(June 17, 2015 at 6:19 pm)Randy Carson Wrote: So, if I understand correctly, the Jewish people went from believing in a variety of Gods to believing in a single God. This move to monotheisim took a long time and required quite a bit of effort, apparently, on the part of Yahweh due to the heavy influences of their own past and the interactions with the polytheistic nations around them. Although the Israelites were not always faithful to Yahweh, once they finally embraced God who had revealed himself to them, their relationship with God made Israel unique among the nations.
In short, the one true God formed a people with whom He covenanted Himself in preparation for the sending of His own Son into the world.
Is there something more you want to draw from Israel's history than that?
Effort?
Planning by the rulers, Id say.
The romans then took care to build roads and unwittingly disseminate that single-god concept. It is a simplistic concept and much better suited bring a whole people together, than the divisive polytheist one... Just look at Egypt and how many times they turned over from worshiping Amun to worshiping Ra and vice-versa! Eventually, they came up with Amun-Ra and had peace for a while!
Also, a "one true god" making a covenant with a specific people? A very localized group of people? If you can't see how limited and ungodly such behaviour is, I'm afraid you are hopeless.
And all that just to bring forth a very human-looking "son of the one true god" who would pass on his message to a few uneducated townsfolk, who would pass on his message in such a flawed manner that, 2000 years later, Israel isn't really following those teachings, most of the humanity doesn't follow them...
I wouldn't stand behind such a flawed god.
