Surprise

Monotheism: “It is done. All paganism and devilish heathenry have been eradicated from God’s green earth.”

Polytheism:

Polytheism Is A Party Where Everyone Is Invited

Religion is only a sensitive topic if you see religion as inviolable. It’s always a fun (and fulfilling topic) to talk about, if you ask me. Polytheists do it all the time!

“Gurl, your Athena statue needs a new peplos. That one looks so 2016.”

“Dude, Ogun seems to like rhum. I wonder if Hephaistos would, too.”

“This year’s Durga Maa murti is rocking that crimson saree, YAAAS!”

When two polytheistic cultures meet, they compare (and often also share) their gods and traditions. It’s more about commerce than it is about competition—inclusion, not exclusion. That all religions are at each other’s throats cannot be farther from the truth in polytheism. There’s never an argument about whose god is true or false because they’re all true. Obviously. Plurality and multiplicity echo throughout the cosmos and this is evident in polytheist thought.

“Y’all should worship the One True Thor—YOUR ZEUS IS FALSE!” … said no polytheist ever. “There is no jealousy in the divine chorus”, as Plato put it.

Krishna worships Shiva with no issues. Olympians pray to other Olympians. It’s called polytheism.

Now, it doesn’t take a genius to know which religions have been the exact opposite of everything above. But that’s not for here.

Soft and Hard Monotheism?

Is it possible to have a monotheism that doesn’t reject other gods as false? But that wouldn’t be truly monotheistic. Is it possible to have a monotheism that focuses on an all-loving, compassionate power? But that wouldn’t be truly monotheistic. Monist, maybe, or henotheist, but never truly monotheistic.

One might say that all monotheism is radical; it isn’t truly monotheism if it doesn’t espouse a belief in an exclusive, singular supreme power that is ultimately tyrannical and controlling.

I live in the largest Catholic enclave in Asia and I’m thankful that most of these same Catholics aren’t taking their monotheism seriously. Because, honestly, the truly monotheistic ones would be extremely difficult to deal with.

I think that needs to be said.