thread: 2007-01-10 : Some questions about worship
On 2007-01-10, Dave Younce wrote:
Would you consider my singing this song a prayer?
Probably, I guess. But what's way more important is whether you consider it a prayer.
The change I make to it, pluralizing "sustainer," would you consider that blasphemy?
No, unless that's your actual intent with it. Referring to your preferred higher power in the plural isn't a problem especially if
- You believe God is a being with more than one aspect
or - You believe that everything and everyone has a portion of deity in them. (This seems like what you've said)
Now, if my daughter started her prayers with "Heavenly Fathers" would I be okay with it? No, at this stage of her life and given our particular beliefs I would teach her to pray in the singular.
The things I mean by "sustainers" - am I worshiping them?
This may seem like a cop-out answer by now, but I'm going to say again: "Only if that's your intent."
If so, is this idolatry?
Yes and no. Yes if you're putting other sources in priority above a singular God, then you probably meet the standard in Exodus 20:3 (if that's even where you're deriving your definition of 'idolatry' in the question). No, because it's not like you've chosen another god to worship, at least from what I see. You either intend to include deity in your thanks and ask it/Him for blessing, or you specifically do not mean that, or maybe you've decided to be intentionally vague on the issue.
It's not politically correct in our era to accuse anyone of idolatry, and furthermore its just not my decision on where that line starts - it's between you and (if He exists) any God that has said that might be a problem.
