Why would a god want or need to be worshipped? (edit: I have taken out the word omnipotent because it wasn't necessary)
He doesn't need it Rather the real question (to take it beyond mere questions of "god" worship) is how does the acquiesce of a living entity to a more powerful one benefit the former (and how the latter might "want" it simply for the sake of benefiting the former)
OK. So if a god doesn't want or need to be worshipped, what do people hope to gain from worshipping them?
Removal from a conditioned state of existence (namely experiencing birth, death, old age and disease in a temporary world in the pursuit of temporary values) Its not so much about "If I worship god, god will give me this" but moreso the act of worship is what initiates such a state of being
Not all gods are like that though. Some religions require certain rituals. For instance sacrifice of human life. The Aztecs believed they lived in the 5th and last "sun" and that they should sacrifice blood to the sun, to postpone the inevitable end of the world (sounds familiar?). Without the sacrifices the sun would stop burning and the world would come to an early end.
Its a bit difficult to explain the aztec theology, or indeed any polytheistic system, as housing any personality with recourse to omnipotence however.
Regarding the Aztec thing, the same applies to rituals, worship and sacrifice, and also to one god of a collection of gods. Why would a god care? So worship brings a removal to this human experience? But you will get that whenever you die anyway. Plus, the act of worship initiating it is the same as a god giving you X as it requires a god to do such a thing anyway. It seems if your praise influences him, then it is very much about "If I worship god, god will give me this". Yes, but why would your god care one way or the other if one of approximately 100 billion individuals (so far) of a certain species praised him? Why would he punish you?
That's (edit: ) maybe true. Depending on how you define polytheism. One could argue that catholicism is polytheistic for instance.
Oh i believe the Tokien's universe (best described in the Silmarillion) also has an omnipotent overgod in a polytheistic religion.
Try and place yourself in Gods place. You are all powerful and all knowing. WTF could you possibly care if some animals on an obscure small planet in one of billions of galaxies wants to worship you? How would you feel if an ant colony started worshiping you? Maybe I'd piss on them if I was in one of those childish moods and maybe those ants would write an old testament to a vengeful God. The thought of worshiping a God makes me feel primitive and stupid, so I just can't do it. The fact that I live in a society that feels the need to worship a God is quite frankly embarrassing. Makes me glad we haven't had any alien visitors yet.
Your questions indicate that you have not thought deeply on what it might mean to exist as a human person whose eternal soul was specially created at the moment of your conception by an infinite and loving God. I can only recommend that you return to your philosophical pondering, but this time divested of the attitude of what might be in it for you (i.e., "What advantage does it give to me?"). Ponder instead what a debt of gratitude a dependent creature would owe to a Creator who gives humans life and the possibility of eternal happiness if they but love him in return.
I'm not thinking what does it do for me, because I have never done it and never will do. I am thinking what's in it for a god. Whether it exists or not, worshipping/praising/thanking it seems a futile exercise.
well for a starter, if the personality isn't omnipotent there is always the issue of maintaining the status quo probably more accurate to call it an addition - for instance if you got removed from jail (ie set free) you probably wouldn't conceive of it as a removal issue says who? not really since its the act of worshiping god is an act of being socialized around god (which is the foundation for unconditional life)
Don't really know what you are talking about but I can say off the bat that anything polytheistic requires that whoever is in to be less than omnipotent (btw the trinity doesn't really cut it because they are all operating out of the same potency)
Well there's an "overgod" who is omnipotent, but he's not really active like. He leaves the day to day things to his powerful but not omnipotent undergods. I'm not just talking about the trinity but also Maria and all the saints and such that catholics worship.
Because then He will give us powers to smite our enemies. Like non-believers. I'm praying right now...Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
then the universe is not ultimately polytheistic Mary is worshiped as the omnipotent creator of the universe?
They don't need to be omnipotent for people to worship them. I don't know how you define polytheism. All I'm saying is that it's possible to have an omnipotent (over)god in a polytheistic religion. Like Tolkien's mythology and Catholicism.
