Why does humanity seem to have an innate desire and need to worship something, or someone?

Answer 1

Yes, I think so, but why? That's an instinct we're born with. Sort of an innate knowledge of the metaphysical, that there is a world of pure reality that this world is a shadow of.

From what I've seen of the world and people, the ones who say they worship nothing are self-deluded and usually worship money, power, or their own independence or ego and don't recognize that.

Cf. David Foster Wallace, a true prophet for this generation:

"There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship -- be it JC or Allah, bet it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles -- is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive."

Answer 2

The human mind drives many to worship something outside of self because that supports awareness in feeling separate. Separation relies on feelings of being special and privileged to continue the illusion. Unity is threatening to the human ego identified mind because if we are aware of the true magnitude of being the human mind feels small and unimportant... It's just something we do.

Answer 3

Apparently the thing they innately worship is the report button

Answer 4

I don't think worship is the proper term, looking to a higher power for guidance and counsel during turbulent times, I think is a better way to describe it. What works for some, doesn't necessarily work for all. As long as no one is hurting anyone else, or infringing on the rights and freedoms of another, let them be.

Answer 5

The world is a frightening place. How terrible it would be to have to find our own way in it? What if death was just the end, and no one and nothing shielded us from it? What if we had only the significance in life that we could find in it, and had to determine right and wrong without an outside power to guide us? God is a comfort in all these things. Some times I wish he were real.

Answer 6

this actual element called ask your self is the clarification gods are born. different words for this are: Amazement, Awe, Astonishment, Reverence, Dazzlement, Bewilderment, Stumped, Stupefication, and Dumbfounded. whilst the human recommendations fails to appreciate complicated phenomena which contain order from chaos and intelligence from noise, your thinking recommendations collapses onto the only issues it could draw close: Admiration and Worship. Cheers ~ Randy the Atheist

Answer 7

I disagree with that notion. I do not have an innate desire to worship anything. I was taught to worship God and I always thought the concept of worship was kind of weird and demeaning.

Answer 8

Because having an answer, even if it's one you just made up, is alot less terrifying than facing the unknown without any sort of explanation for it. And humans naturally are that way- just keep talking about some 'mystery' and keep giving explanations until you reach one that makes sense and others are willing to listen to.

Answer 9

Agree with Layla, worship is basically submitting to a higher power, giving yourself over to it and allowing it to tell you what it wants you to do.

Something like slavery, only you choose to be subject to it.

Answer 10

It's funny how we "evolved" to have this apparently universal desire. I'm sure our more animal-like ancestors didn't have this need, so why do we? I'm hoping we can continue to evolve out of it.