Why did polytheism fail?

[wtfNeedSignUp]

I don't thing anyone beside faggot hipsters and 3rd world bug people will argue that polytheism has achieved much in the last centuries, where almost every scientific advance has been done by members of a monotheistic religion. So what's the reason for this?

My only guess is that polytheistic religions are naturally divisive and prevent groups under different deities to work together, while monotheistic religions can have everyone band together under a single shared umbrella.

 

[Agarathium1066]

My only guess is that polytheistic religions are naturally divisive and prevent groups under different deities to work together, while monotheistic religions can have everyone band together under a single shared umbrella.

There are massive divisions within many monotheistic religions both historical and current. A pair of excellent examples being the Sunni and Shia split within Islam which still divides the islamic world to this very day without even getting into far less common or widespread sub-divisions of the faith.

Christianity has had many, many internal divisions throughout history from the obvious ones like Orthodoxy and Catholocism as well as the extremely bloody wars over the rise of Protestantism. Even the latter would later split off into countless minor variations of worship and political views.

 

[DumbDude42]

My only guess is that polytheistic religions are naturally divisive and prevent groups under different deities to work together, while monotheistic religions can have everyone band together under a single shared umbrella.

nah thats nonsense

western polytheism failed because it was not assertive enough to put up a real fight against the much more aggressive and near-totalitarian christians and muslims.

eastern polytheism was spared this fate, so it survives to this day, and is actually doing quite well, better than most western monotheist countries.

 

[Joe Swanson]

Because it's moral relativism with extra steps

 

[DoNotReadTheFinePrint]

almost every scientific advance has been done by members of a monotheistic religion.

This isn't necessarily a correlation. After all, the most scientific advances were made after the catholic church lost a lot of influence in the renaissance and later ages.
There's also the problem that monotheism dominates huge parts of the world since more than 2000 year, so there isn't enough data to truly comprehend polytheism and monotheism in questions of scientific advancement.

There are massive divisions within many monotheistic religions both historical and current. A pair of excellent examples being the Sunni and Shia split within Islam which still divides the islamic world to this very day without even getting into far less common or widespread sub-divisions of the faith.

Christianity has had many, many internal divisions throughout history from the obvious ones like Orthodoxy and Catholocism as well as the extremely bloody wars over the rise of Protestantism. Even the latter would later split off into countless minor variations of worship and political views.

There's also the whole saint stuff, where you pray to certain saints for protection as if they're minor deities. The Trinity (the father, the son and the holy spirit) makes it also difficult for me to see Christianity as strictly monotheistic.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

nah thats nonsense

western polytheism failed because it was not assertive enough to put up a real fight against the much more aggressive and near-totalitarian christians and muslims.

eastern polytheism was spared this fate, so it survives to this day, and is actually doing quite well, better than most western monotheist countries.

It's not just about surviving though, but prospering technologically and culturally. Also I kinda doubt none of the other polytheistic religions being as aggressive as Christians, or that such an aggressive religion will survive for long without a common enemy.

There are massive divisions within many monotheistic religions both historical and current. A pair of excellent examples being the Sunni and Shia split within Islam which still divides the islamic world to this very day without even getting into far less common or widespread sub-divisions of the faith.

Christianity has had many, many internal divisions throughout history from the obvious ones like Orthodoxy and Catholocism as well as the extremely bloody wars over the rise of Protestantism. Even the latter would later split off into countless minor variations of worship and political views.

The question is whether the split in a monothestic religion exists internally within communities/countries as much as in polytheistic religions.

 

[Fetish Roulette]

It's true that most of the major scientific advances of the last couple centuries have come out of the West, but that's likely due to circumstances other than religious affiliation. You're creating a pattern where there isn't one.

 

[Agarathium1066]

The question is whether the split in a monothestic religion exists internally within communities/countries as much as in polytheistic religions.

Yes, even to this day you'll see friction between minor differences such as denomination. Heaven forbid you as a protestant would consider dating or heavily associating with a catholic. That's the tame version as well seeing as its just being judged and not killed for conversion. There's also a lot of familial and tribal practices which are carried down as tradition which will change worship in monotheism as well.

 

[shameful existence]

It's just a numbers game. Polytheisms are harder to communicate and don't spread as well. Some also feel very culture specific. It's a concept good for a world of city states, not an increasingly globalized one.
What big polytheistic religions even are there? Hinduism? Only big because of how overcrowded India is.

 

[Lina Colorado]

Polytheist indeed are more divided. In ancient Egypt they had many Gods and cults that surrounded them.

 

[Radola Gajda]

This isn't necessarily a correlation. After all, the most scientific advances were made after the catholic church lost a lot of influence in the renaissance and later ages.
There's also the problem that monotheism dominates huge parts of the world since more than 2000 year, so there isn't enough data to truly comprehend polytheism and monotheism in questions of scientific advancement.


There's also the whole saint stuff, where you pray to certain saints for protection as if they're minor deities. The Trinity (the father, the son and the holy spirit) makes it also difficult for me to see Christianity as strictly monotheistic.

There are examples of Pagan gods becoming Christian Saints

 

[DoNotReadTheFinePrint]

It's true that most of the major scientific advances of the last couple centuries have come out of the West, but that's likely due to circumstances other than religious affiliation. You're creating a pattern where there isn't one.

I would say the driving force was expansion, curiosity, and, to a huge part, the procurement of additional resources. The only way religion could factor in would be send out missonary spreading it, which is something Polytheism doesn't do, or at least, doesn't do to the extent of monotheism.

 

[DumbDude42]

It's just a numbers game. Polytheisms are harder to communicate and don't spread as well. Some also feel very culture specific. It's a concept good for a world of city states, not an increasingly globalized one.
What big polytheistic religions even are there? Hinduism? Only big because of how overcrowded India is.

yes, polytheist religions tend to be limited to a specific country (or people) practicing them. hinduism in india, shinto in japan, same with the ancient roman, greek and egyptian religions. none of them have that inherent aggressive "our goal is to convert the entire world to our faith!" drive that christianity and islam have.

 

[DoNotReadTheFinePrint]

There are examples of Pagan gods becoming Christian Saints

Exactly. And not only old gods. A lot of Pagan rituals were also incorporated into Christianity to make it easier to spread.

 

[I Love Beef]

Another angle that should be brought up is that the lot of pagan polytheistic religions are more material and outrospective than spiritual and introspective. The latter kinds of religions focus greater on the affairs of the human mind and heart, as well as the journey of life and one's soul, which gives one greater fortitude and internal strength in the face of life's challenges.

The only religions that come to mind that have survived to this day are (wait for it) East Asian religions, which all have drawn upon one another in someway and synchronized to some extent, allowing them to thrive and adapt as to the times.

 

[Hellbound Hellhound]

I think polytheism largely gave way to monotheism because the latter is far more easily tied to authority. If a religion preaches that there is a single god which holds ultimate authority, then it is easy for kings and political leaders to co-opt that authority and use it for their own ends; without the need for additional gods.

People didn't arrive at a monotheistic conclusion because they found it to be inherently more convincing than polytheism; they arrived at that conclusion largely because they were conquered by the followers of monotheistic religions and pressured to convert. The successful proliferation of monotheism has far more to do with it's political implications than any merits it may have independent of that, and all of the most successful societies today are varying degrees of secular.

 

[Idiotron]

Having multiple gods in 1 religion leads to infighting among the followers of the specific gods.
It's also easier to control people with just 1 god you need to invoke.
The Romans realized that and that's one of the main reasons (if not THE main reason) why they replaced a polytheistic religion with a monotheistic one (they were a bit too late to save their empire but they tried).

 

[Lemmingwise]

I don't think there is anything inherently in polytheism or monotheism that is systemically more or less succesful. We have less than 8 major religions. The sample size is far too small to say anything about the relationship between number of gods and their success.

 

[Erika Furudo]

yes, polytheist religions tend to be limited to a specific country (or people) practicing them. hinduism in india, shinto in japan, same with the ancient roman, greek and egyptian religions. none of them have that inherent aggressive "our goal is to convert the entire world to our faith!" drive that christianity and islam have.

Doesn't Buddhism kind of have that, with some branches thinkign they need to reject Nirvana so they can stay in this world to help guide more people to Nirvana?
Only the Buddhists were never autistic as fuck about the entire thing. Sad to think an alternate world had culture shaped by Buddhist and Hellenic philosophy while we get some shit about talking snakes. All the good stuff Christianity has was stolen from Pagans (muh Logos), when you remove the pagan elements it's a pretty vapid ideology. What I like about Buddhism was Buddha literally said for people to not take his word for it, but test it out like they would test gold, and Plato gave us stories that were to explain his views, where Christianity supposes things are true and the stories being some kind of metaphor came later.

I love Rome but they really let us down towards the end.

 

[Question Mark]

I don't thing anyone beside faggot hipsters and 3rd world bug people will argue that polytheism has achieved much in the last centuries, where almost every scientific advance has been done by members of a monotheistic religion. So what's the reason for this?

Probably because almost every scientific advancement was invented by White people. Muslims and non-white Christians haven't invented shit.