Monotheists: why only one god?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

i worship only the one God, Jehovah. So in that sense i am a monotheist.

But i believe in other gods because they exist and they are real.

The term for someone who worships one god while acknowledging the existence of many is "henotheist."

A henotheist is a type of polytheist.

 

[Bree]

The term for someone who worships one god while acknowledging the existence of many is "henotheist."

A henotheist is a type of polytheist.

i dont really mind what term people want to use for it,

I only care that I do what God asks and that is to worship him alone. The worship of these gods has bought all manner of destruction and suffering to mankind.

 

[Father Heathen]

What if God is simultaneously one god and infinity gods, perhaps like a cosmic man-of-war?

 

[Pudding]

I think I asked this a few years ago and didn't get much of a response, so I figured I'd ask again:

Those of you who are monotheists: how do you justify your position that two or more gods do not exist?

I mean, we've seen all the threads here directed at atheists about burden of proof and the like, and plenty of theists - often monotheists, ironically - have gone on at length about the problems they see with the conclusion that no gods exist.

... but here's the thing: if these problems are problems at all, they don't just apply to atheism. All the objections along the lines of "well, what if there's some god out there that you haven't noticed?" work just as well for a second god to a monotheist as a first god for an atheist.

So these objections to atheists saying "there are no gods" can really be seen as expressions of a larger idea: if you think only a specific number of gods exist and no more than that - whether it's 0, 1, 3, or 94 - how do you know there aren't more gods than that?

A lot of the responses to this question I've seen from atheists have been some form of argument that gods are impossible in general... but of course these arguments aren't available to a monotheist.

So monotheists: what gives? Why not two gods? Why not 10?

For some monotheists, the reason might be:
(1) Because some books/people say there is only one god, therefor there is only one god.
(2) Because they have been indoctrinated to believe so.
(3) Because they born in a place which is dominated by such version of monotheistic religion.
(4) Because a warmongering dictator use violence to force everyone in a country to join his religion club which say there is only one god. After generations of generations of indoctrination, the statement "there is only one god" then become truth in this country. You might bet, if instead that religion club say there is only 7 gods and force everyone to believe so, then the statement "there is only 7 gods" might also become truth in this country too. If instead the religion club say there is only one Unicorn, then the statement "there is only one Unicorn" might also become truth in this country too. And your thread title might be change to "Why only one Unicorn". I also wonder whether some people might still argue that Unicorn is universe and universe is Unicorn, because universe exists because you believe universe exists therefor you believe Unicorn is real, and/or also argue that Unicorn has no emotion, no desire, no ego etc. There might also be a situation where if you say you're not a member of a specific version of monotheistic Unicorn religion and some people might say you'll go to hell because you're not a member of such religion club. And in a lot of dictionaries the definition of "Unicorn" might be "the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being". That's so absurd and sad too that it'll likely be a reality for Unicorn to be so influential in that alternate universe. If such alternate universe does coexist with our current universe and we and them discover the existence of each other, would we laugh at them that they believe Unicorn is the creator of their universe? Such a wonder and irony and/or may be a scary nightmare.

 

[Suave]

I think I asked this a few years ago and didn't get much of a response, so I figured I'd ask again:

Those of you who are monotheists: how do you justify your position that two or more gods do not exist?

I mean, we've seen all the threads here directed at atheists about burden of proof and the like, and plenty of theists - often monotheists, ironically - have gone on at length about the problems they see with the conclusion that no gods exist.

... but here's the thing: if these problems are problems at all, they don't just apply to atheism. All the objections along the lines of "well, what if there's some god out there that you haven't noticed?" work just as well for a second god to a monotheist as a first god for an atheist.

So these objections to atheists saying "there are no gods" can really be seen as expressions of a larger idea: if you think only a specific number of gods exist and no more than that - whether it's 0, 1, 3, or 94 - how do you know there aren't more gods than that?

A lot of the responses to this question I've seen from atheists have been some form of argument that gods are impossible in general... but of course these arguments aren't available to a monotheist.

So monotheists: what gives? Why not two gods? Why not 10?

Our genetic code's creator has left this mathematical pattern in our genetic code conveying to me the symbol of an Egyptian triangle as well as the number 37 embedded in our genetic code.

Eight of the canonical amino acids can be sufficiently defined by the composition of their codon's first and second base nucleotides. The nucleon sum of these amino acids' side chains is 333 (=37 * 3 squared), the sun of their block nucleons (basic core structure) is 592 (=37 * 4 squared), and the sum of their total nucleons is 925 (=37 * 5 squared ). With 37 factored out, this results in 3 squared + 4 squared = 5 squared, which is representative of an Egyptian triangle.

ReferenceL
The "Wow! signal" of the terrestrial genetic code
Vladimir I. shCherbak, Maxim A. Makukov
carus, 2013, 224(1), 228-242
DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2013.02.017
arXiv:1303.6739

The “Wow! signal” of the terrestrial genetic code (earth-chronicles.ru)

The mathematical pattern of the number 37 being used as a key factor for conveying an Egyptian triangle might be related to the gematria value of 37 appearing in the Hebrew language of Genesis 1:1.

You shall have no other gods before the Creator of the heavens and Earth, life's Creator!

 

[soulsurvivor]

I think I asked this a few years ago and didn't get much of a response, so I figured I'd ask again:

Those of you who are monotheists: how do you justify your position that two or more gods do not exist?

I mean, we've seen all the threads here directed at atheists about burden of proof and the like, and plenty of theists - often monotheists, ironically - have gone on at length about the problems they see with the conclusion that no gods exist.

... but here's the thing: if these problems are problems at all, they don't just apply to atheism. All the objections along the lines of "well, what if there's some god out there that you haven't noticed?" work just as well for a second god to a monotheist as a first god for an atheist.

So these objections to atheists saying "there are no gods" can really be seen as expressions of a larger idea: if you think only a specific number of gods exist and no more than that - whether it's 0, 1, 3, or 94 - how do you know there aren't more gods than that?

A lot of the responses to this question I've seen from atheists have been some form of argument that gods are impossible in general... but of course these arguments aren't available to a monotheist.

So monotheists: what gives? Why not two gods? Why not 10?

According this scientist, mathematically there can not be two or more omnipotent, omniscient Gods:

.

Actually I am not monotheist, I believe there is probably one God per planet in the Universe - that makes it trillions of Gods - but they are not omnipotent or omniscient, just far more powerful than all of us.

 

[ppp]

I believe there is probably one God per planet in the Universe

Why do you believe that?

 

[RestlessSoul]

A monotheistic God may be considered a fundamental whole, single, infinite and indivisible, a unity beyond time and space, expressed as a multiplicity within it.

There is the whole, there are parts of the whole, but there are no whole parts, for the parts are merely facets of the whole. There are no distinct realities within the whole, there is only the illusion thereof.

 

[Rival]

Do you disagree?

Yes.

 

[Rival]

From history we can conclude that Polytheism deflates social integrity and intelligence and Atheism inflates the human ego and invites narcissism. Both are equally destructive and give little to no purpose in a societal progression.

Polytheistic societies gave us all of our foundational knowledge in philosophy, science, geography and so on. Ancient Egypt was a treasure trove of knowledge, from medicine, to hygiene, to architecture, farming methods and more. Greece and Rome also gave us things we still use in the same vein. Our knowledge of the stars and other celestial bodies all come from polytheistic cultures. I could go on for pages about how half our intelligence ultimately goes back to these groups. Mediaeval folks would especially disagree with you, as they were obsessed with Aristotle, Plato and other such famous names.

And atheism giving rise to ego and narcissism is just a nasty thing to say.

You're also assuming societies have to 'progress', which is presumably in a direction you favour.

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

I would say there is only one me.
Yet, when I analyze myself deeply enough, it may seem there's a whole crowd of "mes" living inside, or that "me" doesn't exist at all.
Sometimes I also recognize "me" in others.
I don't consider myself to be God, and yet I'm trying to make a point.
Does this make sense?

 

[InChrist]

I think I asked this a few years ago and didn't get much of a response, so I figured I'd ask again:

Those of you who are monotheists: how do you justify your position that two or more gods do not exist?

I mean, we've seen all the threads here directed at atheists about burden of proof and the like, and plenty of theists - often monotheists, ironically - have gone on at length about the problems they see with the conclusion that no gods exist.

... but here's the thing: if these problems are problems at all, they don't just apply to atheism. All the objections along the lines of "well, what if there's some god out there that you haven't noticed?" work just as well for a second god to a monotheist as a first god for an atheist.

So these objections to atheists saying "there are no gods" can really be seen as expressions of a larger idea: if you think only a specific number of gods exist and no more than that - whether it's 0, 1, 3, or 94 - how do you know there aren't more gods than that?

A lot of the responses to this question I've seen from atheists have been some form of argument that gods are impossible in general... but of course these arguments aren't available to a monotheist.

So monotheists: what gives? Why not two gods? Why not 10?

I believe there is only One Creator God because God has revealed this information to us, so that we would know and not be confused or let our imaginations determine our thinking on the subject ...


You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 9:6

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
Isaiah 44:6

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
Isaiah 44:24

Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22

For thus says the Lord,
Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it in vain,
Who formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Isaiah 45:18

The heavens are Yours, the earthalso is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
Psalm 89:11

 

[soulsurvivor]

Why do you believe that?

You will learn this from reading theosophical texts. Also Hindus already believe that about planets in our Solar System - most Hindu temples have a 'Nava Graha' altar where devotees worship the nine planets.

If you want to learn about the God of the Earth, this is a good source: World Organization

 

[ppp]

You will learn this from reading theosophical texts. Also Hindus already believe that about planets in our Solar System - most Hindu temples have a 'Nava Graha' altar where devotees worship the nine planets.

If you want to learn about the God of the Earth, this is a good source: World Organization

I've read Steiner. That was enough. But in any case, that was an answer to a different question than the one I asked

 

[stanberger]

I think it's interesting that the Hebrew God was derived from a polytheistic system.

Does anyone have any current info on this research? Why did the sift out other gods? Could it have been to make the authority of leadership a more efficient system?

 

[stanberger]

You will learn this from reading theosophical texts. Also Hindus already believe that about planets in our Solar System - most Hindu temples have a 'Nava Graha' altar where devotees worship the nine planets.

If you want to learn about the God of the Earth, this is a good source: World Organization

 

[stanberger]

I would never accept the wood/plastic/metal/glue idols worshipped by hindus that so 8000 bc

 

[Mark Charles Compton]

The term for someone who worships one god while acknowledging the existence of many is "henotheist."

A henotheist is a type of polytheist.

Monotheism is distinguished from henotheism, a religious system in which the believer worships one God without denying that others may worship different gods with equal validity, and monolatrism, the recognition of the existence of many gods but with the consistent worship of only one deity.

Source: Monotheism - Wikipedia

 

[Mark Charles Compton]

Could it have been to make the authority of leadership a more efficient system?

A segue regarding death and the afterlife; The oldest recorded beliefs were that everyone went to the same place and lived a menial shadow-life, which was an unproductive and endless life that lacked any meaning.

It's my wondering if the powerful of the ancient world eventually realized that implementing a reward/punishment system for death was more effective at motivating their 'goyim' into piety of the state and its laws as well as being more accepting of being subjected to labor and the likes? "Be naughty to get tortured, be nice and get fancy feasts."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I believe there is only One Creator God because God has revealed this information to us, so that we would know and not be confused or let our imaginations determine our thinking on the subject ...


You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 9:6

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
Isaiah 44:6

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
Isaiah 44:24

Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22

For thus says the Lord,
Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it in vain,
Who formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Isaiah 45:18

The heavens are Yours, the earthalso is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
Psalm 89:11

So, effectively, you're a monotheist because you believe your god has said that there are no other gods?

Fair enough.