What is the Purpose of Worship?

[Valjean]

From the Hindu perspective I would say purposes, not purpose. It's multifaceted. At any given day at the Hindu temple, you will see camaraderie, calming, thankfulness, celebration of events, beseeching for help with a specific problem, inner communion with the divine, just to cheer up, wiping out a problem, clarifying your thoughts, and likely several more purposes I can't remember just now. After all, I was at temple just now, and the sannidhya (darshan, energy) has had a calming non-intellectual effect.

From a Hindu perspective, I think God(s) have the same social functions as they do in other religions: Social control, community solidarity, &c, but, outside popular religion, from a theological, especially a Vedantin perspective, they're man-made tools, religious icons or meditative foci, not objectively Real masters of the Universe.

 

[Vinayaka]

From a Hindu perspective, I think God(s) have the same social functions as they do in other religions: Social control, community solidarity, &c, but, outside popular religion, from a theological, especially a Vedantin perspective, they're man-made tools, religious icons or meditative foci, not objectively Real masters of the Universe.

Indeed that is the Vedantin perspective. As you know, I'm no Vedantin. But the beauty of Hinduism is generally we accept other peoples' rights to hold differing views than our own, most especially within Hinduism, but also generalising to all of mankind.

 

[Augustus]

Praying is like mining for bitcoins.

Uses a lot of electricity and delivers best results when running multiple powerful GPUs?

 

[loverofhumanity]

Does worship have a purpose? If so, what is it?

I think it has many purposes but one that stands out to me is humility.

 

[Hammzah]

Uses a lot of electricity and delivers best results when running multiple powerful GPUs?

Well, why does it use that much of electricity? Maybe it’s because it cost a lot to dig deeper.

 

[Grandliseur]

Does worship have a purpose? If so, what is it?

Immediately, I think of two that are interconnected: survival (being accorded long life, or eternal life), and living in a way that through obedience brings the best quality of life.

Of course, a scripture to the above being true should have been included:

1 Pet 1:9 receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.​

 

[metis]

Does worship have a purpose? If so, what is it?

I worship in a way that may be different than most, namely that I use the prayers and songs as if they were mantras, thus meditating on the basic teachings or on some related matter. And sometimes-- OK, make that a lot-- my mind wanders to who knows what-- but that's OK too.

 

[Nakosis]

Does worship have a purpose? If so, what is it?

To please God from the purposes of gaining favoritism from that God.

You worship God, Jesus, whatever so you gets to go to heaven.

Christology however has evolved from that somewhat.

 

[Mock Turtle]

It might seem, to the uncharitable, more like reinforcement of one's belief or even grooming - much like prayer and all the rest (Bible study, for example).

I'm not so uncharitable of course.

 

[ronandcarol]

What is the Purpose of Worship?
All worship is towards something or someone that is greater than one's self. People worship that entity that can help the current life and or can ensure a better after life. In the Bible for instance, God was always upset with His chosen people worshiping Baal. He could understand why His people would worship a wooden idol that couldn't do anything for them.
Worship should be directed to the One True God that can and does respond to our needs. How many wooden idols or golden calves have promised eternal life? How many little wooden babies have been raised up to be a sacrifice for the sins of many? You won't find any. There is only One who deserves our praise and Worship, Jesus Christ, our Savior.
ronandcarol

 

[metis]

The irony is that in the wording of the early church (2nd century) prayers, God was obviously mentioned all the time but Jesus not so much, and this may be due to the fact that Jewish prayers are made exclusively to God, and the early church prior to 70 c.e. was predominantly made up of Jews.

 

[Faithofchristian]

That all depends on what you mean by worship.

Anything you have in the since your having a love affair with, is a form of worshipping it.say like having a new car, and your so over whelmed with it, that your in love with it, is a form of Worshipping it.

So it all depends what you mean by worship?