Monolatry and avodah zarah

[Sundance]

Shalom, everyone! I have a question regarding the prohibition of avodah zarah as it pertains to non-Jews.

To give some bit of a backdrop to this, in my own religious life, I was brought up knowing and worshipping the God of Israel. Until now, I’ve encountered all different kinds of gods from various religions I’ve explored and studied. This had caused me to acknowledge the existence of many gods. Very recently, however, I began to be drawn back to the worship of the God I had known, thanks to a particular verse in the Book of Joshua as well as my contemplation of Jewish history thus far. Understanding this, I can say that for certain that I’m not a monotheist proper, rather a monolater.

With this established, my question is: would my monolatry be a violation of the prohibition of avodah zarah?

 

[rosends]

My personal sense is that Judaism denies that any other God (or god) exists. Things that other cultures consider gods either don't exist or are not on that level (they might be things that within Judaism are sub-powers, not independent of God). If one's monotheism is in line with Judaism's conception of God, then there is no room for any other powers and one would be hard pressed to come up with a conception of any other god who could exist.

For example -- Thor is the "God of Thunder". But if Hashem is the "God of all" then how can there be, even in theory, any separate power that has dominion over something? Isn't everything subordinate to "everything"?

So if X religion has an idea of God, and you deny that that God rules, but acknowledge that it exists, then in what sense does it exist? Monolatry, within a Jewish system seems counter-logical.

Some reading (check out the answers)
Is there sufficient evidence to support the theory that ancient Israel practiced monolatry?

 

[Sundance]

My personal sense is that Judaism denies that any other God (or god) exists. Things that other cultures consider gods either don't exist or are not on that level (they might be things that within Judaism are sub-powers, not independent of God). If one's monotheism is in line with Judaism's conception of God, then there is no room for any other powers and one would be hard pressed to come up with a conception of any other god who could exist.

For example -- Thor is the "God of Thunder". But if Hashem is the "God of all" then how can there be, even in theory, any separate power that has dominion over something? Isn't everything subordinate to "everything"?

So if X religion has an idea of God, and you deny that that God rules, but acknowledge that it exists, then in what sense does it exist? Monolatry, within a Jewish system seems counter-logical.

Some reading (check out the answers)
Is there sufficient evidence to support the theory that ancient Israel practiced monolatry?

I see what you mean, @rosends.

 

[Tumah]

I'm pretty sure that's the very definition of ****uf - where other gods are partnered with G-d.

I believe the majority opinion is that it's forbidden for non-Jews to believe in any other gods, although it's permitted to swear on the names of other gods (unlike for Jews which this is forbidden as well).

 

[Quiddity]

I've always seen the possibility of henotheism within both Judaism and Christianity.

Not the case in Judaism?

 

[Rival]

Not the case in Judaism?

Not at all.

 

[Jake1001]

My personal sense is that Judaism denies that any other God (or god) exists. Things that other cultures consider gods either don't exist or are not on that level (they might be things that within Judaism are sub-powers, not independent of God). If one's monotheism is in line with Judaism's conception of God, then there is no room for any other powers and one would be hard pressed to come up with a conception of any other god who could exist.

For example -- Thor is the "God of Thunder". But if Hashem is the "God of all" then how can there be, even in theory, any separate power that has dominion over something? Isn't everything subordinate to "everything"?

So if X religion has an idea of God, and you deny that that God rules, but acknowledge that it exists, then in what sense does it exist? Monolatry, within a Jewish system seems counter-logical.

Some reading (check out the answers)
Is there sufficient evidence to support the theory that ancient Israel practiced monolatry?

Hi Rabbi Rose, what if we are actually a computer simulation?

 

[rosends]

Hi Rabbi Rose, what if we are actually a computer simulation?

would that make a difference?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

With this established, my question is: would my monolatry be a violation of the prohibition of avodah zarah?

Yes.

 

[Jake1001]

would that make a difference?

Yes, I think so. If G-d is a computer simulator, everything we learn in Torah and Talmud was translated from C++.