I take it as a given that the primary purpose of the human, in the view of Abrahamic religions, is to worship God. And then all else may follow. But that not to worship God is in turn to lack an ultimately acceptable primary purpose. Such that the threat hangs on the one who questions their primary purpose of worship, and so there is likewise an overwhelming incentive to believe. The threat, or fear, is not simply revelation of the fact of one’s being mistaken, but to imply that one has been led as a result, or by default, to act contrary to the end of the primary purpose, i.e. the unity of love. And as such one is therefore somehow culpable for diminishing this great resource. For (for the sake of argument) if one did not act contrary to love, relatively speaking of course, and yet did not worship God, what then is the nature of the end of the primary purpose? At most, it would not be unique. There would be seen alternate ways to achieve the same purpose (that is, ones not dedicated to worshiping one form or other of the Abrahamic God).
Given this conundrum, mind you, might it not be of value to human purpose that some consciously seek to live an alternate primary purpose, or maybe even seek no particular primary purpose at all, and thereby witness whether life might still be meaningful? If they discover such can be so (or at least have not discovered that it isn’t), and at once thereby become an alternate voice to those of the primary Abrahamic purpose, might these miscreants not actively petition that same God to amend His first commandment so to reflect the more apparent reality of the situation: namely, to state He provides “a way” and not “the way” … that other gods may be held before him, and humans are indeed free to shop around and compare, and come to their own conclusions independent of God-bourne consequences?
Now granted, such a schema depends, for one, on one’s being able to live consistent with love while not worshipping God. And lord knows I’ve not been tested as severely as many I know. But, insofar as I might reflect at least a little light of such consistency, I trust it’s appreciated sufficiently cosmos-wise that I have nothing to fear… and that any purpose served by worshiping God is concurrently implied.
So, to the point, even as good Christians might ensure I distinguish what is important in Christianity, might I also poke to see that it is not an idolatry that is being worshipped by others? Does tolerance, or even respect, require reverence? It’s my sense, rather, that Human Purpose is going through a “great loosening-up” era, and that part of the process involves a healthy dose of ridicule. The tenseness will fall away, and laughter will arise. After the Great Holy Wars, of course. 