What could a omnipotent God want with the worship of humans?

[Lemonvariable72]

What do we want with children? Why do we care for them? why do we love them? Why do we spend our lives devoted to them in one form or fashion?

We are made in God's image, meaning we share emotion value and even a sense of need. If you can relate to how we desire to bind with our kids you might have some sense as to why God would want us to share a bond with Him.

The rules He provides (and subsequent attonement) are used as a sift. To seperate those who do want to share such a bond and those who do not.

Do you demand your children worship you?

[Jenny A]

What do we want with children? Why do we care for them? why do we love them? Why do we spend our lives devoted to them in one form or fashion?

We are made in God's image, meaning we share emotion value and even a sense of need. If you can relate to how we desire to bind with our kids you might have some sense as to why God would want us to share a bond with Him.

The rules He provides (and subsequent attonement) are used as a sift. To seperate those who do want to share such a bond and those who do not.

The problems with this analogy are myriad.

1) Children of any species will generally grow up into something resembling their parents. You and I will not grow up to be omnipotent beings.

2) No one, other than an emotional monster, wants their kids to worship them---I don't even want my pets to worship me.

3) Sharing an emotional bond does not generally involve worship and it shouldn't.

4) Parents usually provide rather better for their children than the world provides for people.

5) Good parents do not play favorites among their kids.

6) Most people value praise from their peers, not from toddlers.

7) The goal of parenthood is to make self sufficient adults out of children. God appears to want us to be mostly self sufficient in childhood (i.e. like of earth) and then provide for us absolutely afterwards---rather backwards.

I could go on, and on.

6) Good parents

[Drich]

Drich, you do know that our desire to care for our children is a very simply understood evolutionary trait which is shared by all other animals. It has nothing to do with our being in some divine being's image.

That's not true. Not even close. the 'evolutionary need to care for our children/young' typically ends shortly after the can care for themselves, some even go as far as adolesence, but once they hit a certain age they 'family' is typically broken up. It is very rare even for higher cognitive able animals to maintain close relationships with off spring for a whole life time.

[Chad32]

That's the whole point of parenting. You rise the child to become independent, where they move off and make their own family and the cycle continues. Keeping in touch afterwards is entirely optional. In fact the idea of moving farther away could be explained by an evolutionary need to prevent inbreeding. You're less likely to have sex with a member of your family if you move to the next town over or something.

[Drich]

The problems with this analogy are myriad.

1) Children of any species will generally grow up into something resembling their parents. You and I will not grow up to be omnipotent beings.

That's easily resolved we are not direct off spring. Again we were Fashioned or made in the Image of God. That is the difference between a painting of a tree and a seedling that came from a tree.

2) No one, other than an emotional monster, wants their kids to worship them---I don't even want my pets to worship me.

That's not true, or at the least it is short sighted.
Ask yourself do you want your kids to love you? At it's core Worship is directed love. Lets say your kid is special needs and does not share the same 'values' as you do.

Let's say your kid's idea of expressing love is making a poop and drawing hearts on the walls of your house.
Without a doubt your child loves you as per all the poop stained heart drawings you have on everything you own. The question then becomes will you simply accept the offering of 'poop hearts' pasted all over your stuff, or would you want your kid to direct his love for you in a way that more aligns itself with your idea of love, rather than his?

If you so much as clean up the offering of poop hearts your kid left you, then you are trying to direct/mandate a method of worship, as his personal 'heart felt' expression of love is not acceptable.

So which is it? will you except the crap your kid wants to give you or will you demand that your kid 'worship' you the way you want to be loved?

3) Sharing an emotional bond does not generally involve worship and it shouldn't.

Maybe you should define worship.
I using what the dictionary says.
wor·ship
/ˈwərSHəp/
noun
noun: worship
1.the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.
"the worship of God"
the acts or rites that make up a formal expression of reverence for a deity; a religious ceremony or ceremonies.
show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.

4) Parents usually provide rather better for their children than the world provides for people.

Those who accept Christ do get 'adopted' into the Family. As such 'we' do get it better than everyone else. That is why there will be a seperation from the wheat and the weeds, the sheep and goats, the wheat and chaff etc...

5) Good parents do not play favorites among their kids.

Again 'we' are not all God's kids.

6) Most people value praise from their peers, not from toddlers.

ever been a mentor? Ever been a parent? If yes to either you know there is nothing more heart warming than when your kid/Mint-tea shows you a measure of love or appreciation on your own level.

7) The goal of parenthood is to make self sufficient adults out of children. God appears to want us to be mostly self sufficient in childhood (i.e. like of earth) and then provide for us absolutely afterwards---rather backwards.

This whole life in light of eternity is our childhood!

I could go on, and on.

6) Good parents

please do, this was fun.

---

That's the whole point of parenting. You rise the child to become independent, where they move off and make their own family and the cycle continues. Keeping in touch afterwards is entirely optional. In fact the idea of moving farther away could be explained by an evolutionary need to prevent inbreeding. You're less likely to have sex with a member of your family if you move to the next town over or something.

so once your kid hits 18 that's it? So you are like a bird or a bear with no contact with your off spring or it's off spring ever again? or are you like everyone else who wants to have the 'picture book' family?

Evolution is at odds with our family structure. to keep a pack of genetically incompatiable people around who do nothing other than drain resources does not follow the darwinnian model of the survival of the fittest.

[Jenny A]

Drich, you do know that our desire to care for our children is a very simply understood evolutionary trait which is shared by all other animals. It has nothing to do with our being in some divine being's image.

That's not true. Not even close. the 'evolutionary need to care for our children/young' typically ends shortly after the can care for themselves, some even go as far as adolesence, but once they hit a certain age they 'family' is typically broken up. It is very rare even for higher cognitive able animals to maintain close relationships with off spring for a whole life time.

emphasis added

Hardly. Being a good grandmother or grandfather does have evolutionary advantages because it increases the possibility that your progeny will continue, which is what natural selection selects for. Not surprisingly there are many species, admittedly mostly primates, in which continued the support of older sisters and mothers is the primary factor in determining whether a first time mother will successfully raise her young to adulthood. And there are other species that do similar things. Elephant herds are matriarchies run by the great-grandma.

[Drich]

What do we want with children? Why do we care for them? why do we love them? Why do we spend our lives devoted to them in one form or fashion?

We are made in God's image, meaning we share emotion value and even a sense of need. If you can relate to how we desire to bind with our kids you might have some sense as to why God would want us to share a bond with Him.

The rules He provides (and subsequent attonement) are used as a sift. To seperate those who do want to share such a bond and those who do not.

Do you demand your children worship you?

As per my response to Jen-A yes!!! and so does everyone else!

---

That's not true. Not even close. the 'evolutionary need to care for our children/young' typically ends shortly after the can care for themselves, some even go as far as adolesence, but once they hit a certain age they 'family' is typically broken up. It is very rare even for higher cognitive able animals to maintain close relationships with off spring for a whole life time.

emphasis added

Hardly. Being a good grandmother or grandfather does have evolutionary advantages because it increases the possibility that your progeny will continue, which is what natural selection selects for. Not surprisingly there are many species, admittedly mostly primates, in which continued the support of older sisters and mothers is the primary factor in determining whether a first time mother will successfully raise her young to adulthood. And there are other species that do similar things. Elephant herds are matriarchies run by the great-grandma.

If this were true then why does 98% of everything living on this planet not follow this model?

[Lemonvariable72]

Do you demand your children worship you?

As per my response to Jen-A yes!!! and so does everyone else!

Except your reponse is simply wrong. May animals maintain close relationships with offspring. Such as: Dogs, chimpanzees, dolphins, elephants, and many species of whale. And even still, maintaining a relationship with someone is much different then worshiping them.

---

Do you demand your children worship you?

As per my response to Jen-A yes!!! and so does everyone else!

---

emphasis added

Hardly. Being a good grandmother or grandfather does have evolutionary advantages because it increases the possibility that your progeny will continue, which is what natural selection selects for. Not surprisingly there are many species, admittedly mostly primates, in which continued the support of older sisters and mothers is the primary factor in determining whether a first time mother will successfully raise her young to adulthood. And there are other species that do similar things. Elephant herds are matriarchies run by the great-grandma.

If this were true then why does 98% of everything living on this planet not follow this model?

Because 98% of the animals on this planet don't even have a developed thelamus (spelling?)

[Chad32]

That's the whole point of parenting. You rise the child to become independent, where they move off and make their own family and the cycle continues. Keeping in touch afterwards is entirely optional. In fact the idea of moving farther away could be explained by an evolutionary need to prevent inbreeding. You're less likely to have sex with a member of your family if you move to the next town over or something.

so once your kid hits 18 that's it? So you are like a bird or a bear with no contact with your off spring or it's off spring ever again? or are you like everyone else who wants to have the 'picture book' family?

Evolution is at odds with our family structure. to keep a pack of genetically incompatiable people around who do nothing other than drain resources does not follow the darwinnian model of the survival of the fittest.

My parents do not demand constant contact from me. I talk to them when I want, and otherwise live my life on my own as they have succeeded in making me independent. I do not consult them in my day to day life.

[Jenny A]

The problems with this analogy are myriad.

1) Children of any species will generally grow up into something resembling their parents. You and I will not grow up to be omnipotent beings.

That's easily resolved we are not direct off spring. Again we were Fashioned or made in the Image of God. That is the difference between a painting of a tree and a seedling that came from a tree.

Exactly---that's why it's NOT a good analogy. It doesn't fit.

2) No one, other than an emotional monster, wants their kids to worship them---I don't even want my pets to worship me.

That's not true, or at the least it is short sighted.
Ask yourself do you want your kids to love you? At it's core Worship is directed love. Lets say your kid is special needs and does not share the same 'values' as you do.

Love and worship are not the same--thank god.

Let's say your kid's idea of expressing love is making a poop and drawing hearts on the walls of your house.
Without a doubt your child loves you as per all the poop stained heart drawings you have on everything you own. The question then becomes will you simply accept the offering of 'poop hearts' pasted all over your stuff, or would you want your kid to direct his love for you in a way that more aligns itself with your idea of love, rather than his?

If you so much as clean up the offering of poop hearts your kid left you, then you are trying to direct/mandate a method of worship, as his personal 'heart felt' expression of love is not acceptable.

So which is it? will you except the crap your kid wants to give you or will you demand that your kid 'worship' you the way you want to be loved?

No, I don't accept all the crap (literally or figurative that my children for friends give me). Expressing the desire not to be adored in anti-social ways is hardly a demand for worship.

3) Sharing an emotional bond does not generally involve worship and it shouldn't.

Maybe you should define worship.
I using what the dictionary says.
wor·ship
/ˈwərSHəp/
noun
noun: worship
1.the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.
"the worship of God"
the acts or rites that make up a formal expression of reverence for a deity; a religious ceremony or ceremonies.
show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.

Again, the point is that good parents don't expect formal adoration or reverence, and shouldn't.

4) Parents usually provide rather better for their children than the world provides for people.

Those who accept Christ do get 'adopted' into the Family. As such 'we' do get it better than everyone else. That is why there will be a seperation from the wheat and the weeds, the sheep and goats, the wheat and chaff etc...

Here on earth I see no sign that the the religious fare better. Adoption appears to have no immediate consequences for the betterment of the "child."

5) Good parents do not play favorites among their kids.

Again 'we' are not all God's kids.

Uh huh. Again, not a good analogy.

6) Most people value praise from their peers, not from toddlers.

ever been a mentor? Ever been a parent? If yes to either you know there is nothing more heart warming than when your kid/Mint-tea shows you a measure of love or appreciation on your own level.

I am a parent and mentor. And gratitude is wondrous, so is appreciation for skill from someone who as learned what that skill actually requires. But the toddler's praise is merely funny, though their hugs are wondrous. The thing is the God you propose want's the praise of toddlers.

7) The goal of parenthood is to make self sufficient adults out of children. God appears to want us to be mostly self sufficient in childhood (i.e. like of earth) and then provide for us absolutely afterwards---rather backwards.

Once again I say exactly. It is this life in which your god leaves us to struggle, i.e. our childhood in your analogy, and in our adulthood, that he provides for us. See, backwards.

Parent/child is not a good analogy for the god/human relationship told in the Bible, though the Bible often uses it.

---

emphasis added

Hardly. Being a good grandmother or grandfather does have evolutionary advantages because it increases the possibility that your progeny will continue, which is what natural selection selects for. Not surprisingly there are many species, admittedly mostly primates, in which continued the support of older sisters and mothers is the primary factor in determining whether a first time mother will successfully raise her young to adulthood. And there are other species that do similar things. Elephant herds are matriarchies run by the great-grandma.

If this were true then why does 98% of everything living on this planet not follow this model?

Because there are multiple ways of insuring progeny in the next generation. Insects handle this on by having babies in the thousands. Other species have babies that are all most immediately self sufficient. Species that develop more slowly into self sufficient adults need family. Thus primates is particular have use for family. It is a natural thing not a necessarily god given one.