Dept. of Theological Meanderings
Thursday, 23 April 2026 05:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaffy_rArchitecture and Monotheism
It's just something I thought while Bob and I were talking in bed last night. Talk turned to religion as more than occasionally happens. He may be atheist and I may be an intermittent agnostic that believes in something on alternate Thursdays, but we have always liked playing with the ideas and philosophies connected to religion in general.
And something that had been simmering in my head over the last while - months, possibly a couple of years - finally bubbled up in words.
OK - here's where folks of faith can feel free to stop reading, or to roll their eyes at me, or be offended. This is what I believe and I expect no one else to agree with me.
Levantine Monotheism is the phrase we've always used to describe Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All of them assume a creator that is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. And that assumption is why monotheism collapses under its own weight.
Monotheism is structurally unsound, to use architectural/engineering terms.
When you start with the assumption that there is a creator that is all seeing, all knowing, all powerful - then insist that such a creator is inherently good - you are indulging in magical thinking.
Any creator who knows, sees and has power over all, and who nonetheless allows evil to exist in the first place, then sets out often contradictory and always arbitrary rules that humans must obey in order to avoid annihilation is. not. good.
But even more to the point; such a creator would implode the very universe it creates, but refuses to take responsibility for that implosion. It's in charge of everything, but chooses to blame its creations - into which it apparently built weaknesses and faults - for that implosion.
Does that mean I completely reject the idea of a god? Not in the least. I just prefer polytheism.
It's a lot more logical. There's no one omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent creator. Instead, like doctors and scientists, or even farmers, there are gods with particular responsibilities and expertise. Some of them might be inherently beneficent; others might not be, but none of them are pretending - or certainly can't pretend - to be all powerful. In fact, they understand that multiple gods of varying abilities are, in fact, the load-bearing walls of the universe.
I don't know. I probably haven't explained what I mean as well as I might. But it's what I can say at this point in my life. No, I still only believe in god or gods on alternate Thursdays, and only with numerous caveats. But the architecture of my belief has strong load-bearing walls.
Or not.
It's just something I thought while Bob and I were talking in bed last night. Talk turned to religion as more than occasionally happens. He may be atheist and I may be an intermittent agnostic that believes in something on alternate Thursdays, but we have always liked playing with the ideas and philosophies connected to religion in general.
And something that had been simmering in my head over the last while - months, possibly a couple of years - finally bubbled up in words.
OK - here's where folks of faith can feel free to stop reading, or to roll their eyes at me, or be offended. This is what I believe and I expect no one else to agree with me.
Levantine Monotheism is the phrase we've always used to describe Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All of them assume a creator that is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. And that assumption is why monotheism collapses under its own weight.
Monotheism is structurally unsound, to use architectural/engineering terms.
When you start with the assumption that there is a creator that is all seeing, all knowing, all powerful - then insist that such a creator is inherently good - you are indulging in magical thinking.
Any creator who knows, sees and has power over all, and who nonetheless allows evil to exist in the first place, then sets out often contradictory and always arbitrary rules that humans must obey in order to avoid annihilation is. not. good.
But even more to the point; such a creator would implode the very universe it creates, but refuses to take responsibility for that implosion. It's in charge of everything, but chooses to blame its creations - into which it apparently built weaknesses and faults - for that implosion.
Does that mean I completely reject the idea of a god? Not in the least. I just prefer polytheism.
It's a lot more logical. There's no one omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent creator. Instead, like doctors and scientists, or even farmers, there are gods with particular responsibilities and expertise. Some of them might be inherently beneficent; others might not be, but none of them are pretending - or certainly can't pretend - to be all powerful. In fact, they understand that multiple gods of varying abilities are, in fact, the load-bearing walls of the universe.
I don't know. I probably haven't explained what I mean as well as I might. But it's what I can say at this point in my life. No, I still only believe in god or gods on alternate Thursdays, and only with numerous caveats. But the architecture of my belief has strong load-bearing walls.
Or not.
no subject
Date: Friday, 24 April 2026 02:54 am (UTC)Despite this mistake, He still is considered perfect and omniscient. I think that in the same way that we do not like reading books we know the ending to He does not like to experience life when He can know every outcome, perhaps simply because it is boring. Evil exists because it is naturally forming, and it brings up the argument that His value of freedom outweighs the drive to eradicate evil. If He gets rid of it, then He intrudes on the very essence of our souls, creating a reality where we are really not ourselves but rather modified and altered versions. He still feels, and when I force even an action in a roleplay or a video game I feel bad for it. I can't imagine that He feels much different than us, as we are made in His image. I think Him being more understanding may come from experience and wisdom rather than complete and instantaneous knowledge of everything.
Just to note, I don't mean this to be like debating or arguing, I just wanted to give you (and Bob!) food for thought! I hope you have a great night!
no subject
Date: Friday, 24 April 2026 07:58 am (UTC)