What do the gods worship?

[Quintessence]

The worship of divine powers serves many important and beneficial roles in human cultures throughout history. While a full discussion of this is beyond the intended scope of this thread, in simple terms let us recognize that paying respect and honor to forces which are regarded as sacred, awesome, and/or greater than oneself can provide an important sense of meaning, purpose, and context in the lives of the worshipers. While not all humans use religious terminology to guide meaning, purpose, and context in life, a majority of them do. I was thinking over this function of religious worship of gods recently and found myself asking an interesting question:

What do the gods worship? Do the objects of our worship in turn worship something that they perceive to be sacred, awesome, and/or greater than themselves? If so, what is it?

This question may make more sense if you consider the divine from a polytheistic perspective - as I was at the time - but I gladly welcome any theological perspectives that wish to contribute to this discussion. What would your deity or deities worship, if anything? For purposes here, let's very loosely define the terms "deity" and "worship" as below:

Deity = something an individual attributes to be sacred, awesome, greater, and/or worthy of worship. This could be anything from honored ancestors to spirits/deities manifest in nature/cities/otherworlds, or the more familiar all-powerful god of classical monotheism.
Worship = paying respect and honor to such a deity.

 

[Storm]

They won't tell us.

 

[WanderLust]

They worship their own arrogance, the only thing greater than themselves.

 

[Jainarayan]

What do the gods worship? Do the objects of our worship in turn worship something that they perceive to be sacred, awesome, and/or greater than themselves? If so, what is it?

Hindu deities pray to each other to ask for favors or assistance of each other. Lord Shiva prays to Lord Vishnu; Lord Brahma worshipped Lord Krishna; Maa Durga took the form of a baby girl in order to protect Lord Krishna from being killed at His birth. Then She revealed Herself to Lord Krishna's intended assassin in Her true form and laughed in his face. Lord Krishna told Arjuna to pray to Maa Durga before the Battle of Kurukshetra. Lord Rama prayed to Lord Shiva while on His search for Sitadevi. There is a temple in southern India called Rameshvara, where Rama worshipped Shiva (Maheshvara, Great Lord). Lord Shiva even cursed Lord Brahma for Lord Brahma's ego. In times of battle or strife, sometimes several deities would appeal to another to step in and put a stop to things.

 

[Storm]

They worship their own arrogance, the only thing greater than themselves.

You've been talking to the wrong Gods...... :yes:

 

[Kilgore Trout]

They worship atheists.

 

[Valjean]

They worship nothing -- they are atheists.:yes:

 

[The Sum of Awe]

They worship nothing -- they are atheists.:yes:

Exactly! When I said this people called me crazy!

 

[Ben Dhyan]

What do the gods worship? Do the objects of our worship in turn worship something that they perceive to be sacred, awesome, and/or greater than themselves? If so, what is it?

Sure, imho Cosmic entities further up the food chain than mortals are more aware that their very existence is dependent on the awesome Cosmic matter/energy/spirit Reality in which they have their being.

However it is also true that wiser humans respect but do not worship mere 'Gods', but the very same One and only Absolute Reality which the so called 'Gods' worship.

 

[Riverwolf]

The worship of divine powers serves many important and beneficial roles in human cultures throughout history. While a full discussion of this is beyond the intended scope of this thread, in simple terms let us recognize that paying respect and honor to forces which are regarded as sacred, awesome, and/or greater than oneself can provide an important sense of meaning, purpose, and context in the lives of the worshipers. While not all humans use religious terminology to guide meaning, purpose, and context in life, a majority of them do. I was thinking over this function of religious worship of gods recently and found myself asking an interesting question:

What do the gods worship? Do the objects of our worship in turn worship something that they perceive to be sacred, awesome, and/or greater than themselves? If so, what is it?

This question may make more sense if you consider the divine from a polytheistic perspective - as I was at the time - but I gladly welcome any theological perspectives that wish to contribute to this discussion. What would your deity or deities worship, if anything? For purposes here, let's very loosely define the terms "deity" and "worship" as below:

Deity = something an individual attributes to be sacred, awesome, greater, and/or worthy of worship. This could be anything from honored ancestors to spirits/deities manifest in nature/cities/otherworlds, or the more familiar all-powerful god of classical monotheism.
Worship = paying respect and honor to such a deity.

Probably other Deities, or if there's a Supreme Deity, or something beyond the Supreme Deity, then probably that.

 

[Quintessence]

Interesting thoughts so far, folks. Some of the deities I've worked with... I've gotten the impression they are "atheist" in a narrow sense of the term. Others have seemed to follow a paradigm closer to what TouchedbytheLord described. Approaching this question somewhat depends on whether or not you see the universe in a hierarchical fashion. I do not, so a proverbial "food chain" of deities doesn't track in my brain quite so well. There is no "food chain" in ecology anyway; it is a "food web" that is interconnected and cyclical more than it is linear.

Maybe some of the gods worship their worshipers? *laughs*

 

[Caladan]

In various world mythologies the younger generation of gods replaced the older generation of gods, often in an act of rebellion. such as the case of the Olympian gods and the Titans, or the younger generation of gods led by Marduk and the elder gods led by Tiamat in the Babylonian religion and its predecessor the Sumerian religion.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

They worship nothing -- they are atheists.:yes:

Captain Killjoy to the rescue! Atheism isn't a position on worship. It's a position on existence. It all comes down to whether the gods believe they are gods.

 

[Atman]

Namaste

As humanity worships the gods, so do the gods worship humanity.

Aum Namah Shivaya
Jai Kali Maa

 

[Shermana]

They worship the "god of the gods". (Like in Psalm 136:2). Ancient Judaism, along with most other cultures, were generally "Henotheist" and mostly all had a similar concept of a "god of the gods", just the identity of such was relative to the culture. What we call "Polytheism" in which there is no "chief god" is more of a later development. Even the American Indians often had a "god of the gods" concept.

The meaning of the word "god" is often misunderstood. It most closely means "power".

 

[Madhuri]

God worships himself.
The gods worship God.
But that's just an example of God worshiping God.

 

[ashe isadora]

Do I recall a Wiccan concept known as the Drygchton? Would the Gods be OF it, ot pay homage to it - I'm not sure. Also, since humans and the Gods have a symbiotic relationship, we humans must play a part in Their worship - maybe? I'm wa-a-ay out on a limb, but I love the questions you inspired!


Ashe Isadora

 

[Me Myself]

God worships himself.
The gods worship God.
But that's just an example of God worshiping God.

This.

I also would say other exchanges depend on the Gods in question. They can worship each other, nobody or even lower beings (why not?)

Ultimately, it´s always God worshipping God

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Captain Killjoy to the rescue! Atheism isn't a position on worship. It's a position on existence. It all comes down to whether the gods believe they are gods.

Technically they wouldn't be gods to themselves though, they're just themselves to themselves

 

[Me Myself]

I am god. I worship:

Shiva
Jesus
Buddha´s teachings
Ganesh
Hermes ( only a couple of informal times )
Peace and Compassion in general
Myself.

So now you can have a better idea