Why would someone acknowledge the existence of God but refuse to worship Him?

[syo]

Why would someone acknowledge His existence, but refuse to worship Him and to obey the commands He has told people to obey

Because they don't want to, and it's noone's business.

 

[night912]

Do a net search, google can be a friend.

"There's no chicken-egg scenario here: knowledge always comes first. Wisdom is built upon knowledge. That means you can be both wise and knowledgeable, but you can't be wise without being knowledgeable. And just because you're knowledgeable doesn't mean you're wise.."

I don't need to do web search, I'm going off of your reasoning.

So what you said above in bold contradicts your reasoning you gave earlier.

So since you need the knowledge of god in order to have wisdom to submit to god, cannot have knowledge of god.

Just going by your reasoning.

 

[icehorse]

Would you allow suffering?

That seems like an excellent question - worthy of its own thread!

 

[Valjean]

Piculet said: ↑
Why would someone acknowledge His existence, but refuse to worship Him

I acknowledge the existence of naked mole rats, but I don't worship them. Of all the things in the universe, the one that would least need anything from me would be God.

...and to obey the commands He has told people to obey

Let me know when he makes these commands clear, would you?

Alas, so many various Gods, various theological legends, various relationships with man, and contradictory desires and 'commands'. What's one to do? It's not like there's any hard evidence for any of it, it's not like there's any general, non-local agreement; the commands often don't even make sense. They remind me of the rantings of some 80 year old curmudgeon railing against modernity.

 

[night912]

No. God creates a baby – not the parents.

So was that supposed to mean anything significant? All I see is a intellectually dishonest response.

 

[Trailblazer]

That seems like an excellent question - worthy of its own thread!

It is worthy of a thread, so why don't you start one?

 

[columbus]

To me, worship of God is quite like masturbation.

It has subjective meaning if it makes you feel good. But it has no objective meaning.

God doesn't care if you worship any more than Dolly Parton cares if teenage boys masturbate to her poster and records and public image.

Why would she? It hasn't any impact on her. None at all. She doesn't even know about it.

Do it. Don't do it. Whatever. Neither God nor Dolly even knows about it, much less cares.

Tom

 

[Trailblazer]

God doesn't care if you worship any more than Dolly Parton cares if teenage boys masturbate to her poster and records and public image.

Why would she? It hasn't any impact on her. None at all. She doesn't even know about it.

Do it. Don't do it. Whatever. Neither God nor Dolly even knows about it, much less cares.

I believe that God knows and God cares if we worship Him, but certainly not for His sake because God does not need our worship, since God has no needs. Thus the only reason God wants us to worship Him is for our own benefit, since it benefits us to worship Him. Just how it benefits us is another matter altogether. I suppose that would vary by the individual.

 

[Bird123]

He has sent many messengers and created a world filled with signs for people to reflect. Why would someone acknowledge His existence, but refuse to worship Him and to obey the commands He has told people to obey (or, the commands people think he has made known)?

When one truly knows God, one knows it has never been about worship and there has never ever been commands coming from God.

Control is one of the petty things mankind holds so dear. God is going to teach us all through our very own free choices. If one makes commands, isn't that no more than an attempt to control the choices? Unlike mankind, God will never coerce, intimidate, or control those free choices. The petty things mankind holds so dear is not needed to make things better.

That's what I see. It's very clear!!

 

[columbus]

I believe that God knows and God cares if we worship Him,

I don't find you a particularly credible spokesperson for God.
Nothing personal, your religion is better than most people around here. I've only met a few Bahais, it's an overwhelmingly Christian community where I live.

Thus the only reason God wants us to worship Him is for our own benefit, since it benefits us to worship Him. Just how it benefits us is another matter altogether. I suppose that would vary by the individual.

Masturbation benefits people. It can also harm people, but usually not. It varies by the individual. The same as worship.

But when you assert that God wants us to worship that's an assertion. One you don't have any objective reason for me to believe, much less credible evidence(proof). All you've got is your opinion about which human beings best represent The Creator. Which human beings are God's Messengers.

I not only don't believe that God needs human spokesmen I don't even believe that The Creator cares about anything. And the evidence for that is all around. From tsunamis to tornadoes to viruses to human nature.

Especially human nature. We're obviously animalistic creatures. We're more inclined, by our "God Given Nature", to theft and impulsive sex and murderous tribalism than "godly" morality. There is no God who cares about us humans enough to give us the basic information necessary to improve our choices.
That's a fact. A fact easily established by looking around at the human situation and human history. There is no God who cares enough about what humans do, believe, or what happens to us to give us enough information to freely choose better than we do.
That's a fact.

There's no Almighty Benevolent being who cares about humans. Or the human situation wouldn't be what it is. It's just not possible.
Tom

 

[Trailblazer]

I don't find you a particularly credible spokesperson for God.
Nothing personal, your religion is better than most people around here. I've only met a few Bahais, it's an overwhelmingly Christian community where I live.

I do not think I am a spokesperson for God but I believe that Baha’u’llah was a spokesperson for God, but of course that is just my belief, and I cannot prove it is true.

Masturbation benefits people. It can also harm people, but usually not. It varies by the individual. The same as worship.

But when you assert that God wants us to worship that's an assertion. One you don't have any objective reason for me to believe, much less credible evidence (proof). All you've got is your opinion about which human beings best represent The Creator. Which human beings are God's Messengers.

I am sorry that sounded like an assertion. I did not mean it to sound that way because it is just a belief. I cannot prove it is true, so it is only a belief I hold. There is no objective reason for you to believe it.

I not only don't believe that God needs human spokesmen I don't even believe that The Creator cares about anything. And the evidence for that is all around. From tsunamis to tornadoes to viruses to human nature.

And so these are your beliefs, which are different from mine, but I understand your sentiments because it is difficult for me to believe in a caring God who would create a world with so much potential for suffering.

Especially human nature. We're obviously animalistic creatures. We're more inclined, by our "God Given Nature", to theft and impulsive sex and murderous tribalism than "godly" morality. There is no God who cares about us humans enough to give us the basic information necessary to improve our choices.

I believe we have two natures, an animal nature and a spiritual nature, but without the Messengers of God and the teachings they bring we would only be inclined towards our animal nature. I believe that it is because God cares about us that God sends these Messengers, giving us the basic information necessary to improve our choices.

That's a fact. A fact easily established by looking around at the human situation and human history. There is no God who cares enough about what humans do, believe, or what happens to us to give us enough information to freely choose better than we do.
That's a fact.

I do not believe what you said is a fact. I believe that by looking around at the human situation and human history what we see are many humans who do not follow the teachings and laws of religions and that is why we see what we see. The information has been given but since humans have free will, many humans have chosen not to follow the teachings and laws of religion, leading to moral decadence.

There is no God who cares enough about what humans do, believe, or what happens to us to give us enough information to freely choose better than we do.
That's a fact.

I do not think what you have is an fact, but rather it is a belief, If it was a fact it could be proven.

There's no Almighty Benevolent being who cares about humans. Or the human situation wouldn't be what it is. It's just not possible.

I believe it is possible because I believe God has sent Messengers precisely because God cares about humans. but the human situation is what it is because many people reject the Messengers and even if the recognize them they do not follow their teachings and laws.

 

[Valjean]

When one truly knows God, one knows it has never been about worship and there has never ever been commands coming from God.

Control is one of the petty things mankind holds so dear. God is going to teach us all through our very own free choices. If one makes commands, isn't that no more than an attempt to control the choices? Unlike mankind, God will never coerce, intimidate, or control those free choices. The petty things mankind holds so dear is not needed to make things better.

That's what I see. It's very clear!!

To me, God seems exquisitely coercive. as evidenced by the whole concept of "salvation." It's basically believe or burn, isn't it?

 

[Bird123]

To me, God seems exquisitely coercive. as evidenced by the whole concept of "salvation." It's basically believe or burn, isn't it?

Religion is what is coercive. I have found no religion that actually understands God, this world, and what is really going on.

Worry not. God is at a Higher Level. None of the kiddies will be abandoned, discarded, or unloved regardless of what religion might tell you so that you might follow.

That's what I see. It's very clear!!

 

[Trailblazer]

To me, God seems exquisitely coercive. as evidenced by the whole concept of "salvation." It's basically believe or burn, isn't it?

No, that is just a belief some Christians hold. God does not burn atheists.
Imo, there is no such thing as salvation because there is nothing to be saved from, except our own lower nature.

 

[Shia Islam]

He has sent many messengers and created a world filled with signs for people to reflect. Why would someone acknowledge His existence, but refuse to worship Him and to obey the commands He has told people to obey (or, the commands people think he has made known)?

Like many people acknowledge the existence of laws and yet they refuse to obey them.

 

[1213]

He has sent many messengers and created a world filled with signs for people to reflect. Why would someone acknowledge His existence, but refuse to worship Him and to obey the commands He has told people to obey (or, the commands people think he has made known)?

For example, because the person doesn’t agree with the commandments, wants something else, as many people do.

 

[Piculet]

Like many people acknowledge the existence of laws and yet they refuse to obey them.

I'm not talking of people who acknowledge the laws but refuse to obey, rather I'm talking about those who refuse to acknowledge the laws in the first place.

 

[Piculet]

None of the kiddies will be abandoned, discarded, or unloved regardless of what religion might tell you so that you might follow.

And what led you to believe this?

 

[Piculet]

When one truly knows God, one knows it has never been about worship and there has never ever been commands coming from God

You sound fairly ignorant. I don't think you know God

 

[Bird123]

And what led you to believe this?

Sometimes those who search find what they search for. The journey to Discovery opens doors to so many things. God is no longer a Belief. If God exists, then God can be found. God can be found.

That's what I see. It's very clear!!