- background
- any theological system is a mechanism of explaning the unknown; a system of explaining what is not readily apparent. in practice, these systems form the foundation for experiencing and knowing the unknown.
- a deity is a consciousness governing some energy/force. energy can be spiritual, or physical (scientific, e=mc^2)
- initially, the focus shall be on self-created deities. deities, gods...that come into being through their own will/force/consciousness. lesser gods/angels/jinns are temporarily excluded from the discussion.
- monotheism
- monotheism is a concept that reflects a superstitious relationship with the creator. it is born out of the fear of somehow offending one's creator. otherwise, what's the harm in having 2 gods? you have 2 [biological] parents, and this isn't a problem...
- additionally, monotheism inherently personifies & mysterizes god. the notion of 1 deity collapses all of existence into 1 guiding consciousness. i guiding conscious being. all aspects of nature must somehow agree consistently within one consciousness; even though most aspects of nature have polar opposites. thus, in a monotheistic system, the universe must be the manifestation of an inner struggle within this deity as that is what manifests throughout the universe. the creation is a reflection of the creator. why did the monotheistic creator allow evil and disorder? where is the monotheistic deity, if it is this guiding consciousness that shapes all?
- conceptually, monotheism traps the mind by forcing it to think within a fixed paradigm. monotheism requires belief.
- galactic parallel
- polytheistic systems are based on the idea of building on a source/potential. for example, swirling hot gasses in the universe form galaxies; these galaxies throw off material during their formation that form suns; these suns, while forming, throw off material that form planets.
- thus, the potential is all that existed; from that potential galaxies, stars/suns, and planets form. while "something" did provide that source/potential...nothing actually guided the creation of a particular galaxy or star or planet. they simply self-manifested from that potential. thus, they exist with nothing to directly point to as a creator. they are self-created. this is the general paradigm.
- man as a microcosm
- humans are creators in their own right. the creative process within humans is essentially along these lines: an idea/concept is born a plan to realize this idea is developed (words, written instructions, visual diagram) action is taken to manifest what initially was merely an idea. (all of the physical reality that humans can manipulate).
- this can be as simple as: hunger -> decision on what to eat -> procure food & eat even though these stages are related; they are actually independent and exist in completely different realms. the feeling/idea of hunger is different from the decision of what and when to eat. procuring and eating food are physical actions.
- they exist in completely different realms.
- interpretting the human macrocosm
- traditional cosmologies that express the development often follow this paradigm of independent yet related stages: source/potential -> nu, undifferentiated matter hidden animating force -> amun consciousness/self-awareness (motion) -> atem architect/designer/planner -> ptah creator -> ra
- the existence of each of these (forces) is self-evident. these are several aspects of existence. polytheism breaks with monotheism in that it does not require a single governing consciousness to manifest each of these aspects. these aspects are self-created from their environment, which provides the potential.
- while technically there is a "supreme being", this is only in the fact that "being" is the state of existence. thus "being" is the source of the potential that all things manifest. the "supreme being" does not have a guiding hand in developing these other aspects of existence.
- benefits to polytheism
- a) it explains the mystery god dilemna
- rather than looking for the one guiding consciousness that governs all, one can realize the conscious aspects of existence that continue to manifest throughout all. a conflict isn't some mysterious phenomena a deity decided to allow, it is a natural exchange between manifestations of a particular deity.
- b) evil & disorder are explained
- there isn't a need to understand why a deity would destroy or allow it's creation to be destroyed; as ultimately that only reflects poor planning by the deity. instead, evil & disorder simply manifest from the potential that is order & harmony. if there is a potential, something will manifest as the creative forces exist and continue to exist.
- 1 is imbalanced. imbalance is potential. 2 is balanced. balance is neutral. anytime there is uniformity, there is an imbalance, thus potential for something to manifest to create balance. 1+1=2 any balanced pair can be seen as a singular unit. 2 = 1 "disharmony" is inevitable.
- c) divination is partially explained
- astrology, divination...etc. the same forces that created the universe, the galaxies, the stars, solar systems, planets, earth, you...these forces manifest at all levels of the universe and continue to do so. thus, studying one "level" of the universe, provides insight into others. the same forces follow the same patterns. the only question is in interpretting those patterns.
- in practice, if you can isolate a deity; if you can isolate a particular "force" and connect with the consciousness that guides it...you can control that force. these deities, conscious forces...etc manifest throughout the universe. thus within and without.
- polytheism excels where monotheism falls short; as polytheism explains what monotheism relegates to belief. polytheism is self-evident, and points to a path of experience; whereas monotheism requires faith.