I thought I would start one of the oldest arguments in the world. I read recently that us non believers were given very low numbers. We are not trusted. And we are ostracized. We live with people who believe in things they have never seen. But they think we are lacking.

Over the centuries religion has been used to justify murder. It has been used to separate people as much as pull them together.

So to start the debate I will ask this question.

Why would God feel the need to be praised? If he is the creator of all why would he or she need this?

Good question. I'm agnostic but the one thing I'm sure about is that any God I'm interested in doesn't need me to go through a whole bunch of showy ceremonial bullshit to prove my devotion.

If God exists, he might be interested in whether or I generally did the right thing in my dealings with others.

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"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." - John Jay, First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, February 28, 1797

If you created the Heavens and the Earth wouldn’t you want a little credit?

Yes I would. Because I like most of us am a needy human being. I suppose it could be that just like I want my dog to like me. He wants his pets to love him also. But it still shows that he feels something is lacking. Don't you think?

Have you ever had someone fall in love with you??? You know they do because of the actions they take. They can love you from afar, but you'll never know it if they don't show it. (I graduated from the Johnnny Cochrane School of Poetry)

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Our nation has not always lived up to its ideals, yet those ideals have never ceased to guide us. They expose our flaws, and lead us to mend them. We are the beneficiaries of the work of the generations before us and it is each generation's responsibility to continue that work. - Laura Bush

God is a conservative -

Ecclesiastes 10:2--"A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left."

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"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." - John Jay, First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, February 28, 1797

Mikeyy:
He doesn't need our praise. He wants and requires it....for our sake.

Isn't that like, You better like me or else?

God does not need you to go through a whole bunch of ceremonial bullshit to prove your devotion. He already knows where your devotion lies. But the truth of the matter is you will praise that for which you are devoted.

Yes, He might be interested in how you treat others....no, scratch that. He IS interested in how you treat others. He says that how you treat others is how you are treating Him. (See Matthew 25.35-46)

But your relationship with people is not the ONLY thing He is interested in. He is also interested in your relationship with Him. (See John 1.12)

Nope, not at all. It's more like properly seeing something for what it truly is.

When you say "praise" what is it that you mean? Are you suggesting some sort of flattery....saying the right words in order to get what you want?

That's not praise.

When you cheer for your favorite sports team, are you doing so to get them to like you or are you simply expressing your inward feelings toward the team?