The Origins of Religion and its Implications for Christianity

[Laura]

@bluebird

The bent toward polytheism may be because we could not conceive of a single Being who could be over all…or that we wanted a deity that we could see (in statues)…not to mention a deity who could be controlled ( i.e., make the right offerings and rain will come).

I think it also had to do with the problem of evil. When so many good and terrible things happen (and everything in between), I can see why it would be easy to try and explain that with polytheism – that it’s all caused by different gods who fight each other and are beyond our reach. Sometimes even Christian narratives of “battling the devil” sound polytheistic to me.

[bluebird (Robin)]

Good point. As for “battling the devil,” I would not know. But I do know the Bible speaks of created angelic (demonic) beings who rebelled against God, as well as ones who did not. They are not God but the rebels evidently wish somewhat that we thought they were and d not mind if we thought that way and worshipped them. . It is a whole other subject, of course. But I like your idea that polytheism seemed a good way of explaining evil — maybe even of trying to control it.