Is god perfect?

[nonbeliever_92]

And if so, does he need worship?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Perfection would never necessitate a change a state.

 

[Vansdad]

Is God perfect?

And if so, does he need worship?

I believe so...to both

 

[israelite32]

G-D is perfect but we are not! thats why religion is so messed up now. G-D gave us the TORAH as the way to live a righteous life and keep him in our daily thoughts. man then created christianity to control and oppress the believers! thats why they want you to disrespect G-D and pray to a man which is a false idol. it is strictly forbidden to do this! also they teach you to turn the other cheek when assaulted when G-D tells us to fight back in the TORAH! an eye for an eye is what he tells us! also the sabbath is saturday which is the last day of the week, not sunday? trust that i dont preach hate at all just LOVE! SHALOM

 

[Kriya Yogi]

As Jesus and many other saints have said. "Be thou Perfect as thy father in heaven is Perfect."

He doesn't really require worship. The only thing he really wants from us is our love. It's also more that we require communion with him so that we may merge our being with his and become perfect just as he is.

 

[BucephalusBB]

Perfect in what?

 

[ellenjanuary]

Gwynnie is perfect in her Gwynniness.

OK, enough of that. But by that example, I know what I consider to be perfect is... not a consideration shared by others. God is... big. That's one of the "prime attributes" I would give to god... big. Perfection, as has been noted, equates with stasis. The Eternal, Unchanging may work from an eternal perspective; but we don't have that. We have a temporally dependent, evolving perspective. Perfection only exists in the fleeting moments, and living in the past is never a good deal.

Another "prime attribute" I would give to god is love. So, for me, the act of loving is essentially worshiping god. Other forms of worship may benefit the individual, or aid that individual on a path of spiritual maturity; but I don't see that as requirement of god so much as a requirement of religion. There's a Muslim saying - submission of will is the essence of worship - but isn't that exactly what love is?

 

[Harmonious]

And if so, does he need worship?

I would say that God is perfect. No, He (which is really just a misnomer, as I don't believe God has a gender, but picking one for common usage is more respectful than assigning God to be an "It") doesn't need our worship.

However... It behooves us as people to show gratitude for the good He has done for us. We're alive, we are functioning (mostly), and the other blessings in our lives are things God does for us.

Historically, God has done even more for the Jews, well, for our forefathers. As such, God told us to do many things that He didn't require of other people.

It's not God that NEEDS these things. Most of the commandments lead to a refinement of character. Others are disciplines that also work to make us better people.

For non-Jews, God requires seven things, and most of them are common-sensical. You know... Not murdering, not stealing or kidnapping and otherwise being honest in business, being morally upright with sexual relations, and being kind to animals. It doesn't matter which ones you eat, just make sure it's dead first. Live by a code of law that enforces these things.

See? Common sense.

The other two: not worshiping idols and/or false gods and not cursing God... They aren't as common sense, if you don't especially believe in God, one way or another.

But then again, God doesn't NEED any of this. If you do this, you will be a better person for it. So, it isn't God that needs our worship. WE need to worship God.

Anyway, that's my take on it.

 

[waitasec]

And if so, does he need worship?

no. if god is, and is perfect our imperfection would be of no concern to him,
sort of how we compare ourselves to a worm....
do we really care what a worm thinks of us...not really.

 

[Harmonious]

no. if god is perfect our imperfection would be of no concern to him,
sort of how we compare ourselves to a worm....
do we really care what a worm thinks of us...not really.

Unless, of course, you believe that God loves us and cares for us.

The fact that we might be nothing in comparison to Him is irrelevant, if He determined that we are the pinnacle of His creation.

 

[waitasec]

Unless, of course, you believe that God loves us and cares for us.

The fact that we might be nothing in comparison to Him is irrelevant, if He determined that we are the pinnacle of His creation.

wouldn't that ultimately make us feel more important then we really are?

 

[tarasan]

And if so, does he need worship?

yes God is perfect, why would the two be incompable unless your trying to emply christians think he needs worship?

 

[Penumbra]

And if so, does he need worship?

I've never seen a description of god that strikes me as perfect. Every religious scripture I've read has been a fairly disappointing experience. Some are better than others, though.

Ironically though, the closer to perfection that a god is, the less it would likely be to desire worship. Desire for worship is a rather low-level petty emotion that self-actualized humans typically don't have. So why would a god?

Perfection would never necessitate a change a state.

Perfection may not necessitate a change but a change does not imply lack of perfection.

For instance, a god that could display perfection in an infinite number of different forms would arguably be superior to a god that could only display perfection in one static form.

 

[tarasan]

I've never seen a description of god that strikes me as perfect. Every religious scripture I've read has been a fairly disappointing experience. Some are better than others, though.

Ironically though, the closer to perfection that a god is, the less it would likely be to desire worship. Desire for worship is a rather low-level petty emotion that self-actualized humans typically don't have. So why would a god?


Perfection may not necessitate a change but a change does not imply lack of perfection.

For instance, a god that could display perfection in an infinite number of different forms would arguably be superior to a god that could only display perfection in one static form.

worship is to give love and devotion to a diety? to love and devote yourself to something is a low and petty emotion?

 

[Penumbra]

worship is to give love and devotion to a diety? to love and devote yourself to something is a low and petty emotion?

Specifically, I said desire for worship is low and petty. As in, it would be low and petty for a being to request, demand, desire, or need worship from other beings.

Although I don't think doing the worshiping is a particularly self-actualized behavior either, that's not the side I was targeting.

 

[waitasec]

worship is to give love and devotion to a diety? to love and devote yourself to something is a low and petty emotion?

it's attractive to those who ascribe to a celestial dictatorship.
while at the same time think they are that important that a perfect supreme being needs their devotion...

 

[tarasan]

it's attractive to those who ascribe to a celestial dictatorship.
while at the same time think they are that important that a perfect supreme being needs their devotion...

who ever claimed he needed our devotion? I dont even know how i emplied it in the quote that you sited?

 

[waitasec]

who ever claimed he needed our devotion? I dont even know how i emplied it in the quote that you sited?

well it was implied in the post you responded to...
sorry i should have included that too...

the bible is full of references of honor, respect..."fear the lord your god for i am a jealous god..."

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

what would that good purpose be i wonder?

 

[tarasan]

well it was implied in the post you responded to...
sorry i should have included that too...

the bible is full of references of honor, respect..."fear the lord your god for i am a jealous god..."

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

what would that good purpose be i wonder?

firstly those are to people who already believe not to none believers, heck Philipians, also

thiese two verse dont even show that GOd needs our worship! so im not quite sure what your getting at by using them. I wasnt denying that God says that Christians should worship him, just that he doesnt need it. in fact phillipians on the very part you have sighted actually help people follow Christ! which is what you want if your a Christian.

I dont know on a person by person level.

 

[waitasec]

firstly those are to people who already believe not to none believers, heck Philipians, also

thiese two verse dont even show that GOd needs our worship! so im not quite sure what your getting at by using them. I wasnt denying that God says that Christians should worship him, just that he doesnt need it. in fact phillipians on the very part you have sighted actually help people follow Christ! which is what you want if your a Christian.

I dont know on a person by person level.

are you saying believers don't worship god, of course they do and why is that?
they ascribe to a celestial dictatorship

all i am trying to say is;
the mere thought of a supreme being being worshipped comes from exactly what i said before about the believer who

think they are that important that a perfect supreme being needs their devotion...

who are we?

do you care what a worm thinks of you? i don't think so.