Get Re-educated about the difference of God in monotheism and polytheism.
First, monotheism is the belief in a single Divine Person. But this is only a partial description of the cult. Some think that it is the oneness alone that matters. But it is not so.
For instance, one who thinks of the Divine as an impersonal Essence is not a
monotheist in the technical sense of the term. Those who quote the famous
Rigvedic verse that says that "The One Being the sages call by many names”
do not sufficiently realize that here the One Being (Eka sad) is in
the neuter, standing for the Divine Existence and not for a Divine Individual, and hence is not the same as contemplated by the well-known creeds that describe themselves as
monotheistic. To the monotheistic creeds God is a Person and not a
metaphysical Essence.
Secondly, as a Person the monotheistic Divinity can not be
conceived in any way one likes. For example, one who accepts a Single Divinity
as Mother or Maiden is not a monotheist in the practical sense of the term. To
the monotheist the Divinity is not only a Single Person but also a Masculine
Person. Thus the distinction between polytheism and monotheism is not one of
number alone but of gender also.
Thirdly, a monotheistic God cannot be any kind of male Person: He cannot, for example, be
a child or a boy. He can only be a Father. One would not be a monotheist if one
were to think of the Divine as Brother or any other relation. In other words,
the monotheistic God is not only a Person and a male Person, but He stands
in a single relationship to man-that of Father.
Fourthly, even as Father He must be believed to be a very elderly Person; not only a Father but a Patriarch.
Fifthly, as a Person the monotheistic God cannot exist anywhere; He has His special abode –heaven; He is a Father who is in heaven. He may go wherever He likes, but heaven is His
place of residence. Perhaps the most essential difference between monotheism
and polytheism lies here: that monotheism contemplates the Divine in heaven
and 'polytheism contemplates the Divine in the universe.
This makes a difference in the entire conception of
life and religion. To the monotheist heaven represents a superior plane of
existence and God a superior order of reality. To that order belong angels and
archangels, cherubim and seraphim, who also live on that plane. According to
this cult while heaven is sacred, the universe is profane; while God and the
angels who live in heaven are holy, man who lives on the earth is sinful; while
God is great, man is small.
Polytheism finds the Divine in the universe and hence there is but a thin dividing line between the sacred and the profane, the human and the Divine, the mortal and the immortal. In fact
polytheism contemplates heaven on earth and God in nature and among men. Hence while polytheism is attached to the earth and thinks in terms of life and the joy of living, monotheism is
attached to a hereafter and lives for heaven, looking down upon earthly things.
This trait of polytheism has been called Paganism.
Sixthly, monotheism is not a simple belief in a God in heaven who is a Father. Its God, a Patriarch, is a Ruler. He is the King of Heaven. And from heaven He also rules over the universe as its sole Monarch. Thus monotheism is monarchical theism.
Hence the ideology of monotheism is the ideology of monarchy. Heaven is the royal abode. The King is seated in His throne. He has his servants and emissaries. He appoints His vicegerents. He takes the best of His subjects to His heavenly court. The worst of them are flung into the dark prison-house, Hell.
As King, He claims unstinted allegiance and homage. The subjects must offer their respects often enough and regularly enough to satisfy His royal position. They must bow and bend before Him and thus honor and exalt Him. They must stand in dread of Him.
And as the only King He is jealous of usurpers and rivals.
He alone should receive the homage and no other. To offer homage to any but the
God of Heaven is to be a traitor to the Kingdom of God.
No wonder that ideal subjects of the Kingdom have thought that nothing can
please the King better than the punishment of those who try to offer their honor
and homage to persons or objects other than the God of Heaven.
Seventhly, the monotheistic God has His perpetual Adversary or Enemy - Satan, who
is a sort of Anti-God. Hence there is rivalry between God and Satan for the possession
of the universe. Men are in constant risk of going over to God's Enemy and
God's wrath is directed against them when they are suspected of having done so.
Eighthly, as monotheism centers in a Monarch, who is an absolute Ruler, the chief thing for
His subjects is to know His will. The Divine Will is the only guide for man in
his conduct on the earth. How to know the will of God? He sends His messengers
(Prophets) on earth to make His will known to mankind. Those men are virtuous
who bow to His will and make it prevail on earth as in heaven. Those are
sinners who disobey or defy His will or-it comes to that--the prophet who
conveys the will to mankind.
Religion, here, is the exercise by man of his own will to force himself to obey the Will
of God.
The difficulty with monotheism is that its prophets are not universally accepted. As a result there has been acute rivalry between monotheistic creeds, each claiming an exclusive relation with
the Ultimate Being.
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