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theosophical rambings
Nov. 19th, 2006 07:45 pmWhile waiting in the Chinese takeaway for my Sunday dinner, I couldn't help but notice that they had Songs Of Praise on the tv in the corner. It was enjoyable in a way, because watching it used to remind me of Sundays back home, when I had no worries such as bills or women or employment. Yet even back then the programme bored me, as I was never one for singing or religion. Now, however, it worries me somewhat, to watch these people of all ages and colours joining together to fervently sing some quite odd songs. Organised worship seems to be quite a mistake.
If God does exist, and is as benevolent as the Christian church claims, then I doubt he is so petty as to reject an otherwise good person merely because they didn't give up one day in seven to stand around in a pretty building and sing about him. He wouldn't need reminding just how omnipotent he is all the time, especially since he's omniscient as well. Surely he would prefer his subjects to spend that spare time doing something useful for others.
If on the other hand, God exists and is more ambivalent, or even malevolent, then although periodic worship may well guarantee you a place in heaven by satisfying his narcissistic whim, heaven is unlikely to be the idyllic place alluded to in the scriptures. This would therefore mean worship is not as useful as thought, and besides which this God is not as deserving of such worship anyway. Is life truly so bad that you'd dedicate it to trying to earn a place in a selfish and fickle deity's heaven?
And if God doesn't exist, then it's all a hopeless waste of time anyway.
Possibly the worst case scenario is that there is a god, but it's not the one that most people believe in. I can half imagine Odin getting angry at the billions of foolish mortals that switched sides due to Jehovah having the best preachers, and condemning them all to Hel out of irritation.
If God does exist, and is as benevolent as the Christian church claims, then I doubt he is so petty as to reject an otherwise good person merely because they didn't give up one day in seven to stand around in a pretty building and sing about him. He wouldn't need reminding just how omnipotent he is all the time, especially since he's omniscient as well. Surely he would prefer his subjects to spend that spare time doing something useful for others.
If on the other hand, God exists and is more ambivalent, or even malevolent, then although periodic worship may well guarantee you a place in heaven by satisfying his narcissistic whim, heaven is unlikely to be the idyllic place alluded to in the scriptures. This would therefore mean worship is not as useful as thought, and besides which this God is not as deserving of such worship anyway. Is life truly so bad that you'd dedicate it to trying to earn a place in a selfish and fickle deity's heaven?
And if God doesn't exist, then it's all a hopeless waste of time anyway.
Possibly the worst case scenario is that there is a god, but it's not the one that most people believe in. I can half imagine Odin getting angry at the billions of foolish mortals that switched sides due to Jehovah having the best preachers, and condemning them all to Hel out of irritation.
