Why worship god?

Shantanu said:

I was in utter need for divine help as I found there to be no one on this Earth that I could turn to in my hour of need. I stumbled upon the use of digital clock to exchange messages with God when reading Linda Goodman's Star Signs book that I came across accidentally. I needed Him, and He made it clear to me that He was only coming to help me because of my devotion to Him. Now I am free of the need to consult Him and He says in effect: get on with your life and stop bothering me. I listen.

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Fine, you were doing something useful ... no problem with that.

Altfish said:

If you were a god, why would you want or even expect 'worship'? I mean, an occasional, "Thanks" would be ok, but constant worship. urgh!

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Who says that the gods want constant worship? I also think that you are confusing worship with groveling. That may apply in some religions, but not mine.

Altfish said:

Fine, you were doing something useful ... no problem with that.

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I have done all I can and now I just while away my time unconcerned about God but fulfilling the needs of dharma to satisfy my Existential Buddhism practice for humanity. I too am a humanist like yourself.

DavidMcCann said:

Who says that the gods want constant worship? I also think that you are confusing worship with groveling. That may apply in some religions, but not mine.

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Again, only a partial quote.
But why do many, many people go to church every (say) Sunday?

LuisDantas said:

What would constitute worship? Who decides which form it is supposed to have, or if it is at all a good thing?

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Worship=anything we do towards gods that shows respect.

syo said:

Why worship God? Because Gods are the givers of life. Without Gods, nothing would exist. So we are grateful and we honor them with rituals. But most importantly, Gods show the way with dharma. so with gods, we live and if we follow dharma, we live well.
Are there other reasons?

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The idea of God can be interpreted as meaning the entire human collective. So serving God or worshiping God can be thought of as making a trans-personal commitment to the welfare and well-being of the human race. So the act of worshiping God can be thought of as the act of being selfless in the service of the people in your sphere of influence. Our joy and happiness comes from helping other people achieve joy and happiness. Our salvation comes from helping other people achieve their salvation.

if i had a saviour God i would worship what that God had done for me. And if that God had the authority of truest ways of life, i would pray to such God.

It seems to me that to have a God is to admit that such God is in complete authority over my life.

And if that God is genuine, that God would go about perfecting me to become an equal friend, one who can see eye to eye about everything with such God self.

Worship is reverence and admiration for. And if God deserves such worship whereas God is above me in every way, then the straight path would be to someday be as perfect as God.

I cant even imagine a God who would desire me to be forever be below God. That kind of God is not to be trusted.

So a true God would seek to make equal fellowship with God. What kind of father or mother is it that always and forever is content to teach and discipline their child forever? And the child content with eternal worship never grows to be anything significant.

So if i ever find a God, or more a Saviour, i would only be content in equaling the character of my Saviour, and being obedient and follow in Saviour's ways til i become the equal of the divine master, in heart, and wisdom, if not able ever in knowledge.

For there would be nothing greater then becoming a true friend to the divine master. Equal admiration, equal reverence.

syo said:

Worship=anything we do towards gods that shows respect.

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How do we know that there are gods involved?

Incidentally, does it follow that there can be no worship of false gods?

syo said:

Why worship God? Because Gods are the givers of life. Without Gods, nothing would exist. So we are grateful and we honor them with rituals. But most importantly, Gods show the way with dharma. so with gods, we live and if we follow dharma, we live well.
Are there other reasons?

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As I see it, people worship gods in an attempt to realize that which generally considered to be ineffable.

How could worship be beneficial to any sentient being? Imagine millions of voices in your head singing your praises, asking for a boon, or whatnot? How soon would something like this drive any sentient being insane?

syo said:

Why worship God? Because Gods are the givers of life. Without Gods, nothing would exist. So we are grateful and we honor them with rituals. But most importantly, Gods show the way with dharma. so with gods, we live and if we follow dharma, we live well.
Are there other reasons?

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Because God is a treasure that even death cannot take away and is better than all that life has to offer

syo said:

Why worship God? Because Gods are the givers of life. Without Gods, nothing would exist. So we are grateful and we honor them with rituals. But most importantly, Gods show the way with dharma. so with gods, we live and if we follow dharma, we live well.
Are there other reasons?

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I don't mind gods wanting to be thanked ─ that shows their human side, and is a proper part of courtesy in social interactions.

But I have no idea why they'd want to be worshiped. Ego-mad?

syo said:

Why worship God? Because Gods are the givers of life. Without Gods, nothing would exist. So we are grateful and we honor them with rituals. But most importantly, Gods show the way with dharma. so with gods, we live and if we follow dharma, we live well.
Are there other reasons?

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in Buddhist terminology, Gautama became the Buddha the Awakened, or Enlightened, One.
Others view him as the final one of a series of Buddhas to preach or revive the dharma (Pali, Dhamma),
Still others view him as a bodhisattva, (one who had attained enlightenment) .

As to the effect of Hindu principles on millions of the inhabitants of India, writer Mulk Raj Anand commented: "Unfortunately, the reassertion of Hindu Dharma [custom] in the code of Manu, with a more rigid caste system, with its degradation of women, and its insistence on ritual, preserved the discriminations which were to divide Indian society for all time". The Illustrated Weekly of India, November 17, 1974, p. 13.

the Bhagavad Gita, represents God as saying: "Even those who are devoted to other deities and worship them, filled with faith, they too really worship Me".
Some clergyman of Christendom agree with this claiming: God speaks through all religions.

So intricate is the mythology of hinduism that the New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology states:
"Indian mythology is an inextricable jungle of luxuriant growths. When you enter it you lose the light of day and all clear sense of direction".

Clearly there is confusion when it comes to the type of worship that God accepts. A christian should be aware that these teachings are diametrically opposite to the teachings of Christ.

(Matthew 7:13, 14) "Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it".

syo said:

Why worship God? Because Gods are the givers of life. Without Gods, nothing would exist. So we are grateful and we honor them with rituals. But most importantly, Gods show the way with dharma. so with gods, we live and if we follow dharma, we live well.
Are there other reasons?

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Why do I worship God?
Because this world is passing away
Someday, one day
Maybe when that time comes
I'll be resting in a coffin, rotting and turning into dust
or maybe I would be on the road driving
But before it hits the fan
I have followed and worship God in spirit and in truth.
For me to have hope and be saved to see God's promise
and that is to have Eternal Life

dfnj said:

The idea of God can be interpreted as meaning the entire human collective. So serving God or worshiping God can be thought of as making a trans-personal commitment to the welfare and well-being of the human race. So the act of worshiping God can be thought of as the act of being selfless in the service of the people in your sphere of influence. Our joy and happiness comes from helping other people achieve joy and happiness. Our salvation comes from helping other people achieve their salvation.

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Great post!

blü 2 said:

I don't mind gods wanting to be thanked ─ that shows their human side, and is a proper part of courtesy in social interactions.

But I have no idea why they'd want to be worshiped. Ego-mad?

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Nah, Gods don't demand worship. We act like worshipping because we want to.

LuisDantas said:

How do we know that there are gods involved?

Incidentally, does it follow that there can be no worship of false gods?

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When the worship causes harm, no Gods are involved.

syo said:

When the worship causes harm, no Gods are involved.

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Yeah, fair enough. I have reached a similar conclusion by another path.

crossfire said:

How could worship be beneficial to any sentient being? Imagine millions of voices in your head singing your praises, asking for a boon, or whatnot? How soon would something like this drive any sentient being insane?

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I don't think Gods receive the world as we do. We would be insane, but Gods? No, in my opinion.

syo said:

Nah, Gods don't demand worship. We act like worshipping because we want to.

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You have a need to worship?

Enjoy!

I'll remain puzzled.