Monotheism and the Path to Power

Abu Musab al Zarqawi the founding father of ISIS called one of his first groups he started "Tawhid wal-Jihad" which means "Monotheism and Holy War". Certain words have carried a significant negative weight due to this heritage of monotheism, words like pagan, polytheist, infidel, heretic, apostate, kuffar, kafir, and the disbeliever. The Pagans in power of course did not help themselves with the initial persecution of Christians in Rome and Muslims in Mecca. The battle of ideas require that these words be transformed in a new positive light and that faith is not axiomatically thought as a virtue. Does the future belong to those who slander the skeptic? When it comes to religion especially monotheistic religion it will need to get used to criticism and diversity otherwise it becomes a dangerous power ideology that has no counter weight to balance its totalitarian hubris. It took Christianity centuries but now it has gotten used to criticism for the most part and can handle it without resorting to violence, censorship, power and intimidation. To be critical of religion in Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other countries can be a death sentence or imprisonment. This is a clear violation of the liberty of conscience and individual rights. A time to reflect on the triumph of Monotheism in the West and Middle East - Christmas and Hanukkah. The Christmas story is a story that triumphed over the pagan stories and the Maccabee revolt was a triumph of the monotheistic sword over the pagan. Both of these events helped shape much of the religious ideology and theology of the future of Europe and the Middle East for two thousand years. John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg brought home the idea that the gospel writers in Luke and Matthew were creating a story of Christ’s birth to be a competing story to the divinity and ideology of imperial pagan Rome. The Roman Emperor Augustus was the divine Son of God, the bringer of peace and salvation to the World. The gospel writers created the Nativity story that competed with the claims of Roman imperial ideology. Instead of divinity born to power and prestige the Son of God was born to a poor Jewish family. A direct challenge that would not be argued in the beginning by the sword or by empire but by the power of the pen and storytelling to reach the common people. Alexander the Great and Caesar were the Sons of God due to their military success and empire. The Jewish son of God was a king of a Kingdom not of this world and the peace and salvation would not be from the sword but from the spirit. The gospel writers, whoever they were, were making war on the Roman Empire with the power of the pen and storytelling. Their storytelling eventually superseded Homer, digested and absorbed the Stoics, Plato and Aristotle, and overwhelmed the old pagan gods. The Epicureans and Skeptics were never able to reach a mass audience with an inspiring narrative and were not much competition for storytelling. When the paradigm shifted among the populace the ruling powers could no longer ignore Monotheism and Christianity. Being a son of the pagan gods was no longer a political strength if the populace no longer believed in those gods. When the gods no longer were politically helpful the God of Christians was. In this sign Constantine conquered. This is how it came to pass. The power of the pen (story writing) and the power of the sword (Constantine). History is a diverse mosaic of cultures and religions. With this diversity Monotheism either had to erase it or incorporate it. Annihilate it or absorb it. As one put it "history had to serve ideology". I would much rather have the Church and Mosque absorb the philosophers of antiquity than destroy them. Allowing for future generations to partake in their ideas even if they are filtered through the monotheistic writers. The Battle of Uhud The battle of constantine The battle of maccabee Torah Gospels/Letters Quran