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| Photo by Tester on Unsplash |
What is god? If you don't have a clear answer to this question, then I have one additional question for you. How can you claim to worship something you can't define and don't understand? What does it look like to worship such a thing? More importantly, if you aren't sure what this "god" is, how is worshiping it any different from worshiping nothing at all?
What is god? Is it an idea you've derived from one of the many versions of one of the many "holy" books? Since these texts were written by humans, how can you be so sure that the ideas they describe are accurate? What leads you to think that their understanding of god(s) was any better than yours would have been had you not read their words? You may have noticed that the god(s) described vary between books and even within books (e.g., the main god described in the Old Testament is very different from the one mentioned in the New Testament). Which is the correct god, and how do you know?
What is god? Is it an idea you have been taught by your family, friends, church, and culture? You may have noticed that there is great variability in what people around you believe about god(s). Who is right, and how do you know? What if you've been worshiping the wrong god(s) all this time?
What is god? Perhaps what you are worshiping is your own unique understanding of god(s) based on everything you've been taught, your personal experiences, and how you've interpreted them. This would make sense and is probably how most religious people understand the object of their worship. But how is this meaningfully different from worshiping yourself? Wouldn't this mean that worship is really a form of self-love?
What is god? And if you aren't sure, are you only claiming to believe in it because you have been told that you are supposed to do so? Do you say you believe in it to win social acceptance? Perhaps your faith has been misplaced. You just might be an atheist in hiding.
