A believer once asked me, "Well, who do you think made you?", to which I replied, "Why do you believe that someone had to have made us?" People just can't stand to think that we came from someplace or something that they don't understand.

Years ago, the nuns (grades 1-4) spent a lot of time on the "worship" aspect of the Catholic religion. It was my responsibility to "worship" this god they were so big on. They just never did get across to me how there could be this all-knowing and perfect universe-making god that just totally got-off on me spending time on my knees morning and evening freakin' WORSHIPPING "him" (yes, HIM). I thought, "What kind of a god has time for that nonsense while he's presumably a bit busy with so many other things day-to-day in running the universe. Does this even sound reasonable?" There were a LOT of things the good nuns tried to explain to me that just never, never, never made any sense at all. I had a scientist's mind even in 1st-grade. I always asked for proof and the nuns always always came up short. Nope, I never fell for the god-thing even for a minute. Just didn't feel right.

Regarding the “innate need” to worship something: I think early man “needed” to invent gods to explain natural phenomenon, perhaps as a survival mechanism. If you’re terrified by things you don’t understand, your cortisol levels will be ratcheted up and you will not be as healthy/successful, etc. Even though “the gods” were still terrifying, their very creation likely allowed man to exert some control. “I worship x and sacrifice y so hopefully god won’t smite me” likely was healthier than “WTF was THAT?!”

I’m curious: is anyone aware of a civilization that DIDNT invent gods to explain the natural world? Is/was there an evolutionary advantage to creating and believing in a diety?

As we evolved and science started explaining some of the realm of the gods, a few enterprising individuals turned religion from an ego defense mechanism into one of control. However, in the age of science and reason, why do so many people still choose to follow religion? Does it fill a psychological need? Is it vestigial?

Worship Exercise, good nutrition, and good health. You know you are not going to heaven.

Yeah, they find it difficult to imagine not being subservient to an invisible space wizard. So difficult, in fact, that I've been accused of worshipping myself as a replacement. I'm not sure how exactly that works...

That just sounds weird

I’ve long assumed what they really mean is, ‘you must be subordinate to something.’ They view us as outside the pecking order of life, and are confused as to where we find our ‘orders’ … because how could anyone actually think for themself..?

It’s like being told ‘you have to follow someone,’ and no, you don’t You can actually think for yourself … but then you have to take personal responsibility for your decisions and actions, and after a lifetime of being told what to do, I suspect they find the thought alone ..terrifying…

Wow! All great comments so far.

This was a popular teaching back in my evangelical daze. "Everyone worships something, even if it's only themselves". That fed nicely into the fear that you'd commit the "sin of pride", the notion that everyone is a rebel who would, like Lucifer, usurp the rightful worship due the creator.

This is wrong on so many levels it's hard to know where to begin, but I usually start with deconstructing the notion that humans have an innate need to worship, which implies an innate need to be taken care of / told what to do. This is the basic mechanism by which the faithful are infantalized; it creates much of the fake need that religion sells the fake remedy for.

This is based on the only political system that most people in the ancient world understood: the sovereign and his subjects. The king seemed to them a necessary entity. They didn't have the mental framework to imagine a democratic republic.

It's ironic the way American Christians go on about freedom and democracy and godless communism when their basic mindset is that of docile sheep under an absolute ruler.

The reality is that humans have an innate desire for meaning and purpose of their own.

That is odd to me too...I once had a boyfriend who told me, "but you have to like Neil Diamond". Oh, wait....Former boyfriend!

That’s akin to them saying “science/atheism is a religion” or “it takes just as much faith to have your belief system”

I don’t know if they are just completely unable to comprehend a different world view, and they are trying to squeeze you into their paradigm. Or if they are playing stupid gotcha games. Either way my respect meter plummets when I hear that nonsense.

They say to their followers that man has the instinct built in to need to worship something. I think that this is self-serving BS.

It's a non falsifiable concept. They can always say "You worshio reason!" Or "You worsip money!" You see, they get to redefine the word worship to suit heir needs. Them's the rules, according to them, anyway.

I occasionally get "But you must believe in something!"

Well, I do. Lots of things. But not in god.

LOL! Well, I built a shrine to James Cameron for Avatar, and Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada...in my heart.

There is nothing spiritual about "worship" and I reject the term. A person can be grateful regarding their circumstances, or have faith in humanity or the nature of things, but to credit a supernatural deity for good things (but not bad) makes no sense to me.