7 replies to this topic

[cu in 4years Dan]

my question is this.
can you believe in God, or believe there is a God and not worship that God?

my friends says he thinks there is a God, but he hasnt worked out if it is Allah, Christ, etc. he also says even if he works it out he might not even worship that God.

[crowTrobot]

my question is this.
can you believe in God, or believe there is a God and not worship that God?

many beliefs followed by millions of people (such as deistic beliefs) are founded on forms of god(s) that aren't worshiped in the christian sense, so you'll have to be more specific with your definitions for that question to make sense. do you mean the christian god specifically?

[LongLiveYorke]

Sure. There are many ways that one can believe in G_d. If one is a Christian, it wouldn't make sense not to worship G_d. However, if one simply believes in a general version of G_d they may not hold as a part of their belief that G_d requires direct human worship. One could believe that G_d is above simple acts of worship or only requires mental faith or a number of other beliefs. Or maybe no belief whatsoever. After all, one can believe in G_d and not believe in heaven or hell, or any afterlife whatsoever. The two are not the same thing. So there would be no reason to worship G_d.


However, if I were to believe in G_d, I would find it difficult to not be at least in some way appreciative of the gift of life and of the earth and of the universe that he gave to us. I may not call that worship, but rather recognition and appreciation.

[crowTrobot]

my friends says he thinks there is a God, but he hasnt worked out if it is Allah, Christ, etc. he also says even if he works it out he might not even worship that God.

muslims don't believe in the divinity of jesus, but otherwise allah and the christian god are the same.

[semaj550]

I don't think that because one believes there is more out there than empty space one is forced to subscribe to an organized religion.

I do think belief in God(s) necessitates some attempt to form a relationship though. It seems kinda silly to me to believe in a higher power and then choose to ignore it.

I've got a lot more I would like to say but unless someone expressly desires it, I'll try to leave my Catholic bias out of this. I will quote a bible verse though:
"I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me." - Proverbs 8:17

[11 to 1]

my question is this.
can you believe in God, or believe there is a God and not worship that God?

my friends says he thinks there is a God, but he hasnt worked out if it is Allah, Christ, etc. he also says even if he works it out he might not even worship that God.

The Hindu have a way of referring to God as neti...neti which you could translate as "not that...not that." It is a valid theological argument that God is everything we cannot point to or identify. Or, if you can say something is, then that is not God, though God is all that IS. Oddly, your friend's feeling that God is - and yet his inability or unwillingness to subscribe to any human's definition of God, may mean he is closer to God than most. How would he worship such a God? He'd have to find that path for himself, of course, but perhaps by loving God's Creation - all that which is not-God. Of course, that's all Jesus wants any of us to do anyway.

[crowTrobot]

The Hindu have a way of referring to God as neti...neti which you could translate as "not that...not that." It is a valid theological argument that God is everything we cannot point to or identify. Or, if you can say something is, then that is not God, though God is all that IS. Oddly, your friend's feeling that God is - and yet his inability or unwillingness to subscribe to any human's definition of God, may mean he is closer to God than most. How would he worship such a God? He'd have to find that path for himself, of course, but perhaps by loving God's Creation - all that which is not-God. Of course, that's all Jesus wants any of us to do anyway.

what has jesus got to do with hinduism? you're a little confused.

[Wingmaster05]

my question is this.
can you believe in God, or believe there is a God and not worship that God?

my friends says he thinks there is a God, but he hasnt worked out if it is Allah, Christ, etc. he also says even if he works it out he might not even worship that God.

if you discover a power greater than yourself, do you have to worship it?