn't mean he's a nice guy deserving of love and respect, no?

    -Sab

  • PSacramento
    PSacramento
    So you have weighed his actions and feel he deserves respect. That goes against Rev 4:11.
    He is worthy by default. (according to the Bible).

    I am sure for some that is the case, but before I could believe in God I need to do more than to believe "by default".

    Honoring his creation as magnificent is one thing, because it can be quantified.
    But just because he created something magnificent doesn't mean he's a nice guy deserving of love and respect, no

    Respect comes in many forms, you can respect Bil Gates for his philanthropy and think him a dick for creating Microsoft, or vice-versa.

    You didn't mention what TYPE of respect so...

    But if you are asking if I respect God for being a "nice guy" then I guess that I do too, but for that I need to believe that God is a nice guy, which means I need to find out if he is.

    Notice that I said that I start everyone off at 100% respect because they are "family"? not because they are nice or respectful or whatnot.

    Whether they keep my respect is a different matter.

  • thetrueone
    thetrueone

    Only if he proves that he's willing to protect and love us unconditionally, which as history shows he doesn't.

    Of course this doesn't stop men from placing themselves or relinquishing in this assumed authoritive power though. ( no names mentioned )

    Power is absolute

  • sabastious
    sabastious
    Only if he proves that he's willing to protect and love us unconditionally

    This kind of thinking is considered heresy according to Rev 4:11 coupled with Luke 10: 26, 27. You are commanded to love God by default:

    26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

    -Sab

  • Terry
    Terry

    Let's put a different bracket around it and change perspective.

    Evolution is the survival of the most fit which is evidenced by the power to come out on top in spite of obstacles.

    Humanity immediately usurped the top dog position by using intelligence to decide a course of action.

    God hovered in the background impotently hurling threats and making mysterious promises.

    (God was determined to strike Adam and Eve dead if they disobeyed, yet, they lived on past 900 years after the event!)

    God acheived a rebuke and man achieved civilization.

    What mankind has achieved has not been miraculous. In the face of certain death humanity continues to make progress.

    Once people lived in mud huts and spent the entire day trying to kill and eat something and died relatively young from parasites, disease and misadventure.

    Today, we have technology for rapid travel, medicine, antibiotics, transplants, modern conveniences, education, internet, infrastructure and even the poorest of the population in free society has microwave ovens, satellite dishes and cellphones and color tv.

    God is always a problem.

    Each generation of parents creates a bugaboo horror story in the mind of impressionable children about invisible demons and hell and a Savior God who loves but will kill you deader than a beaver hat if you don't snap to attention when He enters the discussion.

    It is all a competition between our atavistic past and our rational present day enlightenment.

    How and why God lingers on is pretty much the appendix and tonsils of societal nonsense.

    We buy tons of bibles and twenty tons of books explaining it.

    We pray and get little more than a reason to explain to ourselves the disappointment which follows.

    We attend churches and give money to teachers who amass a very comfortable living who instruct us about Christ who lived in poverty.

    Humanity is on the top of the food chain, but, we are still scared of the Great White invisible Shark in heaven!

  • God_Delusion
    God_Delusion

    Firstly, there is zero, I repeat, zero evidence that points to a supreme being having created living things. Therefore, the title of this thread needs to be reassessed.

    But, let's, for the fun of it, say that there actually was a "God", "Deity", or "Supreme Being" that created life. Should that being expect to receive dedicated respect? No.

    I was created by two human beings (I hope). One of them deserves my respect and love, whilst the other deserves to be locked up and tortured for the rest of their existence. Just because they created me doesn't give them the right to extract respect from me, their creation.

    Only harsh dictators that run tyrannical governments demand the respect your "God" would like.

    See a pattern developing here?

    AtheistsWeekly.com explains all.

    Carlos x

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