Why would an omnipotent God need to be worshipped?

Originally posted by TheDuckster
Jealous?

My God is. (HIS Name is I AM)

He has said so, for Millenium. He is the God of Abraham and his followers.

Just like the 1st Commandment:

"Thou shalt have NO other Gods before me".

This has always confused me. Jealousy is a good thing? Why should we not copy that then? Why shouldn't we be covetous of our neighbors things? If I display jealousy, am I simply following the example of God?

By definition, GOD must be better than me and I know not to be jealous. Therefore I have a hard time believing that GOD ever said what is quoted above.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in GOD, I probably just have a different concept of GOD than you have.

Also, I see GOD as omnipresent, but not omnipotent. I also think that GOD has no need of my worship. To require worship would be the act of a tremendous ego, and since GOD must, by definition, be greater than myself - and I know that feeding my ego at the expense of others is wrong - then GOD would have no use for my worship.

Originally posted by TheDuckster
When someone or better yet ,a SUPREME BEING (Yahwheh) tells me that there are NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.. ummmmmm I Think I will LISTEN.

Ah, but therein lies the problem.
A supreme being did not tell you...people who claimed that a supreme being told someone else, a long time ago, told you...and upon that you believe.

Its funny, but I ran across a group of people, while reading the BBC, called the Mandaeans. They are a group in Iraq that predate the muslim belief.

Their concept of God is like the mystical Kabbalist which point to a clearer understanding of the Jewish and ultimately Christian God.

That is, 'God' is formless and 'unknowable'.
Not that 'God' doesn't want to be known, but can only be known through attributes.

The idea that 'God' is a person, etc. is pretty much a fairy tale.

Any 'gods' are merely more advanced races...elohim (plural, yes it is plural - and know it is not an argument for Christians for the trinity...) Listening to a rabbi on cd that I like to listen to on such subjects, he actually had the elohim classified as 'angels' (if I can use that term, as the term has been misused for so long that it lost it meaning.)

Peace

dAlen

check out my ATS blog archived/categories under Judaic Christian if you want...
it may be of interest...

"How can one ever presume to know or question god's will."

I guess it is ok to kill in God's name when god demands it... Death to the infidels...

I guess it is ok to obey one's creator/benefactor reguardness of its motives as they cannot be judged under any human perceptions or morals.

Blind Faith/Obedience is what any being wants from its followers... just not the moral or enlighten ones. (who would like friends that can help one be a better being, not followers who would satisify one's Arrogance and Ego..... pets and robots would do better... hehehee)

No need to give any reasons to the blind followers, decieve the ones who are not blind but are less intellient and kill the ones who are intelligent enough to see through any lies.

Best form of control for any immoral beings... sure explains why human kind is not doing well.... Death to the infidels..... Yay!!!!

Looks like I will be targeted for extermination by closed minded fanatics.... (sigh) life on Earth... I wonder if other intelligent beings on other planets have the same problems....

(sorry If I seem nasty, I am simply saying that we should not believe any thing or anyone blindly.... Gods, Religions, Governments, Politicans, Scientists, Teachers, Lawyers, Aliens, Plants, Rabbits, Stones... etc. etc.)

Originally posted by emjoi
If all you say is true, then even "Fellowship" is a load of bull.

Thank him for the Pretty Flowers, but put up with and don't complain about the Cancer.

God does what he likes, and we take it or leave it.

Lets just say that you have cancer right now-hypotheticaly.

What type is it? did you ever consider the fact that it may have come from your lifestle choices, i.e. Food choices. Or have you never considered the fact that more than half of the deseases in the world our by products of the chemicals that we either eat, or are exposed to or that our ancestors were exposed to. Don't lay that at God's feet-Or are you just so pissed off and feeling short changed some how that you got to blame someone.
But I guess its just easier to blame someone that you don't even believe in, much less comprehend!

Secondly, have you ever considered that it may be the result of past sexual experiences. We are always doing things sexually that we were never designed to do. And the point im trying to make is that when we do these things to our selves there are bound to be malfunctions in the body, which may take years to manifest itself as a cancer or some other desease

Don't lay he result of bad choices at God's feet. Or are you just so pissed off and feeling short changed some how that you have to blame someone.
But I guess its just easier to blame someone that you don't even believe in, much less comprehend!







[edit on 5-3-2007 by Graystar]

Originally posted by ixiy

(sorry If I seem nasty, I am simply saying that we should not believe any thing or anyone blindly.... Gods, Religions, Governments, Politicans, Scientists, Teachers, Lawyers, Aliens, Plants, Rabbits, Stones... etc. etc.)

I have to agree with the upper part of your post but this I Dont' and here is why: When some one says "we should not believe anything or anyone blindly...," it usually means that they have no intention seeking out the truth, but are content in their own ignorance and are perfectly willing for otheres to remain there as well- while they may appear to be seeking the truth they are really just saying all is relative!

It really only matters to the individual whether they believe or not. All will believe at the end. Sadly, for most it will be too late...

It would be far easier to ask a Jellyfish to explain Quantum Physics, than to understand God.

The Lords existence is so far above us, that we can never comprehend until such time as we join Him. Then all those that are faithful and those that believe and have given themselves to Him will know and will understand.

Sad for the rest, but that is what freewill is all about. The Lord wants you to come willingly. YOU have to make the choice. Remember God did NOT create evil, man did. The evil must exist for we must have a choice and we must live with the consequences of our own sinful and evil natures.

For those that ask why God allows suffering, evil, pain? Perhaps reading this thread will give you a clue...

Semper

The strange thing with me is, i used to be a non believer who was in denial, who'd grudgingly say yes when asked if i believed in God by my mother and such.

I went from that, to being extremely religious, gnostic judeo-christian, all by myself. It wasn't what I read or what I saw, or what I was told. It happened all on its own, by itself, over the course of a year or so.

At first, I felt like I was involved in something new, all by myself. Almost afraid to walk if you will .. "is this.. really.. the way it is afterall?" is the question asked to oneself, regarding the possibility of there indeed being a God and an afterlife, just that the God is beyond my comprehension, and his ability, well that is beyond my comprehension as well.

To design the laws of physics.. to say "Gee, i think i will make it so that if an object has more mass, it will attract objects of a lesser mass within a certain distance, ie: gravity." To make all of the planets in all of the galaxies in the universe and perhaps the universes beyond, and to make them abid by these physical laws for this physical domain God had constructed.. well.. well that was such a marvelous concept to me. God existed afterall, he just has a logic, a LOGOS, that we cannot understand as we cannot attain the same level of knowledge or wisdom or understanding or anything else. Heck, we are stuck here in the flesh, that says alot about us. We suck.

Home is where the heart stops?