The modern atheistic movement regularly accuses the God of the Bible of behaving in immoral ways. One accusation from unbelievers against God is that He is egocentric and arrogant. Why does God command and demand that all people praise Him, call Him the greatest, tell Him how wonderful He is, ascribe to Him glory and honor, and in other ways worship Him? If God knows all these things about Himself, and He is comfortable in His “own shoes,” why does He insist that everyone bow down to Him and praise His name?
Several leading voices in the atheistic community believe they have the answer to such a question. They contend that humans made up the stories in the Bible, and therefore the God Who is depicted in its pages reflects the human characteristics of narcissism and megalomania. Atheist Dan Barker wrote: “Megalomania does not have a precise medical definition. In the old days, it was called ‘a narcissistic personality disorder,’ and that seems to fit the God of the Old Testament perfectly. ‘Look at me, me, me! I am wonderful! Nobody is more powerful!’”1 He continued this thought by stating: “The Old Testament is crammed with ego-stroking proclamations, attention-seeking and show-off displays of God’s self-proclaimed majesty.”2 And: “Like a football player showing off to both impress the cheerleaders and intimidate the competition, the Lord Jealous was a macho boaster. ‘Look at me! I am the great and terrible Lord!…’ Truly great people are psychologically secure, not dependent on the opinions of others. God is not great. He is merely megalomaniacal.”3
Preacher-turned-atheist Charles Templeton, in his book Farewell to God, wrote: “And what is this consuming need the God of the Bible has to be worshipped, to be everlastingly praised and assured that he is the Great One, the most deserving of adoration and praise? Today such a condition would be diagnosed as pathological.”4 The late Christopher Hitchens, outspoken atheist and vehement opponent of the God of the Bible, stated: “There is, first, the monarchial growling about respect and fear, accompanied by a stern reminder of omnipotence and limitless revenge…”5
While those statements were made nearly two decades ago, the sentiment is still prevalent among those who do not believe in the God of the Bible. Most modern unbelievers with whom I’ve interacted, however, would not use openly harsh and “unfriendly” terms like megalomaniacal and “macho boaster.” In fact, many of the younger atheists and agnostics seem to be distancing themselves from the aggressive and hostile approach of the New Atheism movement. Instead, the modern young unbeliever might be heard to say something as simple as, “If God knows he is all-powerful, why would he force everyone to worship him and praise him?” The question is simply left out there in a way that suggests it has not, or cannot, be answered satisfactorily. Why are the Scriptures filled with commands, demands, and admonitions for all people to worship God alone, recognize His infinite qualities, and bow before Him?
This Accusation Seems Misguided to Christians
Before we begin to answer this question, Christians may be surprised that this is even an accusation that needs an answer. This is the case because they have never felt like they were “commanded” to praise God, extol His virtues, or tell others of His excellence and glory. These reactions simply come naturally to them as they have learned about the character of God and His innumerable acts of righteousness, power, justice, mercy, grace, forgiveness, love, and goodness. Psalm 23 provides an excellent example of this attitude. The writer of the psalm, King David, is not writing because He is forced to worship God. Instead, he is writing because he recognizes all the ways that God has, and will, bless his life. David simply wants others to know how wonderful his God is.
It is interesting that agnostic Bart Ehrman once stated: “The problem is this: I have such a fantastic life that I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for it; I am fortunate beyond words. But I don’t have anyone to express my gratitude to. This is a void deep inside me, a void of wanting someone to thank, and I don’t see any plausible way of filling it.”6 Christians feel this same overwhelming sense of gratitude, but they do not experience the void of having no one to thank. On the contrary, their gratitude naturally extends to praising, thanking, and glorifying their Creator Who is responsible for their lives.
In truth, when a person loves and appreciates another person, he or she does not feel obligated to express those sentiments, they just come naturally. Imagine the young fiancé who is asked about his future bride. He gushes over her beauty, her intellect, her kindness, tender heart, and a million and one other praiseworthy attributes about her that he has grown to love. His glowing description is not forced or out of obligation but is the natural reaction to how he feels about her. Or think about the avid basketball fan who believes Michael Jordan is the best basketball player to have ever played the game. If you ask him why he thinks that, he will be thrilled to tell you all the stats, intangibles, and great moments he believes prove that MJ is the best. His praise for Jordan’s basketball skills flows naturally from his appreciation for how good Jordan is at the game, not from a sense of necessity or obligation.
As people experience the joy and beauty of a loving relationship with God, they cannot help but worship the God Who provided such a “fantastic life.”
- “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).
- “For you have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139:13-14).
- “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for you have magnified Your word above all Your name. In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul” (Psalm 138:2-3).
These types of verses could literally be multiplied by hundreds. They are not the voices of forced, obligatory, constrained worship, but are instead the cries of those who have seen the beauty and worthiness of God.
A beautiful picture of this natural and spontaneous praise is presented in Luke 19. When Jesus approached Jerusalem in what most Bible scholars call the Triumphal Entry, the “whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen” (19:37). The Pharisees, who refused to recognize the truth of Jesus’ deity, said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples” (19:39). Jesus responded by saying: “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (19:40). Jesus’ point was simply that all those who recognize the truth of God’s character cannot help but praise Him, and that even extends (in one sense) to every aspect of the created world that shows His glory (read Psalm 148). To the Christian, the opportunity to praise God is a privilege.
Answering the Skeptics’ Challenge
Having noted that praise to God flows naturally from a heart of gratitude, I would like to begin building an answer to the skeptics’ challenge by presenting two separate but connected ideas. First, the Bible never, ever, in any way, even remotely, insinuates that God needs the praise and worship of humans. In fact, the Bible clearly teaches exactly the opposite. The psalmist recorded God’s message to the Israelites regarding sacrifices in the Old Testament as follows: “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness…. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are mine” (Psalm 50:10-12). You can easily understand God’s point in this discussion. The Israelites might be questioning why they would be “forced” to burn animal sacrifices to God. Was it that God somehow needed them? God’s answer shows that He has an endless supply. He does not need the animals that the Israelites are sacrificing. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul explained to his listeners on Mars Hill: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). Any accusation against God that suggests He is “dependent on the opinions of others” or has a “consuming need” to be worshiped is either intentionally or inadvertently distorting what the Bible says on the subject.
Second, the Bible is clear that there is only one reason God ever gives humans any commands at all. In Deuteronomy 6:24, Moses wrote: “And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He may preserve us alive, as it is this day.” According to this verse, God’s commandments are always given for the benefit of those who receive them. In 2 Peter 1:3, we read that God’s divine power “has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” If God does not need human worship, why then does He so adamantly command it? He commands worship, “for our good always,” so we can have everything we need for “life and godliness.”
(Part II to cont. in Nov.)
Endnotes
1 Dan Barker (2016), God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction (New York: Sterling), p. 168.
2 Ibid., p. 169.
3 Ibid., p. 179.
4 Charles Templeton (1996), Farewell to God (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart), pp. 4-5.
5 Christopher Hitchens (2007), God Is Not Great (New York: Twelve), p. 99.
6 Bart Ehrman (2008), God’s Problem (New York: HarperCollins), p. 128.
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