Welcome to Gaia! ::

Time to motivate some discussion and hopefully bring out self-reflections.

As Christians, why do we kneel or bow our heads when we pray?

There is an answer to this and I think I have it but I would like some insight to see if I am personally on the right track and to learn more about the people in this guild.

To give you a hint what track I am on, in many Pagan religions (or the ones I'm familiar with at least) it is considered very disrespectful to bow or kneel when praying to the gods.

That's it that's all the hints you are getting. I'll give my answer in a few days.

Asatru and from what Cu has spoken of Gael. Also in a neo-pagan (I don't know if it was real Wicca or if the professor running it was just claiming the title) circle I was in while at college prayers and worship was always done standing firm and at attention while of course not being hubristic.

Update: Wow. I looked up name omitted, a.k.a. nickname omitted what a fluff, if these books I found are actually by her. I'm not sure if its the same woman but it sounds like stuff she would spout off. I was going through doing a google search on her and she's quoted in my college news paper telling people about how Easter was taken from Eostre ><. She seemed so promising to because I remember her recommending that I read Gardner's Witchcraft Today.

Edit: Clarity, self-censorship

But why is it considered reverent in Christianity where as in some Pagan religions it is considered disrespectful? Just something to think about.

Some of the pagan gods, specifically those of the religions you mentioned, respond most favorably to people who show bravery. (Ex, Odin's hall is full of them.) Perhaps a show of "servitude" isn't to their liking, whereas YHWH welcomes it?

You know I forgot about the cultural reason all together, so yeah that is all true.

I was also seeing it as a form of emulation, you know how like kids imitate their heroes. Basically like we're trying to show that we are trying to be humble to like Christ was. But yeah hehe... I really should be looking at the cultural meaning more.

Its to humble yourself before those that you worship. You are taking the time to show that you are below them and a humble for their teachings.

Indeed indeed, agree with boxy, however if I may interject some personal reflection/opinion into this, lately I've been praying in different positions, in church we don't have something to kneel on so we sit, and when I'm at work I don't kneel, nor do I kneel when I'm just enjoying Creation around me, during those times I'm usually spread out on the lawn.

Everytime someone was in the presence of God or a Messenger of the Lord those people fell upon their faces. MOses, when in the presence of God was struck with the Shekinah or illumination of God to where he would have to wear a veil.

Traditionally we would bow our heads to the Lord in prayer and worship simply because it was an act of reverence due to either Liturgical practices done in the synagogues and the Temple worship which required those of us to bow when the Priest would enter into the temple before going into the Holy of Holies. Since those times it became a common place for the Liturgy of the Early Church to bring about the same reverence, showing and expressing the fulfillment of the Faith from its Jewish predecessors into the Church of Jesus Christ.

Many modern Denominations threw the baby out with the bathwater when Liturgics were thrown out in my opinion.