Most religions are based on worship. They usually go as far as to tell you who and how to worship. Ideally, this would not be a real problem. However, most churches seem to be so full of themselves as to exclude all other forms of reverence. For example, have you ever seen a Muslim with a shrine to Buddha? Most certainly not.
First of all, and this especially holds truth if you are an atheist, why worship at all? As you might have guessed by now, I do not imply that you worship anyone as a manifestation of divine influence (a god). Dictionary.com gives us the following definition;
7. to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing).
Of course, this is not the only definition, but it is the one I’m trying to convey here. Now as to why. This form of worship is basically a way to focus and gather inner strength. If this sounds to far-fetched for you, bear with me. Focus is often underestimated yet is one of the greatest virtues you can train. Focussing allows you to analyse situations easily, helps you make to choices and allows you to more efficiently direct your skills and strength. Any successful student, businessman, actor or athlete will tell you the same. After all, none of the before mentioned can be successful without being able to concentrate on their tests, acting or sporting performance. Inner strength is another advantage of worship. It might sound cheesy, but that final sprint to the finish line might be a little better if you do it for Jesus.
The nature of your worship depends entirely on your personality. Some might prefer an elaborate shrine while others like to wear something like a crucifix. Personally, I like to keep them in my mind alone. More because I have no intention to bother anyone else.
If you are clueless as who to worship, here are some examples;
- Jesus Christ. An all-time favourite, Jesus is actually quite a good choice considering his teachings. In essence, all of it consisted of telling people to live their lives in a good way and to forgive the sinners and general assholes alike.
- Siddhartha Gautanama, the Buddha. Buddha was perhaps even more relaxed than Jesus in his teachings. Buddha was convinced that he was ‘enlightened’. Which is metaphorically described as having awakened from the illusion of the world in the same way that one wakes from the illusion of a dream when you hear the alarm clock. He also emphasised complete pacifism, even to a greater extent than Jesus who could be found getting angry robbers.
- Krishna. In Hinduism, Krishna is the 8th incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu on Earth. Krishna sets himself apart from the Jesus and Buddha as a warrior. I am not going to explain the entire mythology surrounding him, but in short; Krishna was in favour of ending disputes by dialogue, but when all else failed he could be found ready to kick-ass. And according to the Hindu scriptures he was very good at that.
- Alexander the Great. Not on the same line as the religious figures mentioned above, Alexander deserves an entry none the less. For those of you without a clue who I am mentioning; Alexander was the king of ancient Macedon, a province of Greece and roughly the size of Belgium. Alexander proceeded to conquer a HUGE empire, consisting of most of Greece and stretching all the way to India. According to some sources, Alexander honestly believed he could better the world by conquering it, a noble goal. On the other hand, other sources claimed him to be a power-hungry megalomaniac. As it is too far back to get any answers from him, you may choose whichever you like best. For me, I like to think its the first.
- Julius Caesar. This name should sound at least familiar, if it does not, shame on you. Caesar came from a middle to upper-class roman family with mediocre political influence (they had some, but nothing worth mentioning). He rose to become the undisputed and highly popular ruler and arguably the first emperor of the Roman Empire (he was not technically an emperor). However this would all be irrelevant if he was a scumbag. And this, surprisingly, he was not. Caesar was heavily in favour of justice and equal rights for all. For example, if a high-class citizen would harm a member of the lower class, the high citizen would have all his wealth confiscated. He is even said to have pardoned al his political enemies when he rose to power, something especially benevolent when he could have used his influence to kill them without any retaliation. Ironically, many amongst those he spared would participate in his slaughter later.
I hope I have given you some ideas as far as worship is concerned.
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