What Makes a Being Worthy of Worship?

[Quietuss]

Could the word "worship" please be defined for me?

 

[funyun]

That statement reflects your feelings; generally about yourself..

God is a jealous God.

Then I'm not sure he can also be a perfect god.

Of course, you could also repeat that that statement reflects my feelings, generally about myself. And it probably does.

To which I would respond, so does any use of the concept of "perfection". Or, "worthy of worship", for that matter.

 

[AuraTwilight]

Any being worthy of worship would be above wanting to be worshipped.

QFT

 

[HazyRigby]

It is not that He created us and is all powerful. An all powerful creator could be malevolent. And then, worship would only be out of His selfish desires and our fear of retribution. No, it that He is perfect in love. That we were created for the sole purpose of relating with Him, being loved by Him and in return loving Him and each other.

I happen to think that any being that would create other, lesser beings for the sole purpose of loving him is malevolent.

What if your creations do not want to love you? I know! Fiery hell!

 

[elman]

I happen to think that any being that would create other, lesser beings for the sole purpose of loving him is malevolent.

What if your creations do not want to love you? I know! Fiery hell!

Please explain to me how you can think a Creator that created you to have beings around Him that He could love and who could respond to His love is malevolent. If God wants you to love Him and you refuse to do so, no firey hell. you simply come to the end of your first gift which was mortal life. So no you do not know what happens if you do not want to love God.

 

[AuraTwilight]

Please explain to me how you can think a Creator that created you to have beings around Him that He could love and who could respond to His love is malevolent. If God wants you to love Him and you refuse to do so, no firey hell. you simply come to the end of your first gift which was mortal life. So no you do not know what happens if you do not want to love God.

His point is that the Abrahamic God requires that you love him in order to be eternally happy/immortal/whatever. It's basically extortion.

 

[brimac]

This thread is created with reference to this thread, in the Christians-only section:

http://www.christianforums.com/t5608546

Basically, I asked the question, "what has God done that makes him worthy of worship?"

However, discussion then led to the topic of what can any being can do that would justify them demanding that they be worshiped.

At the moment, I'm drawing a blank. Nothing I can think of is a good enough good to make worship justified.

Ideas?

I thought I'd ask here as well, as I'd appreciate the neutral standpoint of atheists and other non-Christians in answering this question without the use of scripture.

What makes a being worthy of being worshipped is the ability to truthfully say, I AM! That phrase carrys with it the signature of being the All in All of everything. It implies that the being which speaks it and only that being has always been. It is the utterance of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence! It is the Name of the Word by which all things came into being!

 

[elman]

His point is that the Abrahamic God requires that you love him in order to be eternally happy/immortal/whatever. It's basically extortion.

My point is that even the Abrhamic God did not threaten hell and only wanted Abraham to love Him and let Him love Abraham and although eternity may not have ever been mentioned specifically. I think if Abraham responded to the love of God with love Abraham had the hope of eternal life spiritually with God. If one does not wish to respond to love with love God will not force you to be with Him, although that is where eternal life is possible and if you chose to not exist with God you chose to not exist. No extortion involved, simply the consequences of choices.

 

[platzapS]

I don't know what "worship" means. If there were an omniscient, omnipotent, generally benevolent Creator of the universe, than It is probably worthy of some praise. But since It would already know if we appreciate Its works or not, the praise and worship would be only for our own benefit, for reflection and a source of joy.

 

[elman]

I don't know what "worship" means. If there were an omniscient, omnipotent, generally benevolent Creator of the universe, than It is probably worthy of some praise. But since It would already know if we appreciate Its works or not, the praise and worship would be only for our own benefit, for reflection and a source of joy.

I think you are correct and I think that is the point of worshiping a loving Creator.

 

[brimac]

I don't know what "worship" means. If there were an omniscient, omnipotent, generally benevolent Creator of the universe, than It is probably worthy of some praise. But since It would already know if we appreciate Its works or not, the praise and worship would be only for our own benefit, for reflection and a source of joy.

exactly!

 

[MoNiCa4316]

This thread is created with reference to this thread, in the Christians-only section:

http://www.christianforums.com/t5608546

Basically, I asked the question, "what has God done that makes him worthy of worship?"

However, discussion then led to the topic of what can any being can do that would justify them demanding that they be worshiped.

At the moment, I'm drawing a blank. Nothing I can think of is a good enough good to make worship justified.

Ideas?

I thought I'd ask here as well, as I'd appreciate the neutral standpoint of atheists and other non-Christians in answering this question without the use of scripture.

Hi Taure,
In my view, worship is our response to God's love and greatness. He loves us, and we start loving Him too and express this by worshipping. He doesn't force us to do this, we choose to do it. After all, God wants free followers.

Why does God want worship?

This seems to be a common question. Surely, you'd think He's above this. But it's only humans who want worship out of pride. God is not proud and knows that He's the King, He doesn't want flattery. But when we worship, we are acknowledging the Truth (that He is God), and following it...worship allows us to live the way we were meant to live, happy and free. it helps us follow God in our lives as well...it brings Him glory. The thing is that worship is for our own good. Of course, we don't do it to get some benefit or reward, but out of love. and since God loves us, He accepts our praises.

"what has God done that makes him worthy of worship?"

God created the world, created us, died to save us even though we turned our backs on Him, gave us eternal life, He loves us unconditionally, is willing to forgive if only we ask Him to, He made us free, He is holy, perfectly good, merciful...that's just some of the things that make Him worthy of worship! God IS love.

 

[Hishandmaiden]

This thread is created with reference to this thread, in the Christians-only section:

http://www.christianforums.com/t5608546

Basically, I asked the question, "what has God done that makes him worthy of worship?"

However, discussion then led to the topic of what can any being can do that would justify them demanding that they be worshiped.

At the moment, I'm drawing a blank. Nothing I can think of is a good enough good to make worship justified.

Ideas?

I thought I'd ask here as well, as I'd appreciate the neutral standpoint of atheists and other non-Christians in answering this question without the use of scripture.

What about what gives us the excuse not to worship Him?

That will be how I think God will look at this question.

When we ask why we ought to worship God, we had become our own gods, who demand that gods need to appease us before we will worship Him.

God do not see the issue in quite the same way as us. To Him, it is, what excuse do you have to not worship me.

It is about Him. Not us. Not what we think, but what He thinks.