Don't think "Worship", think "Homage". The term possibly applicable here is "Deus ex Machina" God out of Machines" would be a rough translation. Machines became the focus of obsession on the part of many simply because they lacked the knowledge to understand the mechanics so it all sort of trans-morphed into magic and evolved into a cult status.
Back in the old days, (thinking the late 70's here), when motorcycles could be worked on by the average mook, it was not uncommon to notice someone on their hands and knees beside their ride and digging into something that had all-of-a-sudden demanded attention. I took to calling that position, the homage position, because it resembled what people had to do periodically during a church service, that is put themselves down on their knees. With HOGS it was more a case of needing to get up close and personal just to see what was going on or had broke, or had fallen off. (And Please do keep Your Hands Off the Pipes!! PIpe burns hurt and fester.)
Possibly it could be something of a "Cargo Cult" scenario. Stuff being off loaded from planes and trucks arriving from out of nowhere that the locals had never seen happen before. Or the Nomad in the desert who found the empty pop bottle and couldn't figure out how it came to be there.
Whatever the case, it is apparent that all machines require and demand attention. It can be repairs or it can be cleaning or it can be curses and hammer blows. Machines don't come with souls or anima. Anything of that nature that they do seem to possess is something we give to them based on long association.
Gonna kick the philosophy milkcrate back under the bench, Right Now. Not something to rhapodize about on an empty stomach and I have a roast beef sandwich in mind that wants to commit suicide in my stomach.
Nick