Songs of Praise

[Darwinian]

Here I sit watching Songs of Praise (sic) and the one theme that constantly runs through the whole programme and with all the people who are interviewed is that of worship, praise, glorification, humility and groveling for forgiveness.

It really makes me feel uneasy and actually makes me cringe when I hear people talking like this. What kind of God demands that his followers worship and praise him for all eternity? I mean, what sort of ego would you have to have?

Also, why must people beg for their sins to be forgiven when presumably this same God created them exactly as they are and knew full well what they would be even before they existed and yet still went on to bring them into existence. How is this their fault and why should they apologise for being human?

The idea of a loving God who only wants the best for you is fine, it's just the rest of the baggage that seems to want to turn people into submissive worms that I can't understand.

[downbeatplumb]

Here I sit watching Songs of Praise (sic) and the one theme that constantly runs through the whole programme and with all the people who are interviewed is that of worship, praise, glorification, humility and groveling for forgiveness.

It really makes me feel uneasy and actually makes me cringe when I hear people talking like this. What kind of God demands that his followers worship and praise him for all eternity? I mean, what sort of ego would you have to have?

Also, why must people beg for their sins to be forgiven when presumably this same God created them exactly as they are and knew full well what they would be even before they existed and yet still went on to bring them into existence. How is this their fault and why should they apologise for being human?

The idea of a loving God who only wants the best for you is fine, it's just the rest of the baggage that seems to want to turn people into submissive worms that I can't understand.

I cannot understand this desire to worship, even if you believe.
If God was a fact. (something I have confidence is not true).
I would still not feel the need to worship it would just be another interesting fact.

To misquote Groucho Marx 'I would not worship any God that would have me as a worshipper'

[Darwinian]

Or, in other words...

[youtube]86jPMbhiS_0[/youtube]

[youtube]dD7Ijkmenrs[/youtube]

[downbeatplumb]

---

Or, in other words...

[youtube]86jPMbhiS_0[/youtube]

[youtube]dD7Ijkmenrs[/youtube]

---

Say it with Monty Python.

[fr0d0]

So you think your ego etc is of paramount importance? You'd never consider yourself humble or insignificant in the grand scheme of things?

I must admit one reason I first went to church was to get away from Songs of Praise. Yeah it can be cringeworthy but I let people get off on it if it floats their boat. Not doing me any harm.

[downbeatplumb]

So you think your ego etc is of paramount importance? You'd never consider yourself humble or insignificant in the grand scheme of things?

I must admit one reason I first went to church was to get away from Songs of Praise. Yeah it can be cringeworthy but I let people get off on it if it floats their boat. Not doing me any harm.

No my ego is not of paramount importance and neither would Gods be if he/she existed.

If God did exist and I had proof, (can't for the life of me think what that would be but anyway), then I still would not feel the need to worship.

It seems a waste of time to me.

If God made the world good on him, but basically so what. It would be like worshipping gravity.

[Craveman]

I must admit one reason I first went to church was to get away from Songs of Praise. Yeah it can be cringeworthy but I let people get off on it if it floats their boat. Not doing me any harm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8rKu7AskCs

Dedicated to frOdO

[fr0d0]

Indeed. Gravity is a good comparison. It just 'is'. Indeed you can't think of anything that would constitute proof. No one can.

You wouldn't be satisfying God's 'ego' but be being unselfish. Unselfishness is a waste of time?

[downbeatplumb]

Indeed. Gravity is a good comparison. It just 'is'. Indeed you can't think of anything that would constitute proof. No one can.

You wouldn't be satisfying God's 'ego' but be being unselfish. Unselfishness is a waste of time?

If no one can even put forward anything that might constitute proof then why do you believe?
This may seem a silly question but it is genuine. I simply cannot see how any intelligent chap such as yourself can believe in something that you cant even think of a way to prove. And then to worship this thing that no one can prove seems the height of folly to me.

You see worship as unselfish act eh. But I but you feel good for having done it or even while you are doing it. So how is it an unselfish act to undertake an activity that makes you feel good.

[fr0d0]

It's quite the opposite - the reasoning for God requires that there be no proof. Belief requires intelligence because what use is intelligence when working out the blatantly obvious? ..none. No intelligence is needed to work out what we already know. Intelligence is needed to work out what we don't know.

Belief necessitates faith. No one can know if God is real. The practice of faith is life giving.

Doing something selfless is accepted to make you feel good. It may also hurt. It's life giving. Selfishness is life destroying. It's putting your own needs at the forefront despite the needs of others.