The power to make others worship

Can any being worthy of worship make others worship it? I think not. By way of an analogy to love, I argue that it is perfectly coherent to think that one could be made to worship. However, forcing someone to worship violates their autonomy, not because worship must be freely given, but because forc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inReligious studies Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 221 - 237
Main Author SMUTS, AARON
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.06.2012
Subjects
Deities
Desire
Epistemology. Philosophy of science. Theory of knowledge
Free will
General philosophy. Metaphysics
General subjects. History of religions. Religious anthropology
Happiness
History and sciences of religions
Love
Philosophy
Philosophy of religion
Potions
Religion
Religious studies
Rites & ceremonies
Spiritual love
Statism
Studies in religion
Welfarism
Wellbeing
New York
Indianapolis Indiana
Liberty;Freedom
Myth
Greek Religion
Love
Monotheism
Bible
Epistemology;Philosophy of Science
Religion
Cult
Christianity
Religiosity
Philosophy
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Summary:Can any being worthy of worship make others worship it? I think not. By way of an analogy to love, I argue that it is perfectly coherent to think that one could be made to worship. However, forcing someone to worship violates their autonomy, not because worship must be freely given, but because forced worship would be inauthentic – much like love earned through potions. For this reason, I argue that one cannot be made to worship a fitting object; forced worship would be unfitting. My principal claim is that no being worthy of worship could exercise the power to make others worship it, since the act of making another worship would necessarily make one unworthy of worship.
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ISSN:0034-4125
1469-901X
DOI:10.1017/S0034412511000175