I'll always see worship is an irrational acceptance of illegitimate authority, regardless of god existing or not. I'm not an anarchist, I think citizens have the duty to, within the benefits provided by free speech and other fundamental rights, respect and accept State authority, as long as governmental institutions are elected trough democratically viable procedures. Citizens also have the right to criticize, dislike and protest against State authority if they disagree with institutions, actions and legislative measures, once again within the boundaries of legality and fundamental human rights.
But even so, I would never argue that individuals should worship the State as some kind of supreme authority; if there are relevant reasons, individuals have the right to refuse public authority, as it is already allowed in case of abusive use of public power (this is the law in Portugal, I don't know about America, but I assume there are laws protecting individuals from excessive use of public power by the State and governmental institutions). I see the State as a natural social construct made by us, Humans, and it constitutes a necessity above anything else - There is no clear evidence except from minor, regional, temporarily limited cases that the Human race can live without the supervision of a State... However there's no reason for me to worship the State, though to be fair, there are more reasons for me to worship the government than god.
With this in mind, why should anyone worship god, even if he happens to exist? Why accept an authority that you didn't chose or voted for? Why worship a being that, according to most religions and out of logical necessity, is responsible for all the violence, hatred, immoralities and atrocities in the universe? Why accept without questions? Why worship blindly?
Obviously, atheists don't worship gods because they don't believe in one, but even theists shouldn't worship so easily out of pure theological "obligation". This doesn't mean you can't worship anything or anyone - In fact, if you could prove trough deduction or induction, that your god is incapable of preventing evil but is responsible for all good in the world, why not worship? [In this last possibility I'd suspect that someone who gives us everything that is positive will probably want something in return, but I'm just a suspicious bastard)... If I wanted to I could worship my significant other, because she contributes largely to my happiness and personal well being, satisfaction and joy, so it would make sense if I made her some kind of "goddess" (I don't want to deviate to perversions right now), and it would be reasonably justified trough verifiable facts and "proof" - But that's not the case of god.
If god really exists, he is probably the last being worthy of any worship from human beings, there are objects people far more deserving of our worship than a supernatural being that exists outside of time and space.
For reasons presented, worship is the blind, irrational and dangerous acceptance of illegitimate authority and should therefore be rejected.
But even so, I would never argue that individuals should worship the State as some kind of supreme authority; if there are relevant reasons, individuals have the right to refuse public authority, as it is already allowed in case of abusive use of public power (this is the law in Portugal, I don't know about America, but I assume there are laws protecting individuals from excessive use of public power by the State and governmental institutions). I see the State as a natural social construct made by us, Humans, and it constitutes a necessity above anything else - There is no clear evidence except from minor, regional, temporarily limited cases that the Human race can live without the supervision of a State... However there's no reason for me to worship the State, though to be fair, there are more reasons for me to worship the government than god.
With this in mind, why should anyone worship god, even if he happens to exist? Why accept an authority that you didn't chose or voted for? Why worship a being that, according to most religions and out of logical necessity, is responsible for all the violence, hatred, immoralities and atrocities in the universe? Why accept without questions? Why worship blindly?
Obviously, atheists don't worship gods because they don't believe in one, but even theists shouldn't worship so easily out of pure theological "obligation". This doesn't mean you can't worship anything or anyone - In fact, if you could prove trough deduction or induction, that your god is incapable of preventing evil but is responsible for all good in the world, why not worship? [In this last possibility I'd suspect that someone who gives us everything that is positive will probably want something in return, but I'm just a suspicious bastard)... If I wanted to I could worship my significant other, because she contributes largely to my happiness and personal well being, satisfaction and joy, so it would make sense if I made her some kind of "goddess" (I don't want to deviate to perversions right now), and it would be reasonably justified trough verifiable facts and "proof" - But that's not the case of god.
If god really exists, he is probably the last being worthy of any worship from human beings, there are objects people far more deserving of our worship than a supernatural being that exists outside of time and space.
For reasons presented, worship is the blind, irrational and dangerous acceptance of illegitimate authority and should therefore be rejected.
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you
