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JA3. Learning Journal 3

Statement

Objectives:

  • Explain the key differences as well as similarities between monotheism and polytheism.
  • Explain the “Problem of Evil” and arguments for and against this view: the existence of evil shows that there is no God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and all good.
  • Explain the fundamental ideas of Humanism and the extent to which it is compatible with religious beliefs.

Questions:

  1. What are the key differences between monotheism and polytheism?
    • Based on the Gifford Lecture reading (and any other reading you have done on the subject) what are other major differences between monotheism and polytheism? Do you think one is better than the other, and if so, why? Maybe you think that neither is better. or that there are no gods at all.
    • Explain and provide justification for your views.
    • Provide an example based on your experience.
  2. Do you think there are good arguments explaining why a purely good God would allow bad things to happen to good people?
    • Justify your views with your own arguments and references to the course materials.
  3. Although a humanist, Paine believed in God and the afterlife. Explain his reasoning and offer your own.
    • Support your own reasoning with your personal example.
    • Your explanation should include a description of the fundamentals of Humanism and a discussion of the extent to which it is compatible with religious beliefs.

Answer

Monotheism and Polytheism

From the beginning, humans sought a higher power that was more capable than them; (Madan & Goel, n.d.) stated that humans started with polytheism then they moved to monotheism with Judaism. However, (The Gifford Lectures, 2014) stated that monotheism may have come first, with smaller groups merged, the resulting community will have all the Gods of the original groups.

Regardless of who came first, monotheism is the belief in one God who is the creator and the ruler of the universe; while polytheism believes in many Gods, as ruling the universe is such a complex task that no one entity can bear it alone (Madan & Goel, n.d.).

The main difference -aside from the number of Gods- is that monotheism believes in one God implies that other Gods are false or non-existent, while polytheism believes in many Gods makes it more tolerant of other Gods or religions. The amount of violence and prosecution associated with monotheism is much higher than polytheism (Madan & Goel, n.d.). Monotheistic faiths often emphasize moral codes and scriptures, while polytheistic traditions rely on mythologies and rituals (Testbook, 2023).

To choose which one is better is a complex question; both ways have provided a lot to civilization; moral codes of monotheism still influence society values today (even in mostly secular societies) where values like honesty, charity, and justice are taught at every home and every school. The peaceful and tolerant nature of polytheism is also apparent in modern societies; values of acceptance, anti-discrimination, and harmony with other religions are also taught.

As a Muslim, personally I prefer monotheism; however, I took more of a pluralistic approach where I accept other religions and their followers, but I don’t have to worship them myself. The only issue is the violent history of monotheism; however, violence has always been a part of human history, where liberals, philosophers, and even atheists have fought in furious wars.

The Problem of Evil

According to (Toole, 2015): If God is omnipotent, omniscient, and all good; and evil exist, then God is either God is not omnipotent, omniscient, and all good, or evil God does not exist. The problem of evil is a logical argument, but it does not prove that God does not exist.

My Personal response: If God is omnipotent, and God exists, then God can allow or prevent evil as he wishes according to the argument that he has all power; now this may contradict or reduce other characteristics like all-perfect, but it does not disprove his existence.

So, If God has all power, then he can allow evil without being evil himself. Islam approaches this problem through different arguments:

  • God can prevent evil, but he made a promise that he will not interfere with human actions while they are alive so that he does not contradict his promise of free will.
  • God promised that he would compensate people who suffered with eternal happiness after death, and people who caused the suffering would be punished also for eternity.
  • Evil may be used as a test of human faith and patience, and it may be a message from God urging people to return to him.

But to close, one can argue that as long as the good exceeds the evil by a huge number of folds, then God is still all perfect, as any natural distribution of anything involves a spectrum with majority (good) and extreme minority (evil).

Humanism and Religion

Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was a British-American philosopher and writer, he was involved in politics as he was a friend of George Washington, his writings were influential in both the French and American revolutions, and he worked in the Congressional Committee for Foreign Affairs (History, 2009). His most famous works include “Common Sense” where he encouraged the revolution against the British, “Rights of Man” where he supported the French Revolution, and “The Age of Reason” where he criticized organized religion and the Bible.

Fundamentals of Humanism include that it is not a religion; it is a philosophy informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion. It emphasizes the freedom of thought and puts humans as the center of the universe. It is compatible with religious beliefs as long as they do not contradict science and human rights (AHS, 2019).

Paine’s reasoning stated: “I believe in one God, and no more; I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy” (Paine, 1794). This reasoning aligns with the fundamentals of Humanism while Paine still has his belief in God and the afterlife. Unfortunately, these views led to the accusation of atheism where society abandoned him, and he died alone in New York City (History, 2009).

My reasoning is that I believe in God and the afterlife; I also believe that any good religion should put humans first; happiness, empathy, justice, and solidarity are the most important values of a good religion. Science has proven itself in the past few centuries and can not be denied. As stated earlier, I take a wider approach to Islam, which also aligns with the fundamentals of Humanism.

References

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