Monotheism

Although most people do not know the specifics, we are generally able to identify some principles of modern religions; Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Druidism, Hindu, Islam, Judaism, Pagan, Pantheism, Protestant, Satanism, Satan Worshipping, Scientology, Sikhism and Wicca. Some religions have no Gods (such as Buddhism, Taoism and Humanism) and some religions have many God's (such as Hindu, the Roman Religion, Wicca, most types of Paganism and old Semite religions). There are therefore religions that are monotheist, atheist and polytheist.

Egotistic species-narcissism makes the homocentric religions more popular than abstract ones as we can understand abstract forces by projecting our own emotions on to them. Non homocentric religions are more abstract in nature and deal more with the concepts directly, without anthropomorphisation. Typically these Pagan and naturalistic religions contain a stronger-willed subset of the human species. The humbling nature of the size of the universe, the insignificance of the Human race lend themselves more to abstract religions in place of anthropomorphized monotheisms. So the trend is as science and intelligence become more developed that the non-homocentric (deistic) religions are becoming more popular (such as Pantheism, Buddhism, Taoism, Paganism and Satanism). Our ego and the way we anthropomorphize important concepts means that frequently Gods and spirits have Human character traits and desires, 'projecting' them into inhuman beings.

Monotheism A belief system that has only one god. Islam, Judaism, Christianity Bahai. Implicit monotheist A person who follows a single god religion simply because his culture or family do. Many children are "implicit Christians" which means they are Christian because of their family, not because of their beliefs.

Organised monotheism Specific texts, creeds, structure and beliefs. Often older, more traditional and more conservative than other types of religion. Organized religions are more dogmatic in nature. Explicit monotheist A person who makes adult and informed choices to follow a single god religion, having decided that it is what they believe.

Unitarian

• The original Christian God was a unity, not a trinity. A series of church councils in the 3rd century decided that God is a Trinity, composed of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Unitarianism then became a heresy and was suppressed

• A religious movement which features a lack of dogma, a belief in the inherent goodness of people, and the obligation for each member to seek out and develop his or her own system of beliefs and ethics

It is this second meaning of Unitarian that we will use here. [ Terminology from Religious tolerance.org ]

Universalism

• The belief that Jehovah as described in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) is the deity for all humanity, rather than just for the Jews

• A religious movement which promoted the concept that every person will go to heaven after death, and none will go to hell. Mainline and liberal Christians are frequently universalist.

It is the second meaning of Universalism that we will use here. [ Terminology from Religious tolerance.org ]

The god of monotheism
Most monotheistic religions have a god that is:

• Omnipotent - infinitely powerful
• Omniscient - all-knowing
• A supreme creator
• Benevolent - purely good natured
• Personal - it cares about individual people

When I mention "god" on these pages I am therefore referring to a standard omnipotent, benevolent and omniscient monotheistic god.

• The assumptions that atheists and theists make about the godhead

• The error of homocentricity

Atheist Religions

Secularisation Theory: Modern Society will Continue to Reject Religion

Atheist religions by far have the kinder record as far as wars and atrocities are concerned. Mono-theistic beliefs are particularly prone to bouts of genocide and war in their endless attempts to wipe out competing deities. Polytheism is better off as it naturally assumes a less violent attitude towards other Gods.

• About Atheism and Secularism

Critique of Religion and Philosophy

" [Atheism:] Unlike monotheism it did not spread from a single point. In India it antedates the Buddha and the Jina and is found in the Upanishads; in China it was codified by Confucius while a different version was laid down by Lao-tze ... [continues] ... while the atheism of the Buddha and the Jina is admitted frequently Lao-tze's is usually passed over in silence, and the teachings of the Upanishads are glossed over as pantheism."

"Critique of Religion and Philosophy", Walter Kaufmann 1958, p98

Atheist religions are normally more intense intellectually - philosophy and wisdom are often the core teachings along with the religious ideologies and stories, this was the case with Greek and classical anti-religious writers before Christianity rose. Perhaps this basis is the cause of the higher humanitarian record, or perhaps it is the other way round: That the single-God concept causes such strife that all else merely appears to be more moral. It is true that, if a neutral person could choose a type of religion given their records, he would be unethical to choose the monotheistic strain of religion - the one that is the single main cause of 90% percent of all the worlds wars and genocides.

What is a religion?

This quote is from the old version (2005) of a new 2008 page:

"It is frequently difficult to say if a religion is the beliefs of most of its followers or if a religion is what is preached by its scholars. Frequently the formal doctrine of a religion contradicts what the popular beliefs are of most of its adherents. The mean grassroots of a religion is nearly always watered-down, mixed-up, confused and ignorant. It is often pick-and-mixed from multiple sources, cultural traditions and folklore all blended haphazardly with the scholarly portion of the religion. Formal and developed scholarly religion, such as Christian philosophy or Muslim Sufi philosophy, is often complex, more complete, demanding to study and frequently convoluted as the religions' scholars debate its weakspots and difficult spots. The more difficult the area of study of a religion, the more maze-making its scholars will do in attempts to explain away irrationality. The more complex and difficult the intellectual aspect of a religion, the more the lowly masses will fail to comprehend or implement it.

You will need to engage the grassroots religion or the scholarly religion in different circumstances. Frequently you will need to address the cultural beliefs to the religions' followers, who are less intelligent, and address more scholarly and political concerns to the religions' leaders. A "religion" is a contradictory mix of both what the leaders say the religion is, plus what the mass of the actual followers believe. The difference between the intellectual top of a religion is normally quite an opposite to the grassroots bottom of the same religion!"

"Cultural Religion Versus Scholarly Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2005)