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Why do you worship what you do?

gtrsgrls

Member
This occured to me when someone was telling me about all the different gods that he worships.Wouldn't a god actually need a reason to be worshipped?I mean, people worship the Christian God because he created everything.(at least to a christian)But I've found that some people just worship "gods" without any apparent reason.So again,Why do you worship what you do?And if you don't have a reason to worship something than why do you do it?(I'm not looking for an argument)
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I really don't do much worshiping. I believe in science and reason, with a particular interest in theoretical physics: quantum mechanics, relativity theory, possibly string theory -- though I don't have a good grasp of the latter. Why an omniscient, omnipotent God should concern himself so with the human condition is problematic.
I generally label myself an Advaita Vedanti when asked about faith or religion, inasmuch as this philosophy is consistent with the above mentioned abstract physics and with certain, personal mystical experiences I've experienced.
 

Solon

Active Member
I honour the Old Gods of Egypt and Greece, because it so pleases me to do so. I look upon the great Temple of Amun as my spiritual home. I do these things as my duty, to the ancestors and great ones of long ago, before the imposters arrived and suppressed the old ways. Athena is my patron Goddess, and her owl is my totem. Athens is my second spiritual home. I need no one God.

What is in my heart is there through resonance with the Ancient Ones.
 

Darkdale

World Leader Pretend
gtrsgrls said:
This occured to me when someone was telling me about all the different gods that he worships.Wouldn't a god actually need a reason to be worshipped?I mean, people worship the Christian God because he created everything.(at least to a christian)But I've found that some people just worship "gods" without any apparent reason.So again,Why do you worship what you do?And if you don't have a reason to worship something than why do you do it?(I'm not looking for an argument)


Heathens don't generally "worship" our gods. It's more a matter of reverence and respect. As a Heathen, I have too much to do with my life to sit around worshiping the gods and they know this. I believe my gods would rather me spend my time living my life and enjoying my friends and family. I make sure to honor them, but that's all I think they need. Just be in my thoughts and heart. I share my life with them.
 

Popeyesays

Well-Known Member
Worship . . . why? I haven't the faintest idea why from God's point of view.

SHORT OBLIGATORY PRAYER
TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, AT NOON
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
(Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 3)
--------------------------------
WORSHIP thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy 78 gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God's creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men.
Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without fear of fire, or hope of paradise.
Although when true worship is offered, the worshipper is delivered from the fire, and entereth the paradise of God's good-pleasure, yet such should not be the motive of his act. However, God's favour and grace ever flow in accordance with the exigencies of His inscrutable wisdom.
(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 77)


Regards,
Scott
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
gtrsgrls said:
This occured to me when someone was telling me about all the different gods that he worships.Wouldn't a god actually need a reason to be worshipped?I mean, people worship the Christian God because he created everything.(at least to a christian)But I've found that some people just worship "gods" without any apparent reason.So again,Why do you worship what you do?And if you don't have a reason to worship something than why do you do it?(I'm not looking for an argument)
I think that when I say I 'worship' God, I mean that more as in a 'I am devoted to him, and love him' kind of way; perhaps the word worship needs to be defined ?
 

Feathers in Hair

World's Tallest Hobbit
I can't say I worship gods, but I celebrate them. I do so if they have qualities that I want to emulate, qualities that I wish to celebrate in myself, or stories that speak to my life.
 

Zephyr

Moved on
Darkdale said:
Heathens don't generally "worship" our gods. It's more a matter of reverence and respect. As a Heathen, I have too much to do with my life to sit around worshiping the gods and they know this. I believe my gods would rather me spend my time living my life and enjoying my friends and family. I make sure to honor them, but that's all I think they need. Just be in my thoughts and heart. I share my life with them.
FeathersinHair said:
I can't say I worship gods, but I celebrate them. I do so if they have qualities that I want to emulate, qualities that I wish to celebrate in myself, or stories that speak to my life.
*GASP!* I may just be a heathen then!

Libraists (Well, Libraist. I'm the only one...for now.) don't worship the creator god, but we do respect and honor them. Like Darkdale said, it is more important to live your life than to worship.
 

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
I try to simply remain thankfull for everything I have in this life and remain connected to the world around me and to the spirits and my ancestors.

I do it because that is what works for me. :D

wa:do
 
I don't worship anything, I don't believe in anything that would won't to be worship and in worshiping you serenader your own will to what ever you worship and fallow the path (loosly or strictly) set they that particular religion, in my philosophy it is wrong to fallow the path of another or the path that has been set for you.
 

gtrsgrls

Member
What I meant was if you worship/honor/devote your life to/respect/ or anything else,other God's,than why do you do that?
 

Solon

Active Member
You could ask the same of yourself, why do worship Christ and his God, who are actually alien to the Western World. I follow my gods because they appeal to my emotional makeup. I follow my heart and not a Dogma of dubious origins.
 

Engyo

Prince of Dorkness!
gtrsgrls said:
This occured to me when someone was telling me about all the different gods that he worships.Wouldn't a god actually need a reason to be worshipped?I mean, people worship the Christian God because he created everything.(at least to a christian)But I've found that some people just worship "gods" without any apparent reason.So again,Why do you worship what you do?And if you don't have a reason to worship something than why do you do it?(I'm not looking for an argument)
gtrsgrls -

I don't personally worship anything. I practice Buddhism. I honor the example of the Buddha, and that of the Bodihisattvas; images of the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas provide reference points, or reminders. They are NOT worshipped as the word is used in Christianity.

The reason I practice Buddhism is that it actually works, whether one believes in it or not, as long as one does it. Just like exercising or lifting weights, you can disbelieve all you like, but if you actually do it, the results happen completely irrespective of your belief or disbelief.
 

gtrsgrls

Member
Solon said:
You could ask the same of yourself, why do worship Christ and his God, who are actually alien to the Western World. I follow my gods because they appeal to my emotional makeup. I follow my heart and not a Dogma of dubious origins.
I worship God because he created everything and I think that's a good enough reason to worship anything-because he created you.I worship Jesus because he came and died on the cross for me because I'm too sinful to make it to heaven on my own.
 

Solon

Active Member
But you don't know that for certain, you only hope that that is so. I follow my Gods without any worry of any salvation.
 

BruceDLimber

Well-Known Member
Greetings! :)

I'm a Baha'i, the the Baha'i teaching (which I'm confident is extremely similar to that of the other great religions) is that God doesn't need worship--doesn't need ANYTHING, in fact!

Worship is for our own benefit to promote our own spiritual growth and well-being.

Also, we have the slightly different viewpoint that the Baha'i scriptures assert that one's profession, when performed in a spirit of service to humanity, ranks as worship of God! Works for us. :)

Best,

Bruce
 

may

Well-Known Member
Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth...john 4;23-24

( Jerusalem Bible)

"O come in, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker. For he is our God and we are the people of his pasturage and the sheep of his hand."—Ps. 95:6, 7

"To whom could you liken God? What image could you contrive of him?"—ISAIAH 40:18, "THE JERUSALEM BIBLE

You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them, because I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion... Exodus 20;4-5

Therefore, my beloved ones, flee from idolatry 1 corinthians 10; 14

objects in worship is a dangerous practice. It can easily tempt people to worship the object rather than the God the object is supposed to represent. In other words, the icon becomes a focus for idolatry

The use of icons in worship, being against the clear teaching of the Bible, cannot help people to win God’s approval and gain salvation. On the contrary, Jesus said that everlasting life depends upon our taking in knowledge of the only true God, becoming acquainted with his matchless personality as well as with his purposes and dealings with humans. (John 17:3) Icons that do not see, feel, or speak do not help one to know God and to worship him acceptably. (Psalm 115:4-8) That most important education is available only through a study of God’s Word, the Bible

"My little children, be on your guard against idols"!—1 John 5:21, NAB

 

BruceDLimber

Well-Known Member
YmirGF said:
As to those who are stuck in "worship mode", you better make sure that your concept of god is a good one.
No problem whatever!

The Baha'i scriptures are quite clear that God is totally unknowable by any human initiative!

And that all we know of Him is what His Divne Messengers have taught us about Him, clearly none of which comes anywhere close to describing Him or encompassing Him fully.

But we're most happy to rely on Him regardless. . . . :)

Best,

Bruce
 

Peace

Quran & Sunnah
I worship the One God, the Creator of the skies, the earth and what’s therein and the Creator of all that exist. I worship the One who originated me by His blessing before I was a thing remembered. I worship the One who created me from dust and originated my creation from a sperm-drop spilled and made me to dwell in a threefold gloom among flesh,blood and skin. I worship the One who watched over me in the cradle as an infant baby provided me with food, wholesome milk, and turned the hearts of the nurse-maids toward me. I worship the One who entrusted my upbringing to a compassionate mother who looked after me and embraced me with her affection by His Mercy. I worship the One who nurtured me more and more each year until, when my nature was perfected and my strength balanced, He made His argument incumbent upon me by inspiring me with His knowledge, awing me with the marvels of His wisdom, awakening me to the wonders of His creation and instructing me in His thanks and remembrance. I worship the One who guided me to Him and making me so close to Him to know Him by sending His Messengers with good tidings and knowledge to learn. I worship the One to whom I pray and He answers me and the One that when I ask Him He gives me and when I obey Him He shows me His gratitude and when I thank Him He gives me more. I worship the One who pardons the greatest sins by His clemency and gives abundance by His generosity.
I worship the One who is my Sustenance in my adversity and my Companion in my solitude and my Healer in my sickness and my Aid in my affliction.. I worship my God and the God of my fathers Adam, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob. I worship the God of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. I worship the God and Lord of Gabriel, Michael and Israfil. I worship the God of the whole universe who created you and me and all that exist.
I am really sorry for those who are deny their Creator and still unable to know Him though He is the One who created them and has bestowed on them all the bounties they are He is the One who created them and has bestowed on them all the bounties they are enjoying and more than that He had bestowed on them a mind by which they could reason and come to know Him. Oh if only they could know Him!
May our dear God guide our ways!!! Amen

Peace
 
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