The Concept of Monotheism

Monotheism is the belief in the unity of one Godhead. In Judaism this belief is considered as fundamental. The word “monotheism “is made of two Greek words “monos” meaning “only” and “theos” meaning “god”. The term has been used in comparatively modern times to emphasize the belief in the one All-mighty and supreme God as opposed to the concept of Trinity in Christianity. That one God has the unmatchable attributes of being the Originator, the Creator and Lord of the world. He alone is the eternal Spirit, All-powerful, All-wise, and All-good. There is no one but Him as the Rewarder of good and the Punisher of evil. His deity is the only Source of our happiness and perfection. The concept of Monotheism with all its essentials is diametrically opposed to the concept of Polytheism, which is the belief in the existence of more than one gods than. Monotheism also contradicts Atheism which rejects the belief in any deity whatsoever. When contrasted with Deism, Monotheism is the recognition of the Lord’s presence and working existence in every part of creation. Compared to Pantheism, it is the doctrine in a God of conscious freedom, who is metaphysical in nature. It is worth noting here that both Deism and Pantheism are merely religious philosophies instead of being religions. Looked at from another perspective, Monotheism, much like Polytheism, is a word applied in the first place to a well-defined system of religion. The grounds on which the edifice of the concept of Monotheism stands have been discussed in the following pages.

Monotheism in the Primitive Ages

Many Evolutionists and Rationalists assert that the first ever religious thoughts that came to the mind of man in his developing stages of civilization were in the form of superstitions which were more than illogical and unscientific. Briefly speaking, the primitive man was, in terms of the popular belief, a savage. It differed only little from existing savages in his intellectual, moral, and religious life. This gives rise to the thinking that the primitive men did not had all the knowledge regarding the God. Then he or she must have developed the monotheistic concept of God only with the aid of Divine help. Let’s now see how the Jewish primitive though addresses this question.

Monotheism in Ancient Hebrew Religion

The ancient Hebrew religion known by the name of Jehovah (Jahweh) was preached and first promulgated by Prophet Moses. The canons of this religious thought made it an impressive form of Monotheism. It is the unmistakable and infallible teaching of Holy Scripture that it was divinely revealed to Moses. This point has been underlined over and over again especially in books of Exodus and other such books which treat exclusively the subject of Moses Law. Or Mosaic Legislation. The authenticity of this belief can be gauged from the fact that even non-Catholic Scriptural scholars, confirm the existence of Hebrew Monotheistic worship to this day. This is in spite of the fact that those scholars no longer accept the Pentateuch (which is the literary production of Moses going back to the time of Moses).Hence this transcendent supremacy of Monotheism as taught by Moses naturally points to its Divine origin. An infinitesimal minority of Hebrew people professed a religion which challenged the worship of idols, the following of impure rights and blind belief in mythology at a time when the neighboring nations Egypt, Babylonia, Greece(claiming to represent great Civilization) were professing these. The new religion made it its essential point to belief in one single God followed by a dignified worship and a respectable moral code. The people who object to Monotheism have never succeeded in giving a satisfactory explanation of this extraordinary religious phenomenon. It was, nonetheless, pre-eminently a religion limited to Hebrew people. Later it was destined to give place to the higher monotheistic religion revealed and taught by Christ, in which all the nations of the earth were supposed to find peace and salvation. Seen from this perspective, the Jewish people were Chosen People of God with the assignment of preparing the way for the coming of Christ. The God Moses professed is not a mere tribal deity. He is the Creator and Lord of the world. He hands over to His chosen people the land of the Chanaanites. The God has outlawed the worship of images. Love of God is mandatory and not optional. The law of temporal rewards and punishments is upheld. The principle of justice is placed at a premium.

Impact on Modern World

The impact of Monotheism on the modern world is overwhelming. Scholars agree that only the existence of a One God ensures the smooth sailing of universe. In case of multiple gods the extraordinary organization in the world is likely to fall in disarray. Thus Monotheism provides a much better explanation of God than any other religious philosophy.

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