A question: Why worship a deity? Worshippers must obviously be theists and not deists (deist = belief in a god that created the world, but does not alter it). But what should God do for you? Prevent you death at the hands of a murderer? Lots of people have died, killed by murderers or dictators. Make you more beautiful or smarter? Lots of people woulnt qualify as either today. Give you a good wife/husband? Lots of peoples marriages fair today, I believe the number is 2/3 of all marriages in the western world. So - tell me - WHY WORSHIP?
Why worship? Its simple really It makes people feel better about themselves. Prayer is like a religious placebo. You make be praying to a golden monkey, a 3 headed pig or a 40 foot high gargoyle...but if it makes you feel better then so be it! Worship/prayer helps theists ratify their faith with a sense of community. A major selling point of any religion is the sense of community...and self worth believing a higher power is watching over his flock....and then you get attacked by a murderer....and you lie their dying wondering why you wasted most of your living life trying to explain what is about to happen to you in 10 seconds.
Whether you believe in Creation or evolution. Man worships. I tend to believe that God created, thus I think that man was created to worship. If you look around, you will notice that everybody worships.. Not everybody worships a deity, but everybody will worship something. Even if it is worshipping themselves or worshipping nature. Some worship knowledge and wisdom. So Why Worship? Because we were created to worship. If you believe in Evolution.. Well I am not sure why man worships, but it doesn't seem to change the fact that they worship. Worship is more than just to a diety. Worship can come in all kinds of forms, including subliminal worship. Do you think that everybody worships something, whether a diety or something else?
Quigly, Don't know if your addressing me...but I'm borded out of my head so i'm replying. I don't believe man was created to worship, as I believe it would be a sick and twisted god that would create life for the sole purpose of self pleasure. Would you have a child in order for that child to worship you to somehow validate your life? I do take onboard your point about everybody worshiping something.....be it a god or a car. It makes us feel better.....but drop the whole created to worship thing! I did not ask to be born!
Created to worship? I find that statement preposterous. 1) I dont believe we were /created/. We simply evolved. There were no /creation/ process, there was an evolution process. 2) Worship as a goal? Perhaps for those who believe. I dont worship, millions of other dont worship (other than Baywatch or certain rock bands, perhaps, but that is entirely different).
Well I don't want to take this into a Monothesism/Atheism discussion. Everybody will believe what they are most prone to believe at any one moment. DJsup- Maybe you don't do to a church or temple. Maybe you don't even worship a fatted monkey. My whole point though is, that worship goes beyond a diety. Many people worship other things like people. Sports figures, political figures, historical figures... There is direct worship and indirect worship. People can also worship things like freedom, self-expression, and talent. You say you don't worship, but I would bet that people will daily worship, most of the time an act of the subconscience, but still an act. Any thoughts?
Yeah - I think Pamela Anderson-worship is quite cool (or at leats, it was, back when she was on baywatch) Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Maybe in a traditional religious sense you don't, Here is the Meaning of Worship by merriam-websters: 1 chiefly British : a person of importance -- used as a title for various officials (as magistrates and some mayors) 2 : reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also : an act of expressing such reverence 3 : a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual 4 : extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem Look at 1. A person of Importance. I am sure there is someone that is important to you.(maybe not) 2. Reverence offered to a divine being or supernatural power. Probably don't participate in this, unless you believe in the monkey god. 2nd part of 2. An act of expressing such reverence. Entertainment is a big one here. Actors, actresses, musicians, sports teams/figures, clowns, The act: going to a game to support, watching a movie, hiring a clown(that is considered worship in and of itself) 3. Religious practice: Probably not unless you would consider Atheism a religion. 4. Extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem. Historical figures, people, Admiration could be anyone from parents to girlfriends to your wife.
For a lot of people, worship is a joful thing. Its an expression of love for the thing that created them. Its a positive action. If you are in love with someone, don't you constantly want to reach out to them and give them gestures of your affection?
I have to agree with jusmeig on this one. Prayer calms a person down, reminds them that things aren't as bad as they seem, takes off pressure, and is humbling. All these relieve stress and make you healthier, so there is a biological reason for believing in God, same reason as getting plenty of nutritious food and beauty sleep. Cave men could have painted on their cave walls in order to have a successful hunt. Whether they had a good hunt or not, the superstitious act did not hurt, and it might have helped to relax them before going out to kill animals. So what is the harm in having superstition or icon you worship if it has positive physiological effects on your body? Same thing with aliens or cults. If your mind is put at ease knowing that your cult leader/ET will make your life better when you reach nirvana/another planet, then you will have a healthier physical body (although your mind will be inferior to people who have a firmer grasp on reality as opposed to your delusional lifestyle) Worship in god or money or fairies is harmless, it is only when you force your beliefs on others (including children) that you begin to harm the world. -ZERO MASS
People worship because they are insecure and have fear of bad things happening. Worshipping gives them an assuring feeling.
This is the only one that applies to me. But it is obviously not the popular usage and not the one referenced in the subject of the thread. Therefore, it is worthless in this discussion. I think it is a harmful thing. Worshipping god or fairies is delusional. Worshipping money is shallow.
