How Monotheism Is the Mother of All Human Progress



 By, Ehsan Butt*, PhD




The article thesis details the evidence that Monotheism is the spirit of American & French Declarations of Independence. It details how Monotheism sums up common elements of the rational conclusion from the most common human universal observations. It provides evidence that Monotheism has historically been the best idea to unite people for liberty, peace and progress of the civilization indicating its power that helped synergize human activity with nature. It includes evidence that the most effective source of human enslavement begins with indoctrination to trick people into overlooking the universal evidence of Monotheism.  

General Human Consensus That Nature Is Bound To Rules

Before the modern era no nation or fair-minded individual denied the idea that a systematic and organic universe is a testimony to its single-minded comprehensive control. Any person who has looked at the stories of Greek or Pre-Greek philosophers recognizes the acceptance of a universal comprehensive control. Thinkers debate this comprehensive control in terms of puzzles, struggling to reconcile particular observations of a precise time and space with the general observation. They recognize that they are not talking about problems in nature or universe in general. They are only expressing their inability to satisfactorily understand  some particular phenomena seemingly appearing to them as some exception. Few people deny the universal principle that exceptions do not make the rule.

"Nature is good, society corrupts"
"Everything is good as it leaves the hand of the Author of things"
Rousseau 1712-1778 Francophone Genevan philosopher wrote in his famous book Émile

The Monotheism

That evidence of the single-minded control of the world with its observed principled character, following rules and laws indiscriminately, is the bedrock of Monotheism. Another associated observation is that nothing has ever been observed in nature that can come even close to match the scale, characteristics and attributes of the controller directly inferred from evidence exhibited by the natural world. The concept of  the single supernatural controller deity is thus not actually a blind-faith but a rational conclusion as the direct corollary of the universal natural observations.




Monotheism of British, Protestants, Puritans and Deists

Puritans migrated from Britain to America to save their ancestral belief and practices. British history included many periods of Iconoclasm by Puritans. During these Iconoclasm campaigns Puritans, who represented public sentiments demanded the government to destroy all the well known icons or  images in places of worship and the government accepted the demand many times. Presence of Icons and images in places of religious activities was considered idolatry whereby something or somebody is regarded as worthy of worship along with the single Creator God. Especially Years 1600-60 were an age of reaction from public triggered by the  introduction of Spanish Catholic church icons. English people had long held strong religious beliefs and sentiments against the presence of statues, icons and human figures of any form in places of religious worship. August 1643 An Ordinance was passed in the parliament for the utter demolishing, removing and taking away of all Monuments of Superstition or Idolatry stating:

"The Lords and Commons in Parliament taking into their serious considerations how well pleasing it is to God, and conduceable to the blessed Reformation in his Worship, so much desired by both Houses of Parliament, that all Monuments of Superstition or Idolatry should be removed and demolished,"                                    
British History Online, 1642-1660; Spraggon, 2003


A famous American politician from the descendants of Puritans who represented American colonies  in Europe was Benjamin Franklin 1705 -1790.
US$ 100 currency bill (note) bears portrait of Benjamin Franklin


Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to Ezra Stiles, President of Yale College, March 9, 1790

“Here is my creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That he governs it by His providence. That He ought to be worshiped. That the most acceptable service we render Him is doing good to His other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this.” p 8 Rousseau, 1858


Thomas Paine d 1809, the greatest American founding father who not only put forward the idea of American independence but also became its main activist and motivational spokesman. He stated about the Monotheism as the common element of faith among all people of his time, he wrote:

"Every person of whatever religious denomination he may be is a Deist in the first article of his Creed Deism from the Latin word Deus God is the belief of a God and this belief is the first article of every man's creed. It is on this article universally consented to by all mankind that the Deist builds his church and here he rests."


IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."





National Assembly of France Approved as Law of the Land, August 26, 1789

"The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and rebound to the happiness of all. Therefore the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being*, the following rights of man and of the citizen: ... contd."


*French declaration's word "Supreme Being" and the American's words "Nature's God" and  "their Creator" all point to the consensus of American and French public belief in God and Monotheism


How Only Monotheism Can Guarantee Human Equality

It is not a random coincidence that the strongest idea, platform or foundation to unite men against tyranny of all kinds and successfully bring evidenced reformation has always been Monotheism. Islam, American and French revolutions are its examples. All in their ideal forms were absolute rebellions against human inequality in all spheres from relationship with God, against divisions like laymen and priest to the ownership of global natural resources.

Founded on the principle of accepting humanity as a single human family, a creation of  the single Benevolent God, Monotheism unites us all with our shared common bond, our love for our Creator. Monotheism thus provides the strongest foundation imaginable whereby establishing fairness, equality, indiscriminate rule of law, justice and equal rights, privileges and responsibilities becomes rational and voluntarily acceptable with broadest consensus.

It can be seen that the equal rights of individuals include a right to decent e.g right of expressing, believing and practicing polytheism, atheism etc. Also such rights to differ can best be guaranteed only under the Monotheism. Herein lies the wisdom behind the often used articulation of the Declaration of Independence by phrases used to convey optimism about the strengths of the movement and achievements of the American liberation "In God We Trust", "One Nation Under God" and "Freedom Under God".

Defining the Conceptions Other than Monotheism

As shown above Monotheism is aimed at directly observing and understanding the evidences of nature for arriving at best ideas about it. Monotheism is examined belief that begins and gets strength from growing its harmony with the evidences in nature. Anything other than Monotheism thus has to find its support from somewhere else. Because of this reason conceptions other than monotheism begin from dogmas and are not intended to understand the universe.  Most blind-faiths argue for something they define as "Salvation" that supersedes inquiry for the best option. As we come across only the one single organic universe the ideas other than monotheism are just words or names that can not be defined using something from our natural observation. However people have expressed their opinions about their conceptions other than monotheism which are as varied as the opinion holders.
Some dogmas are so crucial to keep sticking to because the scenario of their contradiction destroys the foundations of their blind-faith that it is necessary to begin from them ensuring that they are assumed firmly all along and as the end result. The conceptions other than Monotheism create cults where it is strictly prohibited to begin inquiries with a fair and fresh look at our universal info, re-examination of what is available and related in trying to make best sense out of it and seeking reasons of how, why others interpret it differently.


Literal Forms of Polytheism And How Modern Atheism Is Polytheism In Disguise


Polytheists believe the world runs on wishful desires of gods. The modern atheistic view is exactly that, i.e world is unprincipled, except that the wording is different. Proclaiming the world to be of unprincipled nature destroys all foundations of  equal natural unalienable rights and hence a basis for the human classes, privileges and discrimination is created. Atheists exactly like polytheist idol worshipers associate powers and abilities of creation, control and guidance of the world to inanimate matter or mythical forces. The difference between the beliefs of polytheist idol worshipers and atheists is no more than of the scale and dimensions of their gods. Idol worshipers associate unknown powers and abilities with statues, trees, hills, mountains, moon and sun. Modern atheists assume exactly the same abilities and powers with the whole of cosmic universe. It may be important to note that western literature tends to blur the contrast between monotheism and polytheism and have developed a term "Theism" which as they define is a mixture of opposites. That term is the most blatant example of mainstream educational academia's crimes of public deception where terms are invented not to clarify and differentiate but to confuse and betray. This is in fact their attempt to justify that Trinity is monotheism. Some excuse for this may be found in the fact that since polytheism has a stigma on its face so the European kings association with Trinity and Catholicism would have made it a serious insult and blasphemy of the king.


•••


Islam, Monotheism & Social Democracy

Monotheism is the main topic in the Qur'an:
14  سورة ابراهيم
 هَـٰذَا بَلَاغٌ لِّلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنذَرُوا بِهِ وَلِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
﴿٥٢﴾  
THIS(Qur'an) IS A MESSAGE unto all mankind. Hence, let them be warned thereby, and let them know that He is the One and Only God; and let those who are endowed with insight take this to heart! (Chap 14 Ibrahim Verse 52)

 سورة النساء 

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّـهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا

﴾٣٦﴿

"And worship Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner unto Him" Qur'an 4:36


Quran Chapter 112 Al-Ikhlas

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّـهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾ اللَّـهُ الصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣﴾وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ﴿٤
Say: 'He is God, One, (1) God, the Everlasting Refuge,(2) who has not begotten, and has not been begotten,(3) and equal to Him is not any one.' (4)


Did Islam Invent the Modern Democracy?

During the nineteenth century, Sicilian Orientalists wrote the story of Sicily’s domination by the
Muslim Arabs and centuries of eventful history that had been erased by the rise of Academic Islamophobia after the fall of  last Muslim Emirates of Europe centuries ago. The destruction of Muslim era works included burning of Muslim works of history. European Academia had done utmost to invent a new forged European history devoid of Islamic Civilization centuries. However all has not been lost as many Sicilian scholars identified an alternate origin for European modernity: the vibrant Arab culture
of the medieval Mediterranean transmitted to the continent through borderland states like the
Kingdom of Sicily. Three nineteenth-century Sicilian Orientalists – Pietro Lanza, Vincenzo Mortillaro, and Michele Amari worked to articulate a Islamic Sicily's contribution for the origin for European modernity including democracy.

Mallette, Karla, Professor of Italian University of Michigan, wrote in "I nostri Saracini: Writing the History of the Arabs of Sicily":


"Neither the Americans nor the French can take credit for the invention of modern democracy,
Vannucci suggests. Rather Amari’s history of medieval Sicily identifies the origin of European
democracy in the very substance of Islamic revelation – the “social democracy” that Islam
demanded of believers – and finds democracy in practice in the Islamic states established in
Mediterranean Europe (although Vannucci, like Amari, is interested only in the Sicilian
example)."

"I nostri Saracini: Writing the History of the Arabs of Sicily" by Mallette, Karla, University of Michigan, California Italian Studies, 1(1),  page 23,  2010

Radical Monotheism A Common Denominator in American Revolutionary Founding Fathers


 Thomas Paine 1737-1809 detailed why and how the foundation of American and French liberation movement stands on the rational conclusion that the world evidences the rule of one God and no more in a discourse at the Society of the Theophilanthropists, in Paris in 1798. He also pointed out that these facts must be remembered, taught to new generations for the long term survival of the achievements of the successful struggle for liberation, he said:

" All men in the outset of the religion they profess are Theophilanthropists**  It is impossible to form any system of religion without building upou those principles and therefore they are not sectarian principles unless we suppose a sect composed of all the world "


** Theophilanthropist is of Greek origin and is compounded of three words:  Theos God; philos a lover and anthropos man. It therefore means a lover of God and man. 

" the study of natural philosophy(science) is a divine study because it is the study of the works of God in the Creation."

Emphasizing that education in all schools must include pointing to the natural evidences of the universal rule of God to all students he said:
"The cultivator will there see developed the principles of vegetation while at the same time they will be led to see the hand of God in all these things " p 190 Rousseau, 1858


Mid 19th Century American Thought that Foundations of Freedom and Democracy Are Rooted in the Monotheism


"Who could not glory in being a monotheist, free from bigotry, ready to reason, and bow to the decrees of rational religion? Who wants irrational faith, when none but rational religion is true? We can only ask for this as the purest to hope, live, and die by. Rational is the legitimate, real and substantial. You desire the best triumphs of rational religion, then seek the most rational to be the most successful means of their attainment. Rational religion unites all the fragments of society, all sects into one universal brotherhood. It is the noblest duty of every rational mind to investigate the subject of rational religion. Define monotheism; it is that which defines the correct adoration of one Supreme Being in his strictest unity of character and design. The subject is so deep that it cannot be exhausted and rises in confirmed sublimity on the advance of mental light, that will illuminate the world, the universe. The bible of rational mind and religion is the only one that can be given to the world there can be no other. The world's happiness requires principles." p 229, Vaiden 1852




“AMERICA VINDICATED 

American Nationality. —Nothing can develope American Nationality in such bold and characteristic Freedom, as its proper appreciation of its Monotheist Government, the model to the world, and the greatest lesson to collusive despots, who perpetrate the highest treason against the people, by the deepest stratagems for the spoils. Monotheist institutions were created for the human family, and American nationality will be conspicuous for the magnanimity of gratitude in perfecting the fullest exemplification of monotheist principles. A perpetual oligarchy has conspired against the people, with the avowed determination to ignore their monotheist institutions, the only ones ever devised by God for man, who is by nature and principles a monotheist. The great victory of the people has to be consummated, that their complete triumph may be realized. The day of truth-light is advancing, when liberty-loving people will not permit mankind to have ecclesiastical and military conventionalisms to be dictated to them, when they rightfully and absolutely assert all the purity and magnificence of God's own chart and chartered statutes.” p 11, Vaiden 1855
_______________________________
Note 1:

Atheism in principle is denial of the legitimacy of any rule and any common bond among people to agree on some common cause, unite and get motivation about the legitimacy of their natural rights from e.g observations in nature, historical traditions. Atheism as a consequence provides a perfect medium for continuation of status quo.

"Armed in turn with the daggers of fanaticism and the poisons of atheism, kings have always conspired to assassinate humanity. If they are able no longer to disfigure Divinity by superstition, to associate it with their crimes, they try to banish it from the earth, so that they may reign there alone with crime."
Robespierre - 1794 Address after the French revolution on the Festival of the Supreme Being
http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/robespierre.htm

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How Criminal Academia Undermines Public Ability To Understand and Fulfill Their Responsibilities As Custodians of Constitutional Republic Founded on the Declaration of Independence

The recent power grab of Trump-Pence regime indicates that continuous criminal deeds of Academia over many decades has now almost completely undermined the achievements of our civilization during the Enlightenment and Reformation times. It has left the public disoriented neither aware of factual history nor able to find what happened and why as a minimum resource to get any lesson useful to resist the fall or better improvement.


Self educated, Home-schooled, Truth-seekers Emancipated The World

American and French revolutions were lead by the people who were mostly self educated, home-schooled, truth-seekers, or enlightened freethinkers. They openly challenged the propaganda emanating from establishments of kings, their allied church and cronies that a state without them being patrons could not work. The most famous of such crony propagandists was Edmund Burke 1729-1797 member of parliament, London. The revolutionaries were successful in convincing the public and motivating them to fight until success against racist, inherited preferences and other privileges of kings and church and achieved the goal that is stated in the declarations as "equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them" and "the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being*, the following (equal) rights of man and of the citizen ...".




Liberation of the American states and France is known as one of the great achievements, a leap forward in the human civilization.

Academia Overwhelmingly Remained Loyal to the cause of Old Kings/new establishment and organized Church

It is not natural but by design that neither in America nor in France the history of the struggle, debates, and foundations of the convincing philosophy of the liberation movement could not be successfully transmitted to new generations for long. The same pre-revolutionary Academia loyal to kings and church and in many cases the same organizations not only continued what they have been doing but grew in numbers and effectiveness. In many cases isolated efforts by the revolutionary thinkers who realized the crucial need to convey the reasons, rational and intellectual foundations of the struggle and established some institutions to express, record and convey that were soon infested and completely controlled by the agents of global anti-revolutionary establishment. Their effectiveness can be seen in the present literature e.g. the consensus of French public in the monotheism indicated by the spirit of the declaration expressed in clear words "Supreme Being" is now widely misstated as merely a belief of some small group of French people who the mainstream edu academia now openly describe as the idea of small a group they call derogatorily "Cult of Supreme Being" not the French public which is an outrageous lie. Thus new French generations are being told that their revolutionary founding fathers belonged to some misguided cult.

Situation about mainstream edu academia's forgeries to tarnish the image of American revolutionary founding fathers in the literature is worse. Early Puritans are tried to be depicted as blind-faith Christians or witch hunter fools and later ones as atheists or people with un-commonsense beliefs mocked by public. Salem witch trials are repeated despite paucity of any evidence supporting such event pointed out time to time by investigators to find any trace of evidence [ ANATOMY OF A FORGERY: SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS DEATH WARRANT, 1692, by KATIE RUDOLPH on August 13, 2013  https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/anatomy-forgery-salem-massachusetts-death-warrant-1692]
This story clearly indicates a propaganda to smear Salem, which means a city for peace and "A SHINING CITY UPON A HILL" build as refuge against intolerance of English monarchs.

Puritans dominated the leading development of Salem from beginning til recent times. The objective seems to be neutralizing Puritan prestige, progressive and constructive image. The Salem witch trials have been used to propagate negative stereotypes about Puritans and embed them deeply in the new artificial and baseless popular culture promoting Vatican Catholicism would find least resistance. The mindset, preoccupations and blind faith of Salem characters portrayed in the witchcraft story completely contradict the activities developments, preoccupations of common and especially the leading residents of Salem. This problem of setting the scene of witch trials comfortably and coherently within the undisputed known history of Salem has been a problem. What is witnessed and experienced by almost the whole world about Salem does not leave any space or time for accommodating such witch trials ever in Salem.
Dorothy Burnett Porter introduces early Salem bustling with leading social and economic developmental activities:
"Historic Salem, founded in 1626 by Roger Conant, contributed in a large measure to the development of the Massachusetts commonwealth and the American nation as a whole. Conant built the first house on a spot now on Essex Street, almost opposite the town market. As a center of commerce and the mother of many great men, Salem was considered the most important seaport town in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries."

"the whole destiny of America contained in the first Puritan who landed on those shores" Alexis De Tocqueville 1830 


Contrary to the picture of Puritans pained by witch trial tale the enlightened Puritans, many of them were active leading members of the top learning societies like the Imperial Society. Sir Francis Bacon(1561-1626), known as the philosopher of Puritanism, wrote about the importance of mechanical arts: "founded on nature and the light of experience ... are continuously thriving and growing, as having in them a breath of life, at the first rude, then convenient, afterwards adorned, and all the times advancing" and for him, there were three things that made a nation great: "a fertile soil, busy workshops and easy conveyance for men and goods from place to place" all being dependent on tools devised by man and the third pointing to an increasing mastery of the technology of travel, without which the Puritan migration could not have succeeded. p 3-, Hopper 2009

Donald Trump Tells Brody File: "I want to give power back to the church"



Academia Targeted The Most Important Architects, Philosophers and Inspirational Leaders of the Liberation Movements, especially Thomas Paine  

Thomas Paine is almost always maligned if ever mentioned as some atheist or the one who did not believe in God Who is interested in the world anymore. He and Deists are almost always targeted by the mainstream edu academia, if they are ever mentioned, as some group who blindly believed in a God who ran away, after his baby universe was born, and is least concerned about it now. Similarly propaganda publications, using public money in most cases, continued spreading the falsehood that the idea of state without kings and church privileges is impractical and a recipe of disaster. An example is a recent work "THE SUBJUGATION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: A FAILED ATTEMPT", by Lee White, read at Regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference at University of the Cumberland, Williamsburg Kentucky



America's Forgotten 1st Founders

Earliest records in American history show "Declaration Of Independence" merely penned what was written in the hearts of Dutch Puritan founders. It exposes Jesuit edu academia's cover-up of real US history



 



Academia Uses All Means to Continuously Denounce Without Debate Universal Observations of Monotheism, Intelligent Design Which Provided Fertile Ground to Flourish the American Declaration of Independence and French Declaration of the Rights of Man

Expression of ideas or pointing to evidences supporting Monotheism, e.g intelligent design, are strictly prohibited in the mainstream edu academia as taboo and the people who dare to do that are penalized, forcibly silenced or removed. Some references that support the above conclusions are given: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0146193

Ben Stein examines the issue of academic freedom and finds that there is none when it comes to the debate over intelligent design http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1091617/

Theological fiefdoms under agreements between Church & States where certain human rights do not apply, are growing

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Historically Attested Statements Of Polytheists Do Not Indicate Their Open Denial Of Monotheism

 "among all nations, through the darkest polytheism glimmer some faint sparks of monotheism"
Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason

Monotheism seems to be such a natural intrinsic idea that its clear and consistent denial has never been observed. We can see an example in the dialogues with idol worshipers of Arabia responding to Mohammad SAW 's invitation towards pure Monotheism (Deism/Puritanism):



قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ قُلِ اللَّـهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَاتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّـهِ شُرَكَاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ اللَّـهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴿﴾ ١٦سورة الرعد


Ask (them): 'Who is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth?' 9 (They will) Say: 'God.' Say: 'Then have you taken unto you others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power to profit or hurt themselves?' Say: 'Are the blind and the seeing man equal, or are the shadows and the light equal? Or have they ascribed to God associates who created as He created creations, so that creation is all alike to them?' ( i.e they find confusion about deciding among multiple creators)  Say: 'God is the Creator of everything, and He is the One, the Omnipotent.' 



 وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّـهِ زُلْفَىٰ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ  ﴿٣ ﴾ سورة الزمر
And those who take gods (objects of worship), apart from Him ( present their excuse saying that) 'We only serve them ( those gods) that they (acting as reminders or pointers) may bring us nigh in nearness to God' -- surely God shall judge between them touching that whereon they are at variance. Surely God guides not him who is a liar, unthankful. (39:3)




How Atheism Is the Purest Form of Idol Worship Known


Looking at the views of the polytheist writers and their literature it can be seen that they say they don't actually  believe metaphysical  extraordinary powers associated with their material objects of worship icons and idols etc. They explain that these physical objects only represents or remind them of some other powers or things that control the world but can't be seen. Many of them say that all of their objects of worship are merely different representations of the same deity; a kind of monotheism. There is a video linked below where Hindu Swami Nikhilanand explains that point.




{Swami Nikhilanand ji visit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... "Hinduism Q & A: Is Hinduism Monotheistic? Swami Nikhilanand of JKP, Radha Madhav Dham provides quick, clear answers to the most common questions about Hinduism. Swami Nikhilanand is a disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj.

On the other hand all atheists insist that the creation of the world, including Plato and socrates, and its continual running exclusively is the work of the world itself without any extra metaphysical powers or mind. As has been mentioned above the whole material universe only differs from its parts i.e idols and icons or other objects in scale. This makes atheists the only class of people who represent purest idol worshippers.



How Polytheist's view of Natural World Differs From a Monotheist


Polytheist's agree that their postulate, that material and natural forces can produce feats of superhuman interventions of mind, is not verifiable from human experience.  However, the improbability is taken as an excuse.

For Monotheist all nature is an evidence of his postulate. Monotheist looks at the evidence of what characteristics the idols and other objects of nature exhibit. They all exhibit characteristics of slaves bound by rules, not masters. Even the largest army of slaves is still a slave. The largest group of sheep is still not a lion. As consistent human experience is a testimony that numbers will not create a feat that is not in the individual, infinity multiplied by zero is a zero, no fair mind has ever thought otherwise. Slaves can be different in many traits but always share a common characteristic, they can not depend on themselves. They need support to live, orders to follow, even if it is a mass suicide. The standing armies of slaves and their unprecedented shows in nature all point to the conclusion that the source of their support and direction can only exist beyond themselves. All human experience from atom to cosmos is fundamentally the same in this respect that we have always come across slaves. Doesn't observing slaves beg the question about their master? The cosmological parades of slaves only raises the grandeur of their master! A monotheist is fair in attributing to slaves what they exhibit and he continues his search, and learns a lesson that power behind the slaves has to be somewhere else: supernatural. True to the spirit of fact finding, following the evidence wherever it leads, he makes no assumptions about the master he has not come across. The only inference that seems reasonable is that since all the slave cosmos parades in unison following universal rules and no exceptions are observed and in addition the rules establish stability, equilibrium and progress a testament to their being under only one master and no more. Here begins a search for the attributes of the master from the exhibitions of slaves.



Human Spirit of Scientific Inquiry Is Rooted In Monotheism

Only a belief in the existence of principles that are effectively in charge drives a search for those principles. A search for scientific inquiry is not a bed of roses. You need to have very strong resolve, voluntarily ready for sacrifices going through trouble all based on your belief that world runs on principles. This relationship between monotheism and scientific pursuit is the reason Islamic iconoclastic monotheism brought forth an enlightened scientific society.



Isaac Newton And Charles Darwin State That Their Scientific Inquiries Stem From Their Monotheism


Charles Darwin (died 1882) believed exactly like Isaac Newton (died 1727) that we live in a principled world. Darwin’s views were little different from his predecessor monotheist scholars. A Muslim scientist al-Jahiz (died 868 AD) describing the characteristics of animals remarked:

"Animals engage in a struggle for existence, and for resources, to avoid being eaten, and to breed." He added, "Environmental factors influence organisms to develop new characteristics to ensure survival, thus transforming them into new species. Animals that survive to breed can pass on their successful characteristics to their offspring." http://goo.gl/feCWtp

Isaac Newton wrote that his main motive behind his scientific endeavors is to know God and His actions in the light of nature; nature is a creation and in continuous control of God. At the end of his famous book OPTICKS Issac Newton wrote:



“And if natural Philosophy in all its Parts, by pursuing

this Method, shall at length be perfected, the

Bounds of Moral Philosophy will be also enlar-

ged. For so far as we can know by natural

Philosophy what is the first Cause, what Power

he has over us, and what Benefits we receive

from him, so far our Duty towards him, as well

as that towards one another, will appear to us

by the Light of Nature. And no doubt, if the

Worship of false Gods had not blinded the Heathen,

their moral Philosophy would have gone

farther than to the four Cardinal Virtues; and

instead of teaching the Transmigration of Souls,

and to worship the Sun and Moon, and dead

Heroes, they would have taught us to worship

our true Author and Benefactor, as their Ancestors

Sons before they corrupted themselves did under the Government of Noah and his

Optics by Sir Isaac Newton(1642-1727) published byLondon:: Printed for William Innys in 1730
http://goo.gl/BX1sns


It is becoming increasingly evident that Huguenots who were of Muslim descent, played a major role in the training of Isaac Newton and later for the dissemination of his works:

Coste (1669–1747), a Huguenot refugee, translated Newton's Opticks (1720) and included his comments:


‘The Reader will allow me to add one more word on the Queries which are like a


conclusion to this Work. There he will find what the Author thinks about the most


important matters of Physics. They are the fruit of a Philosophy which one only


has to study and understand to admire, & which through the scrutiny of the main


Phenomena of Nature leads us necessarily to God, the Author & Preserver of all


things’”


John Theophilus Desaguliers was a French-born Huguenot, who was elected to the Royal Society in 1714 as experimental assistant to Isaac Newton. Jean-Francois

“I will suggest that not only did a significant number of Huguenots like Desaguliers contribute to the success of Newtonian science both at home and abroad, but they actually participated in the making of Newtonianism itself, or—to be quite specific—in the elaboration of a distinct variety of Newtonianism which happened to be authorized by Newton himself.”

p 534 Early eighteenth- century Newtonianism: the Huguenot contribution, Jean-Francois Baillon, Stud. Hist. Phil. Sci. 35 (2004)


Hope and Optimism Spur From Monotheism

Monotheism envisions world as life at our home maintained by parents with negativeness as infrequent exceptions and exceptions do not make the rules. This worldview of hope, optimism is based on natural instinctive reading of the rule of order, justice, care and love for man is brilliantly detailed by John Henry Pestalozzi 17461-827, Swiss enlightenment age education reformer,  in "Evening Hour of A Hermit". Here is an excerpt:

"As all justice rests upon love, so does freedom upon justice. Pure child-likeness{i.e feeling of man that his world is under the complete control of an Omnipotent, omnipresent, benevolent God} is the real source of freedom, which rests upon justice; and pure fatherhood is the source of all such government as is elevated enough to do justice, and to love freedom.

And the source of justice and of all worldly blessings, the sources of the love and brotherhood of men, these rest upon the great idea of religion: that we are the children of God, and that the belief in this truth is the sure foundation of all human happiness. In this great idea of {natural rational} religion lies the spirit of all true political wisdom which seeks the real happiness of the people; for all the moral faculties, all enlightenment and human wisdom, rest upon the same basis of the faith of humanity in God.

Forgetfulness of God, neglect of the filial relation of humanity to God, is the source of the destruction of all the power of morality, enlightenment and wisdom, for the blessing of humanity. Therefore is this loss of filial feeling toward God the greatest of human misfortunes, since it renders all God's paternal instruction impossible; and the restoration of this lost filial feeling is the salvation of the lost children of God on earth.

The man of God who through the sorrows and death of humanity re-establishes this universally lost filial feeling toward God, is the saviour of the world, the sacrificed priest {i.e any rational, seeker of truth e.g Thomas Paine} of God, the mediator between God and God-forgetting humanity. His teachings are pure justice, an instructive philosophy for all people; the revelation of God the Father to the lost race of his children." p165


The observations like evolution, progress, equilibrium, recovery and stability of mother nature encompasses all negatives of the human civilization encounters as it journeys forward and hazards only grow to the level of sneezes and hiccups. Once men become positivists, enlightened with optimism that honesty, truthfulness, justice, fairness, rationality empathy are consistent with the nature of the universe and they join hands that their personal, family and society must demonstrate the same in harmony with the nature which is also a creation of God, global reformation is just around the corner.


History Teaches Lessons Is A Testimony That Rules That Bind Nature Similarly Bind and Encompass Human Affairs

Qur'an is focused on pointing out natural evidences that show how God rules through fair principles. e.g It explains how all nations are tried and tested and are provided opportunities to rise and fall according to the set just rules. It calls it Sunnatullah, Rules of God, ُسنَّة الله  in the Qur'an,  that are applied to all humanity indiscriminately. While it points in the history of the rise and fall of nations explaining that it depends on the choices they take on as characteristics including, motivations that orient human actions and commit deeds.

 It is a recurring topic in the Qur'an that it narrates history of growth and fall of various pre-Islamic civilizations while pointing out the evidences that they were treated equally as other nations according to their deeds.

Chapter 35 Fatir

(Shown in their) behaving arrogantly in the land and plotting evil; and the evil plot encloseth but the men who make it. Then, can they expect aught save the treatment of the folk of old? Thou wilt not find for Allah's way of treatment any substitute, nor wilt thou find for Allah's way of treatment aught of power to change. (35:43) Have they not travelled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those who were before them, and they were mightier than these in power? Allah is not such that aught in the heavens or in the earth escapeth Him. Lo! He is the Wise, the Mighty. (35:44)



Chapter 22 Al-Fath

And if those who disbelieve join battle with you they will take to flight, and afterward they will find no protecting friend nor helper. (48:22) It is the law of Allah which hath taken course aforetime. Thou wilt not find for the law of Allah aught of power to change. (48:23)


How Monotheism Testifies That Indiscriminate Application of Rules Will Not Be Missed For Long

The human consensus experience, that history teaches lessons, not only testifies that strict application of rules is evidenced in the rise and fall of nations but it also invites attention towards the fair judgement of man as to why such control could be absent in the case of individuals? Because the fate of a nation depends on the individuals, it argues that it is reasonable to expect the accountability, reward and punishment as is evident in the world in the form of rise and fall of nations to complete its course to the level of each individual.


Chapter 53 An-Najm
That no soul laden bears the load of another, (53:38) and that a man shall have to his account only as he has laboured, (53:39) and that his labouring shall surely be seen, (53:40) then he shall be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense, (53:41)

One of the most interesting things in this regard is the description of  the primary reason for the pending justice to the individuals stated in the Qur'an is to reward the good people , leaders of enlightenment, reformers who have been the best in character and deeds, honest loyal whistleblowers, truth-seekers, witnesses to truths , e.g. Thomas Paine but unfairly treated or persecuted, tortured or maligned by their own beneficiary nations. The penalty to the evil doers is inalienable side-effect of the process of justice.

Chapter 34 Saba
The unbelievers say, 'The Hour will never come to us.' Say: 'Yes indeed, by my Lord, it shall come to you, by Him who knows the Unseen; not so much as the weight of an ant in heaven and earth escapes from Him, neither is aught smaller than that, or greater, but it is in a Manifest Book; (3) that He may recompense those who believe, and do righteous deeds; theirs shall be forgiveness and generous provision. (4) 'And those who strive against Our signs to void them -- theirs shall be a chastisement of painful wrath.' (5

Chapter 55 Ar-Rahman
Shall the recompense of goodness be other than goodness?(55:60)

Chapter 6 Al-An'am
Ask them: 'To whom belongs( & prostrates to) what is in the heavens and in the earth?' (They will) Say: to God. ( So listen) He has prescribed for Himself mercy. He will surely gather you to the Resurrection Day, of which is no doubt. Those who have lost their souls, they do not believe. (6:12)

At other places an easy going and privileged life is likened to waste of the opportunity, which is like the Socrates call:  "An unexamined life is not worth living".  Life worth living is that with mission of seeking truths,  justice, enlightenment and reformation even if it invites difficulties, problems and suffering.

Chapter 10 YunusSurely those who look not to encounter Us and are well-pleased with the present life and are at rest in it, and those who are heedless of Our signs, (10:7) those -- their refuge is the Fire, for that they have been earning. (10:8) Surely those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, their Lord will guide them for their belief; beneath them rivers flowing in gardens of bliss; (10:9) their cry therein, 'Glory to Thee, O God,' their greeting, 'Peace,' and their cry ends, 'Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being.' (10:10)

Abraham the Model Rationalist: Qur'an details the story of Prophet Ibrahim, an upright rational truth seeker. He, despite being born in an idolatrous family discovered monotheism based on his rational analysis of the observations evident in nature. Ibrahim is quoted in the Qur'an telling his Hanif  faith (Deism) to his nation

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٧٨﴾إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿٧٩
He told his nation, I am quit of that you associate (78)I have turned my face to Him who originated the heavens and the earth, a man of pure (rational) faith; I am not of the idolaters.' (6 :79)

____________________




References:  

British History Online, Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/acts-ordinances-interregnum/pp265-266


Hopper, Ken & Hopper, Will  ,The Puritan Gift: Reclaiming the American Dream Amidst Global Financial Chaos, I. B. Tauris, 2009







Kincaid, Paul W., Concrete evidence shows US government nuked New York City on 9/11,  Monday, May 21st, 2012   
http://presscore.ca/concrete-evidence-shows-us-government-nuked-new-york-city-on-911.html


Niebuhr, H. Richard, Radical Monotheism and Western Culture, Westminster/John Knox Press Published in Louisville, KY, 1993 and Harper, New York, 1960.
URL link:Radical Monotheism and Western Culture by H. Richard Niebuhr

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, The Theological works of Thomas Paine, Thomas Paine, , Pub.  J. P. Mendum, Boston USA, 1858

Spraggon, Julie , Puritan Iconoclasm during the English Civil War, Boydell Press, Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK, 2003

Vaiden, Thomas J., Rational Religion and Morals: Presenting Analysis of the Functions of Mind Under the Operations and Directions of Reason .., Pub. Vaiden, Thomas J.,  1852 

Vaiden, Thomas J., America vindicated from European theologico-political and infidel aspersions., New York, Morgan & Co., 1855.



_________________________________________
*Ehsan Butt, President, Advancing Rational Faith academy
Investigative historian and Scholar of Islamic Studies. He continues the Qur'anic rationalist traditions of his school, Idara-i-Tadabbur-i-Qur'an-o-Hadith Lahore, Pakistan which was founded by Amin Ahsan Islahi 1904–1997, one of the most brilliant Muslim scholars of Islam in the modern times. Investigating history that best explains the present, as it appeared from historical past, to build a scholarly consensus has always been a common thread in most of his works. He focuses on primary evidences in the natural world, common natural human conscience, universal truths, well known individual and societal processes to build his thesis. His teaching and research in scientific fields such as biotechnology to optimization math to nuclear science helps him directly review and verify technical details for literary forensic, chronological or dating methods. His ability to look at the issues from diverse angles often leads to radical but extraordinarily convincing conclusions.

[email protected]

8 comments:

  1. Hi Ehsan. Thanks for sharing.
    You make an interesting point, but I think you must further divide between religion and spirituality. They are not the same thing. Far too much evil and death has been perpetrated in the name of religion, but NEVER by those who are truly spiritual.

    Religion can be a force for good or evil, as we see in our modern age. But the truth of spiritual connection between all mankind and the Oneness of all things TRANSCENDS religion and religious hatred and group-think.

    This problem exists whether the religion is mono- or polytheistic.

    Warm regards,
    Arnie
    @evolutionology

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Arnie, you may know the view that basically common man's philosophy is in other words his religion. Which is the most wide world view that encompasses the absolute beginning to the end and all that is in between. This philosophy is available in black & white detailed literature of all sections of society adhering to different views. Thus if you take an area or question about universe you can find different answers forwarded by different religious groups of people and can compare them with some criteria e.g logic, natural science etc. However info on different thypes spirituality is not clearly observable classifiable or associated with specific natural human questions about the universe. Thus we seem completely unable to find ways to communicate meaningfully about spirituality. In a way spirituality may be another scheme, plot like the notion: "Religion is blind-faith" invented by the mainstream edu academia to stop people communicating among themselves and begin thinking why not find the best option and get interested in acceptin the best options.. a true horrible scenario for the divide & rule warmonger clash of civilization perpetrators.

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  3. Great essay. I agree with it wholeheartedly. Monotheism is the source, end and solution to everything. Man was created under monotheism, and when he steps away from it, he acts as the sheep lost in the pastures, no shepherd, no care, no guidance.
    That is also the difference between men of old, whether scientist or lettered, whether king, priest or peasant, each of whom, even when disobeying the natural order of his being, acknowledged to do it in spite of that established order and the supremacy of the Creator over it all. Modern man however, mostly due to ignorance, compounded ignorance which becomes hubris, and the stability of modern society and its supposed mastery over nature and the fears it spurred, each has chosen one master out of the plethora of masters available, unaware that they are pledging allegiance thereby to fake masters, themselves at the service of the Fake master.
    There is a parallel between the path of science, split from its holistic nature, splintered and antagonistic, and unable to speak a common language, each a pit that digs itself deeper the more it is explored, yet each pit looping itself a maze and a tunnel, tying itself into a knot, one more knot out of many, to join the many scientific knots navel gazing deep into space or deep into earth... and the path of polytheism, each path dedicated to that aforementioned master, a tunnel of deception self-looping.
    AS for religion and spirituality, there are not that different after all, nor are they necessarily separate or should they be. Spirituality is the realm of the soul and the inner, the longing and the tuning into the divine, and religion is the realm of the outer, the body, the longing put into practice. The mistake religion has made is to step forth without being led by spirituality, for it is to be its guide and its companion. Without spirituality, religion is mere dogma and veils God behind doctrines, and without religion, spirituality is mere potential and impotence.
    Po

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  4. I too agree, great piece! I do take some difference with "Po's" comment that religion and spirituality are not very different. My "religion" tells me that I must do a+b to =c. Religion often defines a very strict set of rules that are to govern me. My spirituality is my internal core that tells me that I am required to only believe that I am one with my Creator. This closeness, the Creator and his Created, bring to me that sense of well being and hope for my days. It also extends to me a humility that can only come with this realization that God/Allah has formed me, chosen me to "create". Humility brings such a self awareness that it inspires one to profound gratefulness, and that gratefulness thus inspires us to love our fellow man; God's "created". Therefore, spirituality is KEY to self reformation, and self reformation KEY to humanity's ultimate reformation.

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  5. Dear Mr. Butt,
    as an Atheist it comes to my mind that many expansionist events in history (exterminating many ethnic Groups or pushing them into small Corners) were perpetrated by followers of Monotheism (exept the Mongolian Expansion). But it also appears to me - from my emencipatory Atheist perspective - that Monotheism has this advantage: do do away with one God is easier than to do away with many!
    Regardsless of this I have respect for all People, regardsless what their Religion, who struggle for freedom, justice and equality!
    Regards
    Andreas Schlüter
    Sociologist
    Berlin, Germany

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear respected Andreas Schlüter, I am unable to satisfy you because there is no way I can show you what I see in front of my eyes in the bright sunshine. It is because you have yourself told me that you are wearing dark green glasses "as an Atheist" and you again confirmed that you look through some filter "from my emencipatory Atheist perspective " .
      The above article is not for those who cannot take off their coloured glasses to see things as they appear naturally. The article is for people who are pure truth seekers, finding fact without presuppositions, presumptions, dogmas, blind-faiths. It is focussed for those who are confident enough to depend on their own mind, experiences, observations to make their own personal conclusions independently at every stage of an investigation and thus take paths to new discoveries, exposing old widespread falsehoods by going wherever evidence and reason leads to.
      The above article investigates the topic purely rationally based on available and observable evidences and is critical to the most published versions being widely propagated by the mainstream academia and almost all theologians of almost all religions.

      Delete

  6. Notes on "How Monotheism Is the Mother of All Human Progress "
    By
    Dr. Ehsan Butt

    I greatly appreciated reading this article, as it encapsulates many of my ideas which I have never shared. The issue of Monotheism is so ingrained in our system, as was observed by Dr.Butt, “Monotheism seems to be such a natural intrinsic idea that it's clear and consistent denial has never been observed.”
    Your co-respondent should point out that my studies have been mostly Judeo-Christian teachings and Holy Scripture. On one thing I do know the Qur'an and the Bible agree: there is only one God. Regardless of His name or title, only one exists.

    MONOTHEISM IN THE FAITHFUL
    One matter that I think deserves more emphasis is the people of faith who consider themselves to be in accordance with the first Commandment of Moses, but in practice”worship” the Bible, the Christ, the Church or even a popular religious leader before their God. Many can be seen projecting prayers and worship upon a crucifix, rosary, religious icon, site or relic. I don't know if this occurs in Islam, but from what I have read, it seems to occur as well.
    Often I have heard it suggested That in the First Book of Moses in the Pentateuch, God created man in His own image, and ever since, man has been trying to return the favor. In many prominent sectors of the Church, demagoguery and power have replaced righteousness and service.

    Secular gods
    As with their "unchurched" brethren, people of faith may also be distracted by secular gods. Their devotion to distractions as sports teams, cars, family and, most prominently, money, abound
    in, as well as out of the Church.1


    Monotheism Is A Thing
    For those who recognise the awesome majesty and infinite authority of the one, true God, some of these attempts to redefine who God is (I now believe in predestination) seem the
    And ye my flock, the flock of my pasturelast word in facile. God, as usual, gets the last word.

    And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD .
    Ezekiel 14:31


    Louis Woodall
    Santa Rosa, CA
    August 7, 2016






    I feel that the graphic of a $100US bill was appropriate, especially considering Dr Benjamin Franklin's attitude toward the Church.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Abraham, "discovered monotheism based on his rational analysis of the observations evident in nature."
    As with Catholicism, Christianity,Judaism, Buddhism and any other religion, Islam, as it is taught, believes it is monotheistic and should be The Only One. The answers to nature and humanity "establishing fairness, equality, indiscriminate rule of law, justice and equal rights, privileges and responsibilities becomes rational and voluntarily acceptable.." only when All recognize nature itself as the Supreme being, not God, or Allah, or Buddha, etc. as these are many made deities borne out of idolatry for another human. That, in itself, is the theory of polytheism. So as I may agree with your premise of the paper, I do not agree with the examples you set forth throughout, in reference(idolatry) to Islam being the "Monotheistic Way", in my own words. Every religion is beautiful, harmonious,righteous, demanding and judgmental, all at once. Nature itself never judges, it just gives and takes with no care as to what color, creed, religion or gender loves in its presence. So, maybe, instead of looking to God, Allah or other deity to be the monotheistic way to salvation for all, we might all discern salvation, harmony and peace in the simplistic form of celebrating the land, seas and all nature has in store, such as the Indians did before the Puritans and their judgemental God purged the land and allowed others with different judgemental deities to follow to inhabit a land that was pure and holy in its own right.

    ReplyDelete