Monotheism refers to a belief system that only one God exists. Monotheists practice the Christian faith, but consider the deity one. They believe God visited the human race in three different forms, including as a father and Lord Jesus Christ as well as as the Holy Spirit. Monotheists believe if one does not practice monotheism they are not entitled to the protection of God.
Religions that believe in one deity
Monotheism, which holds that there is only one god, is the basis of many world religions. It is distinct from atheism or polytheism, which each attribute responsibility to a different god. Monotheistic religions hold the belief that God is all knowing and all-powerful. They are usually non-anthropomorphic.
Dualistic religions can be described as dividing the universe into two fundamental principles: spirit or matter. This is a variation on monotheism found in some of the gnostic systems. These religions are based in esoteric knowledge. Orthodox Christians may consider them heretical. The demiurge, or demonic being, is frequently referred to.
Many of these religions have sacred text that guides their lives. Most prominent among them are the Christian Bible, the Hebrew Scriptures, and the Islamic Qu'ran. Some religions believe that these texts were written directly by a deity, while others say they came from humans. Waaqeffanna, also known as "the Word" in Oromo, is the single god.
Quasi-monotheistic religions
Although there are some similarities between quasi-monotheist religions and true monotheisms, there are also differences. True monotheism teaches that there is only one god and that all others are illusory. Quasi-monotheism focuses on the importance of the creator in all aspects of human life.
The concept of monotheism and its application to religion has its origins in the early modern period. Henry Moore created the term monotheism in 1660 in order to distinguish between Christian, anthropomorphic and Deistic conceptions of God. Later, "monotheism," which was later paired together with "polytheism", an idea that was born in the first century CE.
The ancient Greeks and Romans had monotheistic religions, and they believed in a supreme god. Zeus' worship was a sign of the transition from polytheism into monotheism. The veneration of Zeus reduced the respect shown to lesser gods.
Monotheistic religions
Monotheistic religions believe in one god. Polytheistic religions believe in multiple gods. Monotheism is rooted in the Old Testament Hebrew Bible. Other gods can be called "false Gods". Later Christianity, Judaism and Islam emphasized the concept of a single God.
Monotheistic religions imply that one God is the only true God. All other belief systems are rejected. They are known for being aggressive, and have used monotheism to justify their past actions, often claiming that their religion is only true. They also use monotheism to justify other people's behavior, which is inconsistent with the message and beliefs of the religion.
Though ancient cultures were known to worship many gods in their religions, one god was quite common. In fact, some ancient civilizations even elevated a single god above all other gods.