Monotheism is a belief that there is only one God. Monotheists follow the Christian religion, and consider the deity to only be one. They believe God came to earth in three ways: as a Father, Lord Jesus Christ, or as the Holy Spirit. Monotheists believe that if one is not practicing monotheism, they do not enjoy the protection of God.
Religions that believe in one deity
Monotheism, which believes there is one God, is the foundation for many world religions. It differs from atheism as well as polytheism that each attribute responsibility for the reality of existence to a distinct god. Monotheistic religions hold the belief that God is all knowing and all-powerful. They are often non-anthropomorphic.
Dualistic religions may be characterized as having two main principles. This is a variant on monotheism, and can be found in some Gnostic systems. These religions are based on esoteric knowledge and are sometimes considered heretical by orthodox Christians. The demiurge may be called a demonic being.
Many of these religions have sacred books that guide their lives. The most prominent of these texts are the Christian Bible and the Hebrew Scriptures. Some religions believe the texts were directly written by a god, while others believe they were written from humans. In Oromo, for example, the single god is called Waaqeffanna, or "the word."
Religions which are quasi-monotheistic
While quasi-monotheists may have some similarities with true monotheism there are many differences. True monotheism believes that only one god exists and that all other gods are illusory. Quasimonotheism emphasizes the importance of God in all aspects human life.
The concept of monotheism and its application to religion has its origins in the early modern period. The term was coined by Henry Moore in 1660 to distinguish between Christian anthropomorphic conceptions of God and Deistic concepts. The term "monotheism" was later paired with the term "polytheism", a concept that originated in the first century CE.
The ancient Greeks and Romans had monotheistic religions, and they believed in a supreme god. Zeus' worship signaled the change from polytheism toward monotheism. Also, the veneration and reverence for Zeus diminished the respect for the lesser gods.
Monotheistic religions
Monotheistic religions believe only in one god. Religions that believe multiple gods are called polytheistic. Monotheism originated from the Old Testament Hebrew Bible. Other gods have been referred to "false idols". Later Christianity and Judaism emphasized the idea of one god.
Monotheistic religions generally assert that only one God exists, and they reject all other belief systems as false. As such, they have been very aggressive in the past, often justifying their actions by claiming that their religion is the only one that is true. Many times, they also used monotheism to justify the actions of others, which is not compatible with the message of their religion.
Ancient cultures often worshiped several gods, but the concept of a single god was not unusual. Some ancient civilizations even elevated one god above all the others.