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On 30/04/2020 20:39, bill w wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:mailman.10.1588275553.2039.extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">I think that maybe
I asking the totally wrong group:</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Maybe you are.<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:mailman.10.1588275553.2039.extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">What is your
understanding of worship? Where does it come from? What does it
accomplish? Can there be a religion without worship? Is it
just a form of great esteem, like we might have for Maxwell or
Newton?</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
I understand it as abasing yourself before a being perceived as more
powerful than yourself.<br>
<br>
It probably comes from human psychology, both from the perspective
of people willing/wanting to be led, and from the perspective of
people wanting to gain power, and realising that if they pose as the
representative of an imaginary powerful being and encourage worship
of said being, they can place themselves in a position of power as
priests, etc. That's quite an accomplishment, I think.<br>
<br>
There may be religions without worship, but I'm sure they'd be a
minority, as worship is a powerful tool for religion, so why would
one not take advantage of it?<br>
<br>
Esteem? No, it seems to me to be a form of fear or insecurity. Those
are much more powerful for controlling people. Making people fear
their gods is more common, and more effective, than asking them to
praise them. You can tell people to praise the gods or else, but
that's not esteeming them.<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Ben Zaiboc</pre>
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