Henotheism and Atheism

Can a person be both atheistic and henotheistic simultaneously? Don’t worry if you have to look up henotheism. I had to look it up too.
Since you didn't define henotheism, I had to look it up, too.

Thank you for making me do my own legwork. I hope others notice that I didn't define the term, either, so they can benefit, too.
Yeah it sooooo much work to google a word.

Usually when you find the answer yourself you actually remember it.
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.

Says you.

Where in the bible does it say the Abrahamic god created other gods? And why does the Abrahamic god say he is jealous of other gods if he did indeed create them as you say?
I did not say God created other gods. I said there are only two options; you can worship God or you can worship created things. Like sex, drugs, money, greed, power, material possessions, etc. But most just choose to worship themselves.

Die to self. Confront reality. It's the only way to live.
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.
I actually have a third choice and that is not to worship any gods whether they exist or not.
That would be you worshiping the material world then. It is for good reason that David Foster Wallace said that we all worship something and the only choice in the matter is what we choose to worship. We are literally hardwired for it.
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.
How does a person worship?
Is believing in the existence of an unprovable entity a form of worship?
Are abstract values worthy of guarding?
Is guarding the value of abstract qualities a form of worship?

Let's just start a discussion on this.
I'll answer it here too :)

Great question. Meriweather posted her opinion on what worship means in another thread. My opinion is very similar.

The word worship comes from the word worthy as Meriweather so astutely pointed out. And I think she may have touched on worshiping is for us and not for God but I want to expound on that. Setting aside the theology that God is complete, lacking in nothing and in need of nothing - which justifies my belief that worshiping God is for us and not Him - I will approach this from a practical or natural benefit stand point. But first I have to set the stage.

Most people don't realize - or take for granted - the amazing gift we have been given. We have literally won the cosmic lottery. And that applies to each and every human being who has ever lived no matter their experiences in life. We are the pinnacle of creation. We are beings that know and create. The most complex thing that creation has produced. We get to experience existence. Existence is literally made manifest by our minds. The very fabric of what we are made out of was created out of nothing ~14 billion years ago. It's pretty incredible stuff if you stop to think about it.

And how should one show appreciation for being given such a wonderful gift? I say it is the exact same way we show appreciation for all the gifts we are given. We thank the gift giver for the gift and then show them how much we appreciate the gift by using the gift. Thus proving to the gift giver that we were worthy of receiving the gift. And that's where the benefit of worship comes in. We are happiest when we use our talents to create. Creating is supposed to be so much fun that we have to be told to take a day off from creating. I worship God by treating every act I do as a sacred act. It's sublime. No matter what the task is I see this as my way of thanking God for giving me the precious and rare gift of existence. As such I get joy and contentment from everything I do. When obstacles arise, I see it as a challenge instead of a burden. So instead of getting discouraged or pissed off I look at it as an opportunity to discover what God wanted me to learn.

There are two things that happen when one is happy; dopamine is released which gives us that happy feeling and all the learning centers of the brain switch on. That's the benefit of worshiping God.
 
There are two things that happen when one is happy; dopamine is released which gives us that happy feeling and all the learning centers of the brain switch on. That's the benefit of worshiping God.
I refuse to attend church when the whole building is infused with a cloud of marijuana smoke.
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.

Says you.

Where in the bible does it say the Abrahamic god created other gods? And why does the Abrahamic god say he is jealous of other gods if he did indeed create them as you say?
I did not say God created other gods. I said there are only two options; you can worship God or you can worship created things. Like sex, drugs, money, greed, power, material possessions, etc. But most just choose to worship themselves.

Die to self. Confront reality. It's the only way to live.
And there is a third choice which is not to worship anything.

Just because you think you need to live in a black and white world doesn't mean that the world is only black and white.
 
There are two things that happen when one is happy; dopamine is released which gives us that happy feeling and all the learning centers of the brain switch on. That's the benefit of worshiping God.
I refuse to attend church when the whole building is infused with a cloud of marijuana smoke.
I refuse to attend church unless it's filled with a cloud of marijuana smoke.
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.
How does a person worship?
Is believing in the existence of an unprovable entity a form of worship?
Are abstract values worthy of guarding?
Is guarding the value of abstract qualities a form of worship?

Let's just start a discussion on this.
I'll answer it here too :)

Great question. Meriweather posted her opinion on what worship means in another thread. My opinion is very similar.

The word worship comes from the word worthy as Meriweather so astutely pointed out. And I think she may have touched on worshiping is for us and not for God but I want to expound on that. Setting aside the theology that God is complete, lacking in nothing and in need of nothing - which justifies my belief that worshiping God is for us and not Him - I will approach this from a practical or natural benefit stand point. But first I have to set the stage.

Most people don't realize - or take for granted - the amazing gift we have been given. We have literally won the cosmic lottery. And that applies to each and every human being who has ever lived no matter their experiences in life. We are the pinnacle of creation. We are beings that know and create. The most complex thing that creation has produced. We get to experience existence. Existence is literally made manifest by our minds. The very fabric of what we are made out of was created out of nothing ~14 billion years ago. It's pretty incredible stuff if you stop to think about it.

And how should one show appreciation for being given such a wonderful gift? I say it is the exact same way we show appreciation for all the gifts we are given. We thank the gift giver for the gift and then show them how much we appreciate the gift by using the gift. Thus proving to the gift giver that we were worthy of receiving the gift. And that's where the benefit of worship comes in. We are happiest when we use our talents to create. Creating is supposed to be so much fun that we have to be told to take a day off from creating. I worship God by treating every act I do as a sacred act. It's sublime. No matter what the task is I see this as my way of thanking God for giving me the precious and rare gift of existence. As such I get joy and contentment from everything I do. When obstacles arise, I see it as a challenge instead of a burden. So instead of getting discouraged or pissed off I look at it as an opportunity to discover what God wanted me to learn.

There are two things that happen when one is happy; dopamine is released which gives us that happy feeling and all the learning centers of the brain switch on. That's the benefit of worshiping God.
one can be thankful without worshiping gods.
 
Why does being thankful have to mean subjugating yourself to another?
We are not talking about subjugation which means being under complete control, or enslaved, by another. Obedience, on the other hand, is about compliance even though one can choose disobedience. (One cannot be 'dis-subjugated'.)
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.

Says you.

Where in the bible does it say the Abrahamic god created other gods? And why does the Abrahamic god say he is jealous of other gods if he did indeed create them as you say?
I did not say God created other gods. I said there are only two options; you can worship God or you can worship created things. Like sex, drugs, money, greed, power, material possessions, etc. But most just choose to worship themselves.

Die to self. Confront reality. It's the only way to live.
And there is a third choice which is not to worship anything.

Just because you think you need to live in a black and white world doesn't mean that the world is only black and white.
Man is compulsive by nature. It's the rare person who doesn't worship something. Which is why David Foster Wallace had good reason to say we all worship something and the only choice in the matter is what we choose to worship. We are literally hardwired for it because of our compulsive behavior.
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.
How does a person worship?
Is believing in the existence of an unprovable entity a form of worship?
Are abstract values worthy of guarding?
Is guarding the value of abstract qualities a form of worship?

Let's just start a discussion on this.
I'll answer it here too :)

Great question. Meriweather posted her opinion on what worship means in another thread. My opinion is very similar.

The word worship comes from the word worthy as Meriweather so astutely pointed out. And I think she may have touched on worshiping is for us and not for God but I want to expound on that. Setting aside the theology that God is complete, lacking in nothing and in need of nothing - which justifies my belief that worshiping God is for us and not Him - I will approach this from a practical or natural benefit stand point. But first I have to set the stage.

Most people don't realize - or take for granted - the amazing gift we have been given. We have literally won the cosmic lottery. And that applies to each and every human being who has ever lived no matter their experiences in life. We are the pinnacle of creation. We are beings that know and create. The most complex thing that creation has produced. We get to experience existence. Existence is literally made manifest by our minds. The very fabric of what we are made out of was created out of nothing ~14 billion years ago. It's pretty incredible stuff if you stop to think about it.

And how should one show appreciation for being given such a wonderful gift? I say it is the exact same way we show appreciation for all the gifts we are given. We thank the gift giver for the gift and then show them how much we appreciate the gift by using the gift. Thus proving to the gift giver that we were worthy of receiving the gift. And that's where the benefit of worship comes in. We are happiest when we use our talents to create. Creating is supposed to be so much fun that we have to be told to take a day off from creating. I worship God by treating every act I do as a sacred act. It's sublime. No matter what the task is I see this as my way of thanking God for giving me the precious and rare gift of existence. As such I get joy and contentment from everything I do. When obstacles arise, I see it as a challenge instead of a burden. So instead of getting discouraged or pissed off I look at it as an opportunity to discover what God wanted me to learn.

There are two things that happen when one is happy; dopamine is released which gives us that happy feeling and all the learning centers of the brain switch on. That's the benefit of worshiping God.
one can be thankful without worshiping gods.
True and he will reap benefit for doing so. Being thankful is a successful behavior which naturally leads to success.
 
Can a person be both atheistic and henotheistic simultaneously? Don’t worry if you have to look up henotheism. I had to look it up too.
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities.[1][2][3][4] Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist.[5][6] In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[1][2][7][8] Atheism is contrasted with theism,[9][10] which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists.[10][11][12]


Still No.
As an atheist--I can tell you when one claims atheism--they mean they believe in No gods at all. Its the agnostics who are more wishy washy and unsure of themselves or if there are any gods or not. Atheists have their minds made up and are really are like there are no fucking gods...so despite the word roots----it really isn't an absence of a belief but absence of any gods...at least at this point in time.
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.

Says you.

Where in the bible does it say the Abrahamic god created other gods? And why does the Abrahamic god say he is jealous of other gods if he did indeed create them as you say?
I did not say God created other gods. I said there are only two options; you can worship God or you can worship created things. Like sex, drugs, money, greed, power, material possessions, etc. But most just choose to worship themselves.

Die to self. Confront reality. It's the only way to live.
And there is a third choice which is not to worship anything.

Just because you think you need to live in a black and white world doesn't mean that the world is only black and white.
Man is compulsive by nature. It's the rare person who doesn't worship something. Which is why David Foster Wallace had good reason to say we all worship something and the only choice in the matter is what we choose to worship. We are literally hardwired for it because of our compulsive behavior.
Bull

It is your opinion that people have to worship something.

And what gives Wallace the authority to speak for every person that exists or has ever existed on this planet?

You just happen to agree with his opinion that is all.
 
one can be thankful without worshiping
Can one be thankful without being obedient, respectful?

Of course.

Why does being thankful have to mean subjugating yourself to another?
It doesn't. That's a different subject. But what are you giving thanks for and who are you giving thanks to and why are you giving them thanks?

I do not have to give thanks to any person or entity to in order to feel thankful for waking up very morning.

I certainly do not have to obey anyone or anything in order to feel thankful as Meriweather implied
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.
How does a person worship?
Is believing in the existence of an unprovable entity a form of worship?
Are abstract values worthy of guarding?
Is guarding the value of abstract qualities a form of worship?

Let's just start a discussion on this.
I'll answer it here too :)

Great question. Meriweather posted her opinion on what worship means in another thread. My opinion is very similar.

The word worship comes from the word worthy as Meriweather so astutely pointed out. And I think she may have touched on worshiping is for us and not for God but I want to expound on that. Setting aside the theology that God is complete, lacking in nothing and in need of nothing - which justifies my belief that worshiping God is for us and not Him - I will approach this from a practical or natural benefit stand point. But first I have to set the stage.

Most people don't realize - or take for granted - the amazing gift we have been given. We have literally won the cosmic lottery. And that applies to each and every human being who has ever lived no matter their experiences in life. We are the pinnacle of creation. We are beings that know and create. The most complex thing that creation has produced. We get to experience existence. Existence is literally made manifest by our minds. The very fabric of what we are made out of was created out of nothing ~14 billion years ago. It's pretty incredible stuff if you stop to think about it.

And how should one show appreciation for being given such a wonderful gift? I say it is the exact same way we show appreciation for all the gifts we are given. We thank the gift giver for the gift and then show them how much we appreciate the gift by using the gift. Thus proving to the gift giver that we were worthy of receiving the gift. And that's where the benefit of worship comes in. We are happiest when we use our talents to create. Creating is supposed to be so much fun that we have to be told to take a day off from creating. I worship God by treating every act I do as a sacred act. It's sublime. No matter what the task is I see this as my way of thanking God for giving me the precious and rare gift of existence. As such I get joy and contentment from everything I do. When obstacles arise, I see it as a challenge instead of a burden. So instead of getting discouraged or pissed off I look at it as an opportunity to discover what God wanted me to learn.

There are two things that happen when one is happy; dopamine is released which gives us that happy feeling and all the learning centers of the brain switch on. That's the benefit of worshiping God.
one can be thankful without worshiping gods.
True and he will reap benefit for doing so. Being thankful is a successful behavior which naturally leads to success.
And being thankful does not require a belief in gods
 
Why does being thankful have to mean subjugating yourself to another?
We are not talking about subjugation which means being under complete control, or enslaved, by another. Obedience, on the other hand, is about compliance even though one can choose disobedience. (One cannot be 'dis-subjugated'.)
Obeying the will of another is voluntary subjugation.
 
Even the Abrahamic god seems to think there are other gods since he stated in the 10 Commandments that there will be no other gods before him and that he is jealous of other gods
You have two choices; you can worship the creator or you can worship the created. Those are the only two gods.

Says you.

Where in the bible does it say the Abrahamic god created other gods? And why does the Abrahamic god say he is jealous of other gods if he did indeed create them as you say?
I did not say God created other gods. I said there are only two options; you can worship God or you can worship created things. Like sex, drugs, money, greed, power, material possessions, etc. But most just choose to worship themselves.

Die to self. Confront reality. It's the only way to live.
And there is a third choice which is not to worship anything.

Just because you think you need to live in a black and white world doesn't mean that the world is only black and white.
Man is compulsive by nature. It's the rare person who doesn't worship something. Which is why David Foster Wallace had good reason to say we all worship something and the only choice in the matter is what we choose to worship. We are literally hardwired for it because of our compulsive behavior.
Bull

It is your opinion that people have to worship something.

And what gives Wallace the authority to speak for every person that exists or has ever existed on this planet?

You just happen to agree with his opinion that is all.
The Hindus believe that over multiple lifetimes man pursues pleasure, fame, fortune and power but in the end he discovers that none of those things will satisfy him because he was made for more. It seems that even the Hindus believe there is a God void that must be filled. Eventually.
 

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