I debated with myself whether or not to title this thread “Polytheism Contra Monotheism,” but as the main subject is still the nature and origins of religious hate, I felt a more suitable title was needed.
I have created this thread out of an idea in Religious Hate on ILP, where post number 1467 browsed on the idea to question the true nature of a monotheism and the possibility that religious hate started with it. More specifically I noted in post 1462 where I obviously supported the idea that monotheisms cause religious hate, and in that assumption, challenged other debaters to provide evidence of religious hate prior to the advent of monotheism.
I said it then, and I’m saying again to make sure there is no confusion about my motives with this thread. This is not in any way directly about Christianity or an attempt to undermine it. Given my mistakes on the above noted thread with the usage of wrong words and sayings that have led to highly suggestive connotations, I feel it is very important to stress the fact that, again, this is not a Christianity bash.
This thread has been created for the learning and understanding of the nature of religious hatred and how it has come about. Given the title of this thread, it is obvious that the focus is monotheism, concerning the debated information in the named thread above where my conclusions have left me to still assumingly support the notion that polytheisms are devoid of the elements in a religious doctrine that contribute towards religious hate. This conclusion was reached on the fact that insufficient evidence or no evidence was provided to otherwise show that religious hatred existed before monotheism and within polytheism. This is where I stand on the subject, but the there is still the matter of what causes religious hate. This is something I am curious to learn more about.
WARNING: This thread may contain a subject matter that you could find offensive or intolerable. If you choose to engage in debate within this thread, please leave your emotions at the door as you come in.
Dan, I’m interested to know how moral absolutism (or rather what aspects of it) leads to hatred (even if not religious). Surely there are dictators who have dropped the hammer, like Hitler, who believed his values were to be the best for the German people. Moral absolutism does not necessarily apply to just religious doctrine, does it?
Scythekain, I am interested how you came to such a conclusion without any given evidence. Can you please elaborate your reasoning behind the word “no?” Thank you.
And what of people, like myself, who have no conception of “highest truth” to begin with, to whom that term literally means nothing, but who do not believe in any god?
Sage: Scythekain, I am interested how you came to such a conclusion without any given evidence. Can you please elaborate your reasoning behind the word “no?” Thank you.
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Scy: The proof is in history and within yourself.
You are an atheist who is highly intolerant of christians.
K: well, one man bread is another piece of crap.
Scy: China and Russia were atheistic and were highly intolerant of other religions. (atheism and communism are religions.)
K: Atheism and communism are not religions. Proper understanding
of them both would tell you that."
Scy: Polytheistic cultures were intolerant of other polytheistic cultures.
K: not sure how you got this one.
Scy: What you’re saying is basically;
“monotheism is sliced bread, therefore monotheism hates all bread.”
bread existed before monotheism sliced it. As did hatred"
K: this really makes no sense. I love bread. How can you denigrate
bread. You, you, bread hater.
Not holding a highest truth, is itself your highest truth, thus a contradiction.
But that’s a whole 'nother thread matter.
Wow that’s a great way to rebute an argument!
Actually they are… proper understanding of them would tell you that. You don’t understand them, you long for them, because you hate capitalism and free market and democracy and anything to do with christianity.
HISTORY.
I don’t hate bread you do. I like it whole, sliced, wheat, rye and potato.
scythe - I will be happy to debate this point on another thread. But you are most definitely incorrect. These sentences:
“God exists.”
“There is a highest truth”
" ‘A’ is the highest truth" -where anything at all is substituted for “A”,
are literally meaningless to me. They have no truth value whatever. High, low, or in bewteen. I do not know how you can know differently. You can take my word for it, or you can learn my argument for that claim. But it is not a contradiction by any means.
Monotheism CAN create religious hate, as can any other kind of religion, if the religion is inherently intolerant. For example: your religion believes all other people who disagree will go to hell. These people are more likely to be haters. If you believe that other religions deserve a chance to, you are much less likely to hate other religions.
Firstly, I fail to see how this has any relevance whatsoever on this thread; please clarify. Secondly, I am not an aethiest. However you have reached this conclusion is upon the basis of completely erroneous data. Thirdly, your perception that I am “highly intolerant” of Christians is equally erroneous. You cannot prove that I am intolerant to all Christians, only some. It is just as well to say that there are many Christians that are intolerant of other Christians. Thus, you are in error. Also, keep in mind that it is not I, but you, who has made this an issue on this thread. If you wish to persue this fantasy of me, please do it outside this thread.
Finally, if all you are going to say for proof to back up your claims is “history,” then you should rethink your debating strategem, because you aren’t convincing anyone. Least of all me, who was actually interested to hear your evidence. Convince me that you have evidence, and I will cease to consider you a person who has no academic business on this thread whatsoever.
No, that is what you are basically saying. Why is that?
Again, waxing atheistic for a moment, didn't we decide that monotheism developed the way it did because it was in an atmosphere of tribalism, competition, and warfare? That is to say, the monotheistic God was a war god that supported it's tribe and justified their actions against others?
I would say this pre-existing atmosphere is pretty good evidence that religious hatred existed prior to monotheism. If society there really was about warfare between various polytheistic tribes all struggling for resources, I have a hard time believing that a person living in tribe A would be tolerated if caught praying to the gods of tribe B. It's conjecture, but conjecture is all we have since we're dealing with the very cusp of written history.
Most of them are firm empirical naturalists.