On Democracy in a Non Monotheistic Religion

[Zor]

This is something i was thinking about when i looked into European History and on the Emergence of Democracy. It is a purely sociological hypothetical.

Lets say that in an alternate timeline about two thousand years ago, a certain very prominent Abrahanmitic figure in what in OTL is the State of Isreal is not born/becomes someone completly forgettable historically/was mugged/whatever and the Faith of Christianity does not emerge, nor does it's offshoot known as Islam. Despite the roman empire falls by 500 in much the same way and fuedalism starts up on time. The Jews get expelled and scattered across the world on shedual, but don't face the Religious Antisemitism as they live in a society mostly dominanted by polytheistic faiths. However, in a couple of european societies somewere in western Europe, a conflict between the Nobles and the Kings leads to the creation of basic constitutions in the 11th-13th century period that protect them from abitrary arrests and punishments. Through lawyering, renewed intellectualism in a resurgence of Civilization, Classicalism and sucsessional conflicts with monarchs seeking to gain support from the people, this gradually trickles down the social latter and gradually evolves into Constitutional Monarchism, parliamentarism and Republicanism.

The Big diference is this, there is not the level of religious conflicts, No hostile Prodestants fighting Catholics each other with extremely militant faith having both sides spitting out heretic hating fanatics that desire to save souls. Diferent religions have diferent pantheons that mix together, adopting each gods and worship customs when they mix (to diferent degrees depending on the sucsess of the nations from which they come). There would be some conflicts, say having a Norse Pantheon worshiping society hating the Aztecs for their disgusting mass human sacrofices, but this is far diferent that veiwing people as evil heretics because they cut out a few Religious Rituals from Church services and translating the bible out of latin. The Jews, while existing, monothestic and not demonised to the same degree are not agressive converters either join up with whatever society or form tightly knit comunities outside the mainstream. In such a world, because religious conflicts would be at a much lower level, there would be less incentive for to write in Religious Freedoms and seperation of church and state into the constitutions, especially early on. How would Polytheism affect the development of a modern democratic society diferently than monotheistic religion affected our history?

Zor

[Johonebesus]

Polytheists don't have to be tolerant. There have been lots of violent Hindu fundamentalists. Legal persecution was one reason Buddhism never really caught on in the land of it's birth. In fact at various times Buddhism was violently oppressed in both China and Japan. The Romans were tolerant of different religions because they were tolerant of other societies, not because polytheists must necessarily respect religious difference. They had no problem persecuting the Druids when they were a threat to rule, or persecuting Christians when they refused to honor the State religion. Just because you think there are a dozen true gods instead of one doesn't mean that you can't fear that your gods will be offended by folks refusing to worship them. Remember that YHWH originally said "Thou shalt hold no other gods before Me," not "thou shalt recognize the existence of no other gods."

I think it is very likely that a polytheistic Europe would have developed regional or national pantheons, and these would have been sufficient excuse for princes and priests to enforce orthodoxy and war against heretics. That's assuming another generally monotheistic cult, like Mithraism, didn't just replace Christianity.

[Elaro]

I've often considered this question, and I think that the inherently non-fascistic nature of polytheism makes it more favorable to democracy than any of the Big Three. If we didn't have the "God is with Me" and "I am but a lowly sinner, save me Jesus" mentalities, would we have a semi-willingly oppressed lower class?

[Kihmbar]

Lets say that in an alternate timeline about two thousand years ago, a certain very prominent Abrahanmitic figure in what in OTL is the State of Isreal is not born/becomes someone completly forgettable historically/was mugged/whatever and the Faith of Christianity does not emerge, nor does it's offshoot known as Islam.

Just to clarify the question: Are we looking at the absence of Abram/Abraham (~6000 years ago)? Or are we looking at the absence of Jesus of Nazareth (~2000 years ago)? Both are prominent Abrahamic figures (Jesus was a decendant of Abraham as outlined in the beginning of NTL).

I believe your intention (please correct me if I am mistaken) was to eliminate Judism, Christianity and Islam from world history - then look at how a democracy would form without these monotheistic religions. If this is the case (and I'm just reading too much into it), I agree with Johonebesus:

I think it is very likely that a polytheistic Europe would have developed regional or national pantheons, and these would have been sufficient excuse for princes and priests to enforce orthodoxy and war against heretics. That's assuming another generally monotheistic cult, like Mithraism, didn't just replace Christianity.

This being the case, I think religions freedom would still be a major issue and worthy of inclusion in legal documents (ie. we would still have freedom of religion and separation of church and state).

[Rye]

I've often considered this question, and I think that the inherently non-fascistic nature of polytheism makes it more favorable to democracy than any of the Big Three. If we didn't have the "God is with Me" and "I am but a lowly sinner, save me Jesus" mentalities, would we have a semi-willingly oppressed lower class?

Yes. They're called "untouchables" in hindu society.

[Battlehymn Republic]

I've often considered this question, and I think that the inherently non-fascistic nature of polytheism makes it more favorable to democracy than any of the Big Three. If we didn't have the "God is with Me" and "I am but a lowly sinner, save me Jesus" mentalities, would we have a semi-willingly oppressed lower class?

Are you really sure that polytheism is inherently non-fascist? There are many types of polytheism and many polytheist faiths.

Hell, didn't the Spartans worship the Greek gods?

[Ma Deuce]

I've often considered this question, and I think that the inherently non-fascistic nature of polytheism makes it more favorable to democracy than any of the Big Three

Actually, in terms of adherents, the third member of the Big Three is not Judaism, but Hinduism (Judaism is something like 10th place, just behind Sikhism).

[Zor]

Lets say that in an alternate timeline about two thousand years ago, a certain very prominent Abrahanmitic figure in what in OTL is the State of Isreal is not born/becomes someone completly forgettable historically/was mugged/whatever and the Faith of Christianity does not emerge, nor does it's offshoot known as Islam.

Just to clarify the question: Are we looking at the absence of Abram/Abraham (~6000 years ago)? Or are we looking at the absence of Jesus of Nazareth (~2000 years ago)? Both are prominent Abrahamic figures (Jesus was a decendant of Abraham as outlined in the beginning of NTL).

I believe your intention (please correct me if I am mistaken) was to eliminate Judism, Christianity and Islam from world history - then look at how a democracy would form without these monotheistic religions.

Judaism still exists. I said so explicitly twice in the OP.

Zor

[Stark]

Yes. They're called "untouchables" in hindu society.

Isn't that a result of the rigid caste structure (indirectly reincarnation), NOT the polytheism? Polytheists don't have to have such retarded caste systems.

[Rye]

Yes. They're called "untouchables" in hindu society.

Isn't that a result of the rigid caste structure (indirectly reincarnation), NOT the polytheism? Polytheists don't have to have such retarded caste systems.

Fair point. I meant that they crop up in polytheistic societies, modern and old, which isn't quite the right response to the question asked; would there be one, which is more "maybe, if..." rather than outright "yes."