I portray myself here on EvC as a devout Mormon (and I generally am), but I inevitably have my own concerns about my religion (including many of the ones you've brought up here), which often puts me at odds with my fellow Mormons and makes my mother condemn my actions sometimes.
I can definitely relate. It can be difficult to relate to family members on the subject of religion if you come from a Conservative background and hold any views that fall outside the norm. In my case, I come from a very conservative Catholic family and also have a sister who converted to fundamentalism. She is the most vocal and is the most likely to give you an earful when bringing up the subject of religion. I find the best way to avoid conflict is to politely opt-out of discussions where conflict will likely arise. I also realize that beliefs are such an integral and important part of their lives that anything I would offer would not do anything but create arguments. I simply don't discuss religion with family members.
Personally, I never really found much meaning in religion, probably because I never connected with it emotionally. I could easily rationalize the existence of God as described to me by Catholicism, but the whole affair never meant much of anything to me on a personal level.
On this particular subject of worship:
Worship plays such a large role in any religious system because it is fundamental to maintaining the emotional attachment one has with the belief system and it also serves as a mean of social stability. Personal worship in the form of prayer or meditation is what keeps the individual connected to the sense of the divine but it is communal worship that I believe serves the purpose of ensuring the survival of the group. In my opinion, communal worship is necessary for survival in that it keeps people from straying too far from the fray -- the more one strays from the community, the more you are likely to start questioning the beliefs and the easier it becomes to reject them when confronted intellectually.
I think a religious believer is motivated to worship for the same reason a scientist is motivated to uncover the mysteries of the Universe. This is where I would refer to the Philosopher Hume's observation that "Reason has ever motivated a man to do anything." We are not really rational animals, we are animals who also possess the uncanny ability to reason. These two definitions may seem like the same thing but they are not. Like any animal, we are creatures of instinct, emotion, and desire. Every single one of our actions are motivated by one of these impulses; reason is simply the tool that helps us navigate our way around and helps make the choice that will ring about the most positive results.
It is the anxiety that comes with not knowing that creates curiosity. The resulting desire to understand is what motivates us to use our reason to solve the mysteries of our existence. As thinking beings contemplating the immensity of the universe and our apparent insignificant place in it, we also have the need to connect to something greater than ourselves and derive our meaning and purpose from it. A religious individual will fulfill this emotional desire inside a cathedral; a scientist will fulfill this desire by devoting their lives to uncovering the secrets of nature and finding fulfillment in contemplating what we often hear scientists describe as 'the harmony and beauty of the natural world'.
We need to keep in mind that, as children, we weren't given the option of what to believe or if to believe anything at all; we were forced to believe. Later on in life and in adulthood, for those who stick around, worship serves the purpose of reinforcement in the face of doubt. It is a time when everyone comes together and feeds off of the group dynamic. We see these displays, for example, at Christian worship services where participants singe praises and hymns with hands raised and bodies swaying. Someone is overcome with emotion and starts crying then everyone else joins in. I am not poking fun at anyone, I am just pointing out that worship can be a very emotional experience for many people of all faiths and the power of the experience translates to a reinforcement of the validity of the belief system.
The a-rational side to our existence is very much a part of what we are and is quite capable of overpowering our rational side. If we want to really have a stab at truth, we cannot appeal to our a-rational side. If we had our emotions and instincts removed from our constitution and used our reason to examine our phobias, insecurities, and beliefs and then looked at how these all influenced our actions and perceptions of the world, we might all have a collective chuckle. We might hear someone say, "I was so silly to be afraid of the dark" or, "I cant believe I actually concluded we were made of an immaterial and immortal soul that was somehow fused with our material bodies." We are not Mr Spock caricatures, however, nor should we want to be. What is life without the wonder and joy that comes from our emotions and desires? We just need to keep in mind that when we are seeking to address the profound questions most of us have on our minds, we should not be listening to our emotions and desires.
™ Version 4.2