What makes something worthy of worship? What characteristics define a god or God?

[Willamena]

No, it's what could bring a person to worship: fear of reprisal. The god of Abraham made it quite clear that to be saved from the fires of hell one must worship him.

Matthew 4:10 (NIV)
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.
​

And if one doesn't?

Revelation 14:11
And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
​

So . . .

Revelation 14: 7
7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

​

No going to worship this god, then be ready for the consequences because "the hour of his judgment has come."

"What brings one to worship" is worthiness. If fear makes things worthy, that reflects on your idea of worship.

 

[Skwim]

"What brings one to worship" is worthiness. If fear makes things worthy, that reflects on your idea of worship.

Yes it does. See below.

And you said that threats of retaliation make it worthy. I find that bizarre.

I do too, but that's the way the Christian god constructed the game. Here's what I see at the root of Christian worship.

God creates people
God creates two afterlives for these people when they die, heaven and hell.
Heaven is for those who do as he says, and hell for those who refuse to comply. Hence, he is retaliating against those who do not worship him by sending them to hell.

Of course, Christians forget this little angle and focus on how god gave them a chance to avoid his trap by "sending his only son to save them" for which they are so very thankful. Never mind that it was this very god who made this get-out-of-jail card necessary in the first place. It's like being shoved into a ravine by someone and then being told that for $500 that person will throw you a rope. Some will figure, what a great deal, praise that person for his kindness, and they will be thrown a rope and saved. Others will figure, no way, and they won't be given a rope. They will have been retaliated against for not forking over the $500. "Don't do as I say? Then suffer."

So, is being pulled out of the ravine worth parting with $500? If so, then the threat of retaliation, remaining in the ravine, made it worthy. Is being saved from hell worth worshiping god? If so, then the threat of retaliation, going to hell, made it worthy.

 

[Storm]

I do too, but that's the way the Christian god constructed the game. Here's what I see at the root of Christian worship.

God creates people
God creates two afterlives for these people when they die, heaven and hell.
Heaven is for those who do as he says, and hell for those who refuse to comply. Hence, he is retaliating against those who do not worship him by sending them to hell.

Of course, Christians forget this little angle and focus on how god gave them a chance to avoid his trap by "sending his only son to save them" for which they are so very thankful. Never mind that it was this very god who made this get-out-of-jail card necessary in the first place. It's like being shoved into a ravine by someone and then being told that for $500 that person will throw you a rope. Some will figure, what a great deal, praise that person for his kindness, and they will be thrown a rope and saved. Others will figure, no way, and they won't be given a rope. They will have been retaliated against for not forking over the $500. "Don't do as I say? Then suffer."

So, is being pulled out of the ravine worth parting with $500? If so, then the threat of retaliation, remaining in the ravine, made it worthy. Is being saved from hell worth worshiping god? If so, then the threat of retaliation, going to hell, made it worthy.

I also find it strange that you went to Christianity when the op made no such specification, and further that you did so when you obviously don't find such a God worthy.

 

[Skwim]

I also find it strange that you went to Christianity when the op made no such specification, and further that you did so when you obviously don't find such a God worthy.

In post #8 I said, "If someone threatens me with death, that fear sets my survival instinct into gear, which in turn will hopefully make me realize that abiding by the terms of the threat will save my life."

To which Willamena asked (#10) "That's your idea of "worship?"

Using the god of Abraham as an example, I answered (#14) "No, it's what could bring a person to worship: fear of reprisal. The god of Abraham made it quite clear that to be saved from the fires of hell one must worship him." I then listed several Biblical passages to make my point, and then concluded by saying, "No[t] going to worship this god, then be ready for the consequences because "the hour of his judgment has come."

Replying to this post, Willamena said "'What brings one to worship' is worthiness. If fear makes things worthy, that reflects on your idea of worship." which I took as referencing my use of Christian worship as an example. Then you said, "And you said that threats of retaliation make it worthy. I find that bizarre."

So I continued with this line of explanation, feeling the example of the Christian religion was a good one. So I don't see it as strange at all. And just because I don't find the Christian god worthy doesn't mean he isn't a good example of the point I'm trying to get across. Just because I don't find Hitler was worthy of adoration doesn't mean he isn't a good example of people adoring a despot.

 

[Storm]

The OP asked what YOU find worthy of worship....

 

[Skwim]

The OP asked what YOU find worthy of worship....

I was addressing one of the questions in the OP title:

"What makes something worthy of worship? What characteristics define a god or God?"
​

Was I bad to do that?

 

[Thief]

I don't regard worship under fear as worship.
Compliance under threat would be terrorism.

Perhaps the 'judgment problem' is not a matter of compliance.

If God truly is the Creator, and we are His handiwork,
then judgment and the consequence dealt is more to ability on our part,
or the lack thereof.

Never hear tell of an artist destroying a work, that fell short the 'self-expression' he sought?

 

[Me Myself]

Krishna I beleived said something along the lines of:

A true god doesn´t demand worship by inducing fear. A true god makes people worship him because they feel it´s good to wroship him, but not because of treaths.

 

[Skwim]

I don't regard worship under fear as worship.
Compliance under threat would be terrorism.

Perhaps the 'judgment problem' is not a matter of compliance.

If God truly is the Creator, and we are His handiwork,
then judgment and the consequence dealt is more to ability on our part,
or the lack thereof.

Never hear tell of an artist destroying a work, that fell short the 'self-expression' he sought?

I've expanded on this in a new thread I posted today. See HERE

Krishna I beleived said something along the lines of:

A true god doesn´t demand worship by inducing fear. A true god makes people worship him because they feel it´s good to wroship him, but not because of treaths.

Sounds like a far more loving and just god than the god of Abraham.

 

[ManTimeForgot]

That a "god" or "God" might not be just or loving is part of the reason why I asked the question of what makes something worthy of being considered a "god" or being worshiped.


If by some strange stroke of cosmic asshattery the most powerful being in all of existence turns out to be a huge prick, then I should think I would prefer not to exist or at the very least not recognize any claim such a being might make to being worth worshiping at all.


And when it comes to consummate perfection I don't recognize any claims or ideas that would posit a fundamentally anti-social being also being one and the same as the aforementioned perfection. You don't get to firebomb people solely to inspire fear and respect for your power without also becoming a terrorist: cosmic being or not and perfection defies labels, especially definitively immature ones like terrorist.

MTF

 

[Willamena]

Here's what I see at the root of Christian worship.

God creates people
God creates two afterlives for these people when they die, heaven and hell.
Heaven is for those who do as he says, and hell for those who refuse to comply. Hence, he is retaliating against those who do not worship him by sending them to hell.

Okay, stop right here for a sec. This may be off-topic but the idea of "heaven and hell" are not even Christian canon, they are attributed to a document called The Apocalypse of Peter and entered our mythic chronicle through popular support. I think holding them up as "root" is a mistake --it's certainly not what Christianity is about to me. It's arguable that it figures into the worship itself of "God" for any Christian.

But then, that's probably why you're arguing it... carry on.

Of course, Christians forget this little angle and focus on how god gave them a chance to avoid his trap by "sending his only son to save them" for which they are so very thankful. Never mind that it was this very god who made this get-out-of-jail card necessary in the first place. It's like being shoved into a ravine by someone and then being told that for $500 that person will throw you a rope. Some will figure, what a great deal, praise that person for his kindness, and they will be thrown a rope and saved. Others will figure, no way, and they won't be given a rope. They will have been retaliated against for not forking over the $500. "Don't do as I say? Then suffer."

So, is being pulled out of the ravine worth parting with $500? If so, then the threat of retaliation, remaining in the ravine, made it worthy. Is being saved from hell worth worshiping god? If so, then the threat of retaliation, going to hell, made it worthy.

You don't make it sound very worthy.

 

[Skwim]

Okay, stop right here for a sec. This may be off-topic but the idea of "heaven and hell" are not even Christian canon, they are attributed to a document called The Apocalypse of Peter and entered our mythic chronicle through popular support. I think holding them up as "root" is a mistake --it's certainly not what Christianity is about to me. It's arguable that it figures into the worship itself of "God" for any Christian.

But then, that's probably why you're arguing it... carry on.

Cannon or not, to Christians the avoidance of hell and the promise of heaven is he main driving force behind their religion.

You don't make it sound very worthy.

Worth is what we make of it. Is the fear of ending up in hell worth sticking to the demands of god? If yes, then there's your worthiness.

 

[Father Heathen]

Worship should come from genuine admiration and adoration, which is something that can't be coerced. It's something that should be earned through embodying noble and honorable qualities of character and conduct.

 

[Me Myself]

Worship should come from genuine admiration and adoration, which is something that can't be coerced. It's something that should be earned through embodying noble and honorable qualities of character and conduct.

I agree

 

[Skwim]

Worship should come from genuine admiration and adoration, which is something that can't be coerced. It's something that should be earned through embodying noble and honorable qualities of character and conduct.

And that's why I feel the Christian regard for their god qualifies as the Stockholm Syndrome.

 

[rsd]

What would something have to be or do in order to make it worthy of worship?

On a simple level, if something is accepted by God, then to me, that things is also worshipable.

 

[ManTimeForgot]

I will put my two cents worth in since others seem to be finished.

I think in order to be labeled "God" something has to be at the very least the maximal entity that reality can support (it must be the very best possible); if a being happens to be synonymous with Reality while being self-determining or exceeding Reality, then these are also definitions I consider worthy of being labeled "God."


A "god" to me is no more and no less than an advanced extra-terrestrial being (occupying the same space as earth, but on a higher dimension or whatever while perhaps not technically extra-terrestrial is sufficient for me to think of it as an "alien").


I would only consider something worthy of reverence/worship (ultimate respect and highest regard) if and only if this being showed that it could and would be bothered to enhance the livelihood of everyone around it and that it was capable of enhancing humanities station/faculties/society in a manner which would normally be reserved for leaps in evolution or technological paradigm. Transform humanity by ushering in the Singularity and I will recognize your "godhood."

MTF

 

[Onkara]

I will put my two cents worth in since others seem to be finished.

I think in order to be labeled "God" something has to be at the very least the maximal entity that reality can support (it must be the very best possible); if a being happens to be synonymous with Reality while being self-determining or exceeding Reality, then these are also definitions I consider worthy of being labeled "God."


A "god" to me is no more and no less than an advanced extra-terrestrial being (occupying the same space as earth, but on a higher dimension or whatever while perhaps not technically extra-terrestrial is sufficient for me to think of it as an "alien").


I would only consider something worthy of reverence/worship (ultimate respect and highest regard) if and only if this being showed that it could and would be bothered to enhance the livelihood of everyone around it and that it was capable of enhancing humanities station/faculties/society in a manner which would normally be reserved for leaps in evolution or technological paradigm. Transform humanity by ushering in the Singularity and I will recognize your "godhood."

MTF

In my view "God" is not separate from anything or any person, so "God" is not a separate being and hence not extra-terrestrial.

"God" is in fact being-ness itself, and that being-ness includes all entities with "life" e.g. humans, animals, plants etc. Within beingness are all apparently static phenomena too i.e. mountains, oceans, planets, etc. For this reason it is everywhere (omnipresent), timeless and immortal. It is without birth or death and all knowing (omnisicent) as it is everywhere always.

"God" is Being-ness or existence itself, hence it is our core Self or higher Self. Words are just pointers. The fundamental goal is to recognise this being-ness for yourself as your Self. When we recognise it we recognise that our being is indeed"the very least the maximal entity that reality can support (it must be the very best possible)". In other words it is the summun bonum of life, it is the foundation for everything and the arena in which all coming and going exists.

Worship then is not for something in return, but to enhance something which already exists. It enhances the Being-ness (God/Self) in that it allows all focus, all energy and thought to concentrate on our core i.e. on God/Self. Its reward is the enrichment of life i.e. of our own being, of God and of our higher Self. Ramanuja, a philosopher said "He who extremely loves this Self is loved by this Self".

 

[Thief]

What would something have to be or do in order to make it worthy of worship? Comparably: what qualities would a being have to have in order to make divine (a deity)?

What does your worship entail? Does worship truly boil down to "mere" adoration and subservience? Would you supplicate in order to receive knowledge?


What separates an ET from a god or "God" in your mind?

MTF

Creator....there is only One.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Something loving and that does everything in its power to protect you. That, if I am not mistaken, is thyself.