Worship

[steamer]

There are two churches in my neighborhood within a couple of blocks of each other. On the little signs they have out front, one of them says “Come worship with us� and on the other it says “Becoming a Worshipper�. I can’t help but notice that these signs are very similar to the one at the grocery store that lists “Ground Beef $1.29�.

What I wonder though is what is this worship, and who is it for? Does god want to be worshipped? If I were worshipped, I’m sure it would be flattering to my ego, but I cannot think what a god would want it for. Is it for the worshipper that one worships? Is worship an activity for amusement and enjoyment?

If god does not want worship or need worship and you'd rather play golf, why shouldn't you? If I went and played golf instead of worshipping, why would a god care?

[Mageth]

Good question, that. Why does God need "worship"?

BTW, in the Old Testament, this God seemed to prefer the smell of roasting flesh, and the spilling and splashing around of fresh blood. Nowadays, he's apparently satisfied with the singing of inane songs and the occasional uplifting of hands. Weird, that.

[Xulfer Cirtsag]

The other day I was looking down at some ants, and then desired that they should worship me. When they didn't, STOMP.

[Mageth]

The other day I was looking down at some ants, and then desired that they should worship me. When they didn't, STOMP.

Well, I had a similar thing happen. Only the little buggers were frantically running about waving their antennae at me, and offering me bits of a spider. I prefer prostration and chanting, and grasshopper flesh. So STOMP.

[Omegasevx]

Well, I had a similar thing happen. Only the little buggers were frantically running about waving their antennae at me, and offering me bits of a spider. I prefer prostration and chanting, and grasshopper flesh. So STOMP.

Did you try to explain to them that if they worshipped you in a pleasing manner, that their eternal reward would be to worship you forever in the afterlife?

That would motivate me. :rolleyes:

[premjan]

Ants are already pretty ritualistic I would imagine. Maybe they could think of you as the great queen in the sky...

[seebs]

It helps to figure out what exactly we mean by the word "worship" first. I go to regular worship services, mostly because contemplation and prayer seem to be beneficial to me.

[Omegasevx]

Isn't the word worship firmly rooted in the presupposition of a deity? You can honor, cherish, love and revere someone, but you can really only worship a God. At least that's my understanding of the word.

My experience with worship services at a few born-again churches is that you throw your inhibitions into the wind, crawl hands and knees to the front of the chapel during a christian-rock ballad, all the while singing/praying/crying/witnessing at the foot of the crucifix. Seemed more like an induced hypnotic trance to me, fueled by pent-up guilt, social pressure, and fear.

I asked the friend I went with what she thought heaven would be like, if she got there. She told me she KNEW that it would be just like being in front of the crucifix, being totally vulnerable and given to Christ, worshipping Him on His throne forever.

Maybe I should have taken a better sample of born-again christian churches, but of the 3 I went to, there wasn't any contemplation, or individual prayer. Everything I saw was led by a powerful speaker, and whipped up with catchy music.

[jaded_revenge]

Gods vain, so god likes to be worshipped.
And ants are extremely good atkilling spiders, they actually crash tackle them, then hold onto their legs until theycut them off.

[steamer]

It helps to figure out what exactly we mean by the word "worship" first. I go to regular worship services, mostly because contemplation and prayer seem to be beneficial to me.

Ok, but is worship contemplation and prayer? It seems that these things are for you and not for god. So is prayer and contemplation more beneficial to you than playing a game of golf instead?