Monotheism, polutheism, good and evil, humanism, Learning Journal, Unit 3

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Learning Journal, Unit 3 What are the key differences between monotheism and polytheism? When someone asks the "question how many gods do you believe in," it may seem absurd in terms of possibilities to those who are followers of monotheistic religions since the principle of monotheism is that there is only one God. However, for polytheistic religions, the answer may be much more complicated since, in this case, they allow for the belief and worship of multiple gods. Monotheism strictly adheres to one God in belief, and this one God is generally seen as omnipotent, omnipresent, and the creator of all things. Examples of monotheistic religions include Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. (Assmann, n.d.) Polytheism, on the other hand, implies a belief system with multiple gods or goddesses. Examples of such religions include ancient Greek mythology, Roman religion, and Hinduism. Some gods and goddesses dominate different roles and domains in polytheistic religions, such as nature, war, love, or knowledge. (Assmann, n.d.) I do not think that either one is better or worse. People's religious beliefs and practices are deeply personal and are shaped by their upbringing, culture, experiences, and personal beliefs. What is meaningful or spiritually fulfilling for one person may not be the same for another. I was raised as a Christian, but my mindset has changed significantly over the years. I believe that perhaps there is a higher power, but I do not entirely believe that there is a God or Gods/Goddesses. I believe that whatever goals we set for ourselves in life, we need to do everything in our power to achieve them and not pray for them. If I want to be healthy, I will exercise, eat the right food, and keep my mind calm instead of praying for good health. My father had cancer for ten long years before he passed away two years ago. My mum and the older generation in my family were praying every night for him to get better. However, I think what kept him alive for all those years was his medication and treatments, the good diet, and doing things he enjoyed, living a stress-free life. I am skeptical in many ways when it comes to God; however, there was an event that left me with many questions. During a vacation abroad, a stranger approached my sister and me at a restaurant, revealing details about our family that no one, not even us, knew about. This person spoke of our guardian angel, our recently deceased grandmother, and more. At the time, we dismissed it as crazy talk, but upon returning home and sharing the story with our parents, we noticed their shocked and serious expressions. The stranger had unknowingly disclosed a long-held family secret: the loss of our unborn sister, who was now considered our guardian angel. We were outside of my country, far from my hometown, and this person did not even speak my parents' language. This experience has left me feeling mixed about believing in a higher power. Do you think there are good arguments explaining why a purely good God would allow bad things to happen to good people? Let's say God exists for sure and is purely good, even though I do not believe anyone is purely good. There must be a balance in the world; if there is no evil, people would not be aware of the good either. It is kind of like how we appreciate sunny days more because we

know what rainy days are like. Without challenges and tough times, we may not fully understand or value the good things in life. Another way to look at it is that if we have the freedom to make choices, we also have the freedom to make bad ones. So, when bad things happen, it is partly because of people's choices, and God allows these choices to happen. God chose to give the people free will, including those making bad choices. An idea that is commonly associated with Alvin Plantinga's work says God, if He exists, is necessarily good, wise, and powerful; He is therefore under no obligation to prevent the existence of evil. (Kroon, F. W. 1981). In the end, when we think about a God who is purely good and yet allows the existence of evil in the world, it's like considering the balance of light and dark, sunshine and rain in our lives. We come to truly appreciate the good moments through the contrast of challenges and tough times. The question of why a good God allows evil is complex, and it's something that people have been asking for centuries. It challenges us to think deeply about the nature of good and evil and the mysteries of faith. Although a humanist, Paine believed in God and the afterlife. Explain his reasoning and offer your own. Thomas Paine was a deist, which means he believed in a God who created the world and set up the rules of nature (Paine, n.d.), but deists like Paine did not accept many of the customary religious elements, like religious rules and rituals. They didn't think God was directly involved in human affairs or that miracles happened because of divine intervention. Instead, they saw God as more of a cosmic architect who set things in motion and then let them play out according to the natural laws. (Ligonear Editorial, 2023) As mentioned a few times above, I believe in a higher power, but I do not follow the rules of any religion. In my case, somehow, I agree with Paine's beliefs as humanists believe that people can decide what gives their lives meaning, value, and purpose by thinking for themselves, asking questions, and being responsible and creative (Davis, 1997), but in the meantime, I also believe that there is something more powerful than us, who is not in control of our lives but who created our surroundings. For me, this perspective allows me to appreciate the mysteries of the world and encourages me to explore and learn on my own. I think we can find our own meaning and purpose in life through our experiences and reflections, all while acknowledging the existence of a higher power that played a role in creating the world. References Assmann, J. (n.d.). Monotheism and Polytheism . Core.ac.uk. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/45268676.pdf Davis, T. (1997). Humanism . books.google. https://books.google.com/books? hl=en&lr=&id=0BN9AgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=humanism+scholarly+articles&ots =sCo09FJSlK&sig=pgQ0B2hs17lRaIg_chRyV-SnUuA#v=onepage&q&f=false Ligonear Editorial. (2023, June 2). What is deism? Ligonier Ministries. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/field-guide-on-false-teaching-deism

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