Is it important to praise a God?

[kallipolis]

Let's define praising God.

The New Commandment

Jesus, speaks:


"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
~John 13:34-35

 

[Kulindahr]

Is it important to praise "a" God?

No. Logically, if there's a supreme deity, it's important to praise that one, and not any other; if there's not, it's merely a silly psychological exercise.

 

[Aymotin]

to be more haughty and quick to do thoughtless crimes to others and themselves, willing to slander defame and lie shamelessly, and have no moralistic guidance.

Well on the other hand I have seen my personal share of believers who think their god will give them a cookie for some quite horrific things. E.g. hanging homosexuals or slitting the throats of bound captives.


If someone plays ethical and moral because of the threat of some almighty punishment for misbehaviour, that´s not so much better off than someone who doesn´t commit a crime because the police might get him.

 

[kallipolis]

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
~Psalm 150:1

But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. ~Isaiah 64:8

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.5 Then the word of the LORD came to me. 6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.~Jeremiah 18:1-6

 

[kallipolis]

Praise of God is all about a personal loving relationship with God and this requires a commitment that few will make.

Let's be very clear that praise of God is not about singing hymns, or reciting prayers at a public assembly rather a reciprocal covenant relationship based upon trust that God delivers on His promises.

 

[kallipolis]

Do you interpret this as God being a constant observer "molding" humanity as a potter would clay?

Yes; but much more as a constant lover, partner, guide and protector inviting His lover to walk in His ways. Free will ensures we can always decline God's requests.

 

[kallipolis]

I completely agree with you and appreciate your honesty on the matter. It's true, the modern theatrical "Church" experience is a fraud. Praising God is a personal and private relationship and is best left out of expensively crafted halls and churches that go against the meek and humble demeanor that Jesus tried to teach to his followers. It seems people who have to do all the broadway musical praising of God are usually trying to cover their own lack of faith by doing external acts that have nothing to do with actually being virtuous and god-like themselves.

The word church is derived from the Greek word, ἐκκλησία (ecclesia) which interprets as assembly of the faithful, and I embrace the community spirit that spiritual faith engenders in all who love our neighbour, especially when real needs are staring us in the face and we step forward to offer our assistance.

 

[palemale]

I always say, "thank God I'm an atheist!"

 

[RobinGoodfellow]

As long as your god helps on the way to some form of enlightenment, fine. But any dogma that traps you in some form of stasis should be avoided, even if it is some form of atheism.

RG

 

[kallipolis]

Very nicely stated. I do love to hear interpretations of God's benevolence from those who have any sort of faith. It's funny you mentioned free will because I have always believed that God manifests itself through the psychological. God is an intristic part of the human psychology and in some new age sects referred to as the "Higher Self" or the "Divine Spark" that speaks to you in small voices until you learn to listen to his silent guidance and holy intuition that he grants if you choose to accept it. Ofcorse some may believe that divine guidance or intervention is just the work of chance or cleverness, how sweet it is then that such a God doesn't mind that some do that because as he truly is everything in creation, it is of no importance.

We can call God by any name we wish. God remains who He is.

The profound levels of theology refers to the inner chamber, or interior life when referencing The Spirit of God residing in all human life.

Surrendering our ego into the care of The Spirit is a hurdle most people have difficulty in making.

Most major religions speak to the absolute need of the faithful person to yield our natural self into the care of the greater being (God)

Divine Wisdom manifests its reality often through inspiration and Carl Jung refers to synchronistic chance as a means to understand the apparent accidents of our life that have changed our direction.

 

[kallipolis]

I always say, "thank God I'm an atheist!"

God replies, Keep talking, for I am listening to you.

 

[kallipolis]

Iglesia, would be the spanish derivative. I too embrace group faith as I believe there is potency in group praising but I often found that many people would go to church as an obligation more than an actual burning desire to praise in unity. I do enjoy unity churches more than christian churches as they preach a variety of methodologies ranging from new age to hindu to shinto. They know that the universe power many people refer to as God is a flow of energy, a grid of light, that always has the best intentions for humanity but allows the great opera of life to flow with as little resistance as possible so to achieve the best results.

What ever drives your inspiration.

I am not a Pantheist thus do not view God as a stream of light but His actions may be compared to a stream of light enlightening our life and providing light to enable us to find the right path through life.

 

[EasyRory]

I think it is psychologically important for people to realize that they aren't in control of very much. Whether this comes from belief in some vague higher power, a specific religion, Mother Nature, kismet, or bad joss doesn't matter a whole lot. Intellectual arrogance is what we want to avoid.

 

[Kulindahr]

But a God is pretty irrelevant to someone that doesn't believe in one.

Was the iceberg irrelevant to people on the Titanic who didn't believe in it?

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
~Psalm 150:1

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
~Psalm 150:4

And David danced naked before the Lord....

Let's be very clear that praise of God is not about singing hymns, or reciting prayers at a public assembly rather a reciprocal covenant relationship based upon trust that God delivers on His promises.

Um... sure it is. It's about far more than that, but never less.

 

[refujiunderground]

no, you didn't know of god until someone told you about god, correct?

i think as long as you know your place as a human being and accept it, you'll be fine. just be happy you're alive. i too have been through close calls with death but i'm still here. did that change my opinion about there being no such thing as god? nope. that just means that i got lucky. i could have been unlucky as well. that's life. i'm fortunate to have woke up this morning and live this long because i don't know what the future holds for me. i can only just hope for a better tomorrow while working for a better today. even if things don't go my way such as right now, it's only natural to hope right. that's the only reason why i'm still alive right now. i probably would have killed myself, gotten myself caught up in the street life and find myself locked up or gunned down a long time ago if i completely gave up on life. it's harder to live than to die. dying is very easy. that's another reason why i don't believe in god because if i left my life to someone elses hand, who knows where i would be.

 

[csb999]

a few bizarre or very improbable things have happened to me but hypotheisizing the existence of a supernatural being in any way responsible seems to me to be an unjustified and unwarranted leap of reasoning ; though disembodied "luck" is as irrational and must be constantly fought against . Effectively the opposite of what you relate : I really think someone should be blamed for my life . Thoroughly second-rate , an example of bad craftsmanship , really . Just badly done .

 

[unloadonme]

How important is praising a God to you?

It's not something I would contemplate doing. It would just be meaningless mumbo jumbo as far as I was concerned.

I find that people who are Godless tend to be more haughty and quick to do thoughtless crimes to others and themselves, willing to slander defame and lie shamelessly, and have no moralistic guidance.

In my working life I've had to interview many people and sometimes challenge their answers. I came to realise very early on that when someone said in response to a question something about not having committed an offence because they were a practising Christian, then it was certain they were lying. Some of the most dishonest and unpleasant people I've ever had to deal with have professed to be Christians.

 

[refujiunderground]

a few bizarre or very improbable things have happened to me but hypotheisizing the existence of a supernatural being in any way responsible seems to me to be an unjustified and unwarranted leap of reasoning ; though disembodied "luck" is as irrational and must be constantly fought against . Effectively the opposite of what you relate : I really think someone should be blamed for my life . Thoroughly second-rate , an example of bad craftsmanship , really . Just badly done .

well, you never chose to be born, you also didn't chose your parents, your family, as well as the body and brain, as well as how you were raised and your environment.

trill talk, people underestimate the mind because even though you might be in a situation which is terrible such as being incarcerated or homeless or whatever, you can use your mind to be free. i feel that theism or religion works against the mind. it pretty much shuts down free thinking. i remember feeling like that when i was in catholic school and when i used to believe in god about 11 years ago. i felt like a slave. when i dropped everything, i felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders and i felt mentally free. it also took a lot of my conscience too because i knew i couldn't do what i've done in the last decade and even now if i was who i was 11 years ago.

 

[MoufOfKhaos]

Nope.

In my working life I've had to interview many people and sometimes challenge their answers. I came to realise very early on that when someone said in response to a question something about not having committed an offence because they were a practising Christian, then it was certain they were lying. Some of the most dishonest and unpleasant people I've ever had to deal with have professed to be Christians.

Thank hell someone said it.

 

[figjam]

How important is praising a God to you? I used to not believe in any God but as time would have it many instances where I should have been dead were almost miraculously turned around as if by some divine intervention. I found myself saying "Thank God" so much that I really started feeling that there had to be some sort of holy power that can intervene on humanity. I find that people who are Godless tend to be more haughty and quick to do thoughtless crimes to others and themselves, willing to slander defame and lie shamelessly, and have no moralistic guidance. There is a big difference between educated atheists that have reasoning behind their lack of faith in a creator and just some Godless person who irrationally refuses or ignores any sort of benign deity.

Depend on what god you are praising. The one handing out the best gifts and holidays (santa...wink..wink) wins.