When one learns about religion in school, one of the first criteria that we are taught is the distinction between Monotheism and Polytheism. The concept is that some religions believe in one God (Monotheism) while others believe in multiple Gods (Polytheism).
While this apparent distinction has been influential in religious affairs for the past few millennia, I find this distinction to be oversimplified and outdated. If one examines religious systems in light of each other, one will find that so-called monotheist and polytheist beliefs are not so contradictory, and that this distinction is usually due to different connotations surrounding the word “God.”
What does each side mean when they say the word “God?”
Let us quickly define how these two classifications use the word God:
- In Monotheistic systems, God refers to a supreme and uncreated being that is the source of all existence.
- In Polytheistic systems, Gods are powerful supernatural entities, with a variety of stories surrounding their origins and roles.
Given these definitions, we can see an issue in comparing these classifications. The significance of whether there is one God or many Gods is lost when the words are not referring to the same types of entities.
In polytheism, one may knowingly use the word God to refer to a being that was created, and is not all-powerful, while in Monotheism, the word God would only refer to the supreme creator, who being uncreated, is the source of all creation. Neither of these systems excludes the possibility of the other.
A Monotheist would agree with the Polytheist that various supernatural entities exist. However, because the word God refers to the supreme creator, the Monotheist would refer to these various spiritual entities by other names, such as Angels, Demons, Spirits, and various other classifications. Similarly, while Polytheists may believe in multiple Gods, they often have origin stories which openly identify them as created beings. Looking at creation stories in various systems, most describe a single event that leads to the existence of all that is in existence.
Therefore, we can see that the main conflict is not between how many entities truly exist, but the way in which these entities are described. This helps us gain insight on how we may find unity in the diversity of our beliefs, rather than creating divisions by claiming exclusive validity over our beliefs.
As science has pointed to the universe expanding from a single point in space, and the evolution of all life from a single common ancestor, let us recognize the spark of the Divine that resides in all of us and all of existence, as descendants of the supreme Divine Source of all that is.