Believers in many gods commonly believe there are two or more gods that have opposite properties. It is also a common belief in early mystical religions, such as Gnosticism. Gnostics assert that the god that we worship in this world is an evil imposter and that there is a true, benevolent deity beyond this realm. Thomas de Quincey first coined ditheism.
Polytheism
Polytheism can be described as a belief system that holds many gods. This form of belief is often called de facto polytheism and is prevalent among a variety of cultures. Buddhists may believe in several gods, while Hindus are open to many gods. This belief is contrary to Christianity, Judaism and Islam which all believe in one God.
Monotheism
Although there are thousands of different religions in the world, some can be classified as monotheism and others as polytheism. This article will discuss the differences between these two categories of belief. Also included are some terms that are related to these beliefs.
Monotheistic religions
There are many different monotheistic religions in the world. Each religion has its own distinctive beliefs. Some beliefs are more distinct than others. For example, the Christian religion believes that God came to Earth in three forms. Rejecting one of these gods will result in the person losing God's protection.
Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians believed in multiple gods with unique abilities and attributes. Netjer was a term that refers to a number of entities, not all of which were all-powerful nor all-knowing in their religion. The Egyptian gods had great power and were able to live indefinitely, sustain mortal wounds, and have visible effects on the lives of others.
Syncretic recombinations
Syncretic or syncretic recombinations can be described as the combination of different types of belief and practice. In the ancient world for example, Assyrians occupied Israel, and repopulated the area with people from other Assyrian countries. These people then married the Jewish people. It was the birth of a new mix people called Samaritans. These people are mentioned in the New Testament and today are still found in north central Israel.
Polytheism's origins
Polytheism is the recognition of multiple gods in religion. This is a violation of the oneness of God. This represents a very primitive stage during the evolution of religious thought. Most scholars of the empirical investigative sciences view the evolution of monotheism primarily as a refinement to polytheism. Catholic thought, however, takes the opposite approach. They see polytheism as a corrupted form of monotheism.