When you stand back and think about it, it’s really strange. I mean, it may have some side benefits, but the primary activity is odd.
What got me thinking was a wonderful essay (A Deal-Breaker by Ophelia Benson in 50 Voices of Disbelief) in which the author points out that some of the supposed characteristics of god seem very strange if we applied them to normal relationships. For example, it would seem strange to talk about having a meaningful, loving relationship with a person who is continually hiding:
What business would God have hiding? What’s that about? What kind of silly game is that? God is all-powerful and benevolent but at the same time it’s hiding? Please. We wouldn’t give that the time of day in any other context. Nobody would buy the idea of ideal, loving, concerned parents who permanently hide from their children, so why buy it of a loving God?
When you apply that kind of reasoning, several things about religious belief and practice start to appear slightly odd.
Take worship, for example. Wouldn’t it be strange to be in a relationship with anyone else where you were commanded to tell them how great she or he was, preferably on a daily basis, and certainly at least once a week? If you managed to stick out the relationship, or had to - an inadequate, domineering employer who commanded your regular sycophancy, for example - you might suspect a narcissistic personality disorder, or a slight character defect at least.
Imagine the kind of character that expects that. Why does god need to be told she or he is great? Would it ever get boring? If he is to be believed (and he probably isn’t) according to almightygod on Twitter, god actually enjoys the stuff:
It’s been fun hearing the praise music from Earth. On the agenda tonight here in Heaven: more praise music. I never get tired of the stuff.
It’s Sunday, my favorite day. I get to listen to church music all day. It’s all about me, me, me!
I suppose there could be a few arguments in favour of worship:
- Human beings can enjoy the experience.
- When I was a believer I certainly enjoyed the singing sometimes, and on several occasions enjoyed being part of a larger group (the football crowd / pop concert atmosphere experience). But that is a side benefit and not why believers are commanded to do it.
- It affirms faith.
- That may be true, but that is another side benefit and not the primary purpose.
- It keeps you humble.
- If god existed reminding yourself of your subordinate position may be arguably helpful. However, even if god does exist, and even if humility is a worthy thing, the primary purpose of worship is not about you and your benefits, but about god.
- God is worthy of praise.
- Of course, there are many many arguments against that, even if you allow the assumption for argument’s sake (and a big assumption) that god exists, he does cause most of the deaths in the bible, and in the last 700 years alone, there have been over 13 natural disasters (acts of god) that have killed over 1 million people on each occasion (see here). For such a person to command praise is strange. And even if he or she existed, and even if she or he were fully worthy of praise, it still shouldn’t be commanded of me, surely. If your partner has to demand that you tell him or her how wonderful he or she is, isn’t there something wrong somewhere?
I’m a softee really. When people do acts of kindness for me, I really appreciate it. I was very tired and busy the other evening and my wife did the washing up when it was my turn. I told her how much I appreciated her goodness. And when people create things that impress me (art, photography, books, music), I go “Wow”, and tell them how much I admire what they have done, if possible. These expressions of appreciation are real in response to real things. I think it is important to give praise. And standing back from worship, it doesn’t seem odd that people should get together to affirm what they believe in song, and it doesn’t seem odd that people in a relationship should express their feelings and admiration for one another, but it does seem odd that any hidden being should command praise. That really does seem strange, to me, at least.
What do you think?
Quick answer, good post.
I think we must be on the same wave length this morning as I was thinking about the point of God demanding praise and attention.
Look out for my blog “I have a serious question … or two” that I am currently in the thinking stage off. You will like it and it will be worth a read.
I understand your argument and agree that praising god is strange but I think that is starting the race in the middle. The real oddity, the really peculiar notion, is the invention of the god-concept in the first place. That is what is counter-intuitive and illogical and speaks of brain-diarrhoea.
Once you buy into the notion of god, then every other wild fantasy becomes possible because you remove the filter of reason.
I would draw a parallel with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It is quite unbelievable that she should follow a talking rabbit dressed in human clothes and then fall down a hole so deep that the ascent takes several minutes and yet emerge unscathed. But we willingly suspend disbelief in order to be charmed by the entertaining (though impossible) adventures that follow.
Children and extremely naive adults may really believe in religious fantasies but mature adults, acquainted with the real world, simply cannot believe in them. They willingly suspend disbelief in order to live a patent fiction. Why? Well, I don’t really know, but it seems they derive some sort of rewards from this.
You and I can read Alice and emerge again into the real world because we know that really it is fantasy. Believers cannot emerge into the real world and recognize that their beliefs are fantasy because once the spell of suspended disbelief is broken, there is no going back. Reading Alice, you and I have a world and a life outside it but the religious believer has no life outside his beliefs. If he ceases to believe he has to make a new life in a new world from scratch. The prospect is quite frightening to many. Believing in a nonsensical fantasy is an acceptable alternative.
onethoughtfulwoman
I will look out for it.
SilverTiger
I totally agree with you and liked the parallel with Alice. For the believer there is a wish to believe it is true, and that is what keeps them inside the fantasy.
I started the race in the middle, not particularly because I wanted to finish the whole race, but because the middle section caught my attention at the time.
Well, the Religion business seems surreal to me. I can see why people want or need religion, but I cannot understand how educated thinking people could actually believe in the nonsense that is put forward.
Whilst a lot of the things people are expected to believe would seem odd if applied to real people, that is part of the appeal, isn’t it? There are any number of real people we could turn to and interact with but I guess sometimes people feel they need something else. I do understand that. I have my diary. I’m not sure I praise it as such but I certainly value it very highly and I do say reverent things to it on a regular basis. It has been known to hide from me but thankfully does not make a habit of it. I also talk to the sky (yeah bring on the white coats!). It isn’t because I believe there is anyone up there, simply that the sky is everywhere, it is always there and it doesn’t answer back. I talk to it quite often if I feel stressed or worried and it helps. But I don’t actually believe that it is the sky which helps me, just the act of being able to let off steam, talk without worrying about a response whenever I wish to do so.
But if someone told me I “should” talk to the sky or write in my diary, or told me when or how I should do it, I would give it up pretty quickly. It is a personal thing for me and nothing to do with anyone else.
I don’t really get that side of it at all - the obedience, all-believing the same thing, structure side at all. But I guess for some people that makes them feel safe and secure. But do they REALLY believe? I just don’t get it you know. I just don’t.
Reluctant Blogger
I was reading last night how it more was useful, from an evolutionary perspective, to believe that inanimate objects might get you and have powers, than not to believe. You stood a greater chance of not being eaten. So perhaps that is where the desire to believe in unlikely possibilities springs from.
And of course, if people really did believe in things like an afterlife, they would kill themselves now, as eternity would be much more fun than whatever fun they are having to endure now. Perhaps the only true believers are the suicide bombers.
The whole “God loves to hear your praise” thing is really befuddling. Why would a perfect being that lacks nothing and is far superior to humans care whether we praise him/her/it? How could such a being find our comparatively paltry offerings worth receiving? The most fitting analogy I can think of is that people would be like pets to such a being.
the chaplain
Love the pet analogy. It seems to sum up the implicit relationship created by worship perfectly.