Is God's Purpose in All He Does to Glorify Himself?

The question was summaried to fit as the headline; the full question was:

I heard someone say: "Did God create the world becasue He was lonely and needed fellowship? Did God create the world because He was bored and there was nothing better to do? Did God create the world so all men and women could be in a loving relationship with Him? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding "NO!" God did not create the world because He was lonely or bored, He didn't do it because He needs us or wants all people to be a part of His family.

No, God is much more self seeking than that. He created the world for His glory. He created it to make His glory known. Or in other words, He created the world in order to display the infinite worth of His attributes. He wants to show how beautifully perfect He is."

Do you agree with this, that God's purpose in all He does is to glorify Himself?

No, I don't think that we can say that the reason that God created the world was to glorify himself.

It's important to note that God never says why he created the world (or the angels before then), so we honestly can't answer the question in all certainty. However, it does say why God created humans (which is probably what most people really want to know when they ask the question, anyways.):

In the creation account it says that God created mankind because he wanted an image (a reflection). He wants something that looks like Him. He wants something with a will of it's own; that can reject or choose him: which is the only way that he can create something whose love for him back matters (unlike something who's love for him is innately programmed -- like the angels). He wants something that is free of Him but that might choose him anyways).

To be blunt: If God created the planet to show off, he did a crappy job.

This world is screwed up.

If God had created this world to show off; it wouldn't have any injustice or oppression. No, God loves us so much that he is willing to put up with the pain that we cause him when we treat both Him and our fellow man with hatred and contempt. We have filled this world with all sorts of things that God does not want to happen, but he puts up with us anyways.

He does this because He wants us to have freedom. He wants us to choose him. He craves our love -- and love cannot be compelled -- so he can't force us to do what he wants.

God is like a young man who posses a love potion that can make any woman sleep with him, but, because he loves a certain woman, refuses to use it on her.

Could he compell us to do whtever he wanted? Yes, but the very act of love is a self-limiting process. Like Pepe le Pew, God chases after us, and then wants us to do the chasing. If he compelled us to act like he wanted, we wouldn't be able to truthfully love him. And that desire for love is the only thing I can think fo to explain God's reasons for creating a creature that doesn't automatically do what he wants.