Pluralism - or the acceptance that many traditions have good ideas or valid approaches to life and living - is prevalent in English-speaking cultures today. However, in spite of relatively tolerant and pluralistic attitudes, it seems there is still a very persistent prejudice against polytheism. This is very sad to see, and I can't help but wonder why. Perhaps it shouldn't be so surprising when there's still very persistent prejudice against, say, atheism, but the prejudice against polytheism gets substantially less attention or discussion. In most cases, it is still simply granted that polytheism is simply bad, primitive, or not viable as theological approach.
Why is this prejudice so persistent? What is with the hatred and misconceptions of polytheism in the modern era when we really ought to know better by now?
I am of the POV that religion deals with the operating system of the human brain. Monotheism assumes there is a central controlling factor within the brain's operating system. This has been called the inner self by some orientations of psychology. Polytheism, which is older, assumes a looser central command, and more reliance on specialty autonomous subroutines.
Monotheism worships a central controlling factor, while polytheism worships the left arm or the right leg, since the gods of polytheism are about individual aspects of the operating system; god of love or god of war, etc., instead the one central controller that does it all. The latter is more accurate, in terms of data about brain function. Polytheism is closer to a split personality. In polytheism one may worship the God of war, but not the Goddess of love, thereby making one more linear, instead of complete. Each of these two Gods appear complete on their own.
Polytheism, today, is like going backwards and teaching the earth is flat, when all the evidence suggests the earth is round. With polytheism, a specialty god or goddess will be in charge of love and romance; Aphrodite. This goddess deals with only a single part of human nature and potential. This approach may be good of those who wish to specialize in one thing. Monotheism, on the other hand, is more about being complete, via a God who can do it all, using all the various subroutines of polytheism; situationally. In monotheism, there is a time to war and time to love, all by the same central controlling factor. This is more complete than being only a lover or a fighter, and is why most people do not choose to regress.
If we look at humans in terms of employment, employment opportunities is often set up in a specialty way. One is paid to be good at one thing. This can be a Doctor who deals with skin or a carpenter who only does framing. Specialization of labor is based on the polytheism model. One is not allowed to move too far beyond specialization, since that role is an important cog in a bigger machine.
Monotheism is like being a Jack of all Trades, which is more like the entrepreneur, who opens a small business. At first, he has to do all the jobs each day to help teach his employees, so all needed specializations can coordinate under one flag, for a successful business. When monotheism appeared, it took over these specialists, under one flag. The ancient Jewish Culture was successful due to the monotheistic coordination of its original specialization; tighter team with more utility players.
The Catholic Church has the dogma of the trinity where a single central God, is express through a Trinity of subroutines. These three subroutines are used situationally, by the central controlling factor, to help form a higher team. God the father makes one humble and obedient, like a child to a parent, so one is more receptive to learn. God the son, gives us an attitude of love and patience for others, since the child is only starting to learn. The Holy Spirit gives the attitude for free creative exchange, with those who are being animated by their own creative spirit. As Paul said, I became all things too all men so that I could save some.
