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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Just got up (worked until 3am). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>When I read the question, my first thought was also, ‘what defines worship?’ because worship is a word that means many things to many people. I personally like the definition you found, Sebastian. Most people in this country equate worship with giving power over to their Deity, and submitting themselves to the whims of that Deity. If that is the sort of relationship that a particular God requires, then they probably do need worship in order to exist. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>This is the sort of relationship I have experienced with Christians. The classic Trek episode, “Who Mourns For Adonis”, which I believe is the episode Charlotte referenced, (yes, I’m a Trek Geek) was written about the crew meeting one of the classical Greek Gods, Apollo. It was written from the Christian point of view, where Gods are all powerful, and require humans to worship them in order to exist. This is a very telling attitude that Christians seem to have.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I see Deity differently than what I’ve heard the CR’s describe. To me, Deity is ever present, and what we look at and describe as individual Gods, are simply facets of the whole. I also believe that we are Divine, based on the fact that all of creation was formed in a Divine act. Therefore everything within creation must be Divine. In simpler terms, using the Charge of The Goddess, if the Goddess gave birth to all that there is, even though I myself was not part of that original birth, I am Divine by right of inheritance. I am the current culmination of whatever particles, atoms, or molecules that the Goddess gave birth to. Looking at it that way, when we worship the Gods, we are opening the connection between our individual selves, and that great source we call Deity. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Do the Gods need or require worship? No, we do.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Greyhart <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> community-bounces@crodreoilin.org [mailto:community-bounces@crodreoilin.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sebastian<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 15, 2011 11:17 AM<br><b>To:</b> community@crodreoilin.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Cro Dreoilin] Up for Discussion: Do the Gods need worship?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>In order to answer this question I admit that I checked the dicitonary for a specific definition of "worship" to understand the nuances of that term. There is the obvious connotation of prostrating before the gods which seems to be why many pagans cringe at the term. However, there is one possible definition that seems to answer this question of "what do you mean by worship?" in my own perspective. "<span class=hwc><span style='color:#333333'>formal</span></span> <span class=hwc><span style='color:#333333'>or</span></span> <span class=hwc><span style='color:#333333'>ceremonious</span></span> <span class=hwc>rendering</span> <span class=hwc>of</span> [<span class=hwc>...]</span> <span class=hwc>honor</span> <span class=hwc><span style='color:#333333'>and</span></span> homage". Now, on to the bigger question of need. If we aproach need as the idea that without our worship of them that they would fall into disrepair or that they are so proud that they require veneration for sustenance, I would say no. My answer would come from the perspective of building a relationship as you would with another person. In order to build a healthy relationship with another human, there is an amount of give and take, and this is where the "need" comes in to play. I wish to build a strong, healthy relationship with the gods and ancestors and my half of the give and take comes in the form of tanks, offerings, veneration and plain "good ole fashion'd conversation". So, in short, if you desire not to have a relationship with the gods, then no, they do not need worship.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>~Sebastian<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 9:48 AM, Norman <<a href="mailto:planner1968@yahoo.com">planner1968@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am on the jump to run my day today but here are a few cent of my thoughts on it. I do think that every deity needs attention. How does that look and what is considered worship/ attention? If I ask my deity for something and that's it, that in my opinion is not attention or worship or however you call it. It's more about paying more attention about the happenings,signs and communications in your life and how you engage with them. You thank your deities, maybe even write a little thank you note for a start. Just as you do with the people. Get into a dialog. At a later point I will write more but now on my way into the world conquering my kingdom:-)<br><br>Sent from my iPhone<o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><br>On Nov 15, 2011, at 9:31 AM, Chris and Kelley <<a href="mailto:chris.n.kelley@astronomytower.net">chris.n.kelley@astronomytower.net</a>> wrote:<br><br>> In the interest of getting more discussion going on this list, we're going to start posting some topics for talk.<br>><br>> Our first topic: Do the Gods need worship?<br>><br>> This is not just a yes or no answer; there are lot of questions in this one question. Consider: Which Gods are we talking about? What do we mean by "need"? What do we mean by "worship"?<br>><br>> Have at it.<br>><br>> -- Chris and Kelley.<br>><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Community mailing list<br>> <a href="mailto:Community@crodreoilin.org">Community@crodreoilin.org</a><br>> <a href="http://crodreoilin.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/community" target="_blank">http://crodreoilin.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/community</a><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Community mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Community@crodreoilin.org">Community@crodreoilin.org</a><br><a href="http://crodreoilin.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/community" target="_blank">http://crodreoilin.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/community</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>