Hello Patrick, my reasons for being polytheist are many and can seem quite recondite to those unfamiliar with polytheist thinkers. So, I’ll stay away from the more philosophical stuff.
Instead, let’s start simple by considering the claim “there is only one God.” On its face, this claim treats “God” like a nature or essence that only one has. But, part of being divine is lacking things like natures and essences. So, on its face, monotheism is a misunderstanding of divinity.
In the end, monotheism either ends up being a misunderstanding of divinity, or a claim that in no way contradicts polytheism.
Interesting
But as you shared, you are speaking of many gods each with their own SEPERATE Nature. NOT so for our GOD.
Catholics & Christians treat God as a “who” and one WHO has a “spiritual essence” John 4:23-24] and a Perfect Divine Nature. [Rev 1:8] Jesus who is a part of the Triune Godhead [one NATURE; which each of them have in its entirety & 3 Divine Persons" alone has two perfect natures; Human nature & His Always present Divine Nature…This is a mystery
Because space is limited here on CAF I will be more brief than I’d like to be
From the Genesis; Chapter 1, verses 26 & 27 &, John 4:23-24
The universe exist for 2 reasons: 1 that God could be “discovered” through its existence & complexity 2 That God would be glorified as the creator & sustainer of it.
So My God created the entire Universe. The Universe is far too Vast; Complex & well-Ordered, for there to have been more than a single source for its existence. My God did this so that his created humanity; who alone in the entire Universe of Billions of stars, galaxies and planets would be enabled to discern this reality. Unique also In the Universe is planet earth; the only one that can be scientifically proven [not thought to be; but is] able to support the life forms that we are aware of. Literally one out of Billions. That too is a critical part of MY God’s design and hopes and expectations for humanity.
On planet earth with its Many Millions of things; including an uncounted number of “living things”; again, only one of them is able to love or hate. & is able to make complex things out of less complex things. Our computers for example. That one “thing” is humanity; you and me. Nothing exist that is more perfect; more complex; more evidently God “created” than is humanity. And only man is able to logically discover and find God through the Universe that He created [a term meaning: “to make something out of nothing] for THAT very purpose.
The Universe is created so that man alone is able to discover God from the Majesty of size, Complexity Well-Ordered arrangement, [as in commanded; not even remotely possible as an accident or for that matter as a Big Bang. Where did the stuff that went BANG originate?]
In order for man to be able to discover God in Creation; in able for man to be able to freely choose to love and to hate; and in order for man to be “creative” requires certain attributes; God-like attributes to be exact. Keep in mind here that we have already described God as “Spirit & Truth.”
God gives to every human person:
A mind [not meaning here one’s brain]
A Intellect [not referencing one’s “I.Q.”
And a Freewill
Each of these attributes is attached to man’s Soul; which for now we will describe as “that which animates ALL Life forms”. That said; there exist a hierarchy of order for all living things; of complexity and worthiness. Man is the pinnacle; the summit of that Order.
Now before we apply the GOD TEST here; I’d like to speak briefly about man’s bodily existence and what happens when we die. To do so, we once again return to the Book of Genesis: Chapter 3; verse #8
Gen. 3: 8 “19 “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
So here we are told what most of us already know. When the human body dies it decomposes and returns to dust. Now we ask the obvious [at least to me] question. Does this mean that there is no After-Life?” Is that too just a myth?
Here’s how man emulates God; here’s how we can establish without the slightest doubt, by applying logic [another thing only man can do] that “God” has to exist.
The attributes that God gives to humanity: mind, intellect, freewill and Soul; like our God are all “Spiritual Realities.” Really??? You say.
If you doubt this; then quantify for me your “freewill.” What is its weight, shape, size and color?And just where exactly in the body is it contained? This can’t be done; yet any one foolish enough to disclaim the reality of man’s freewill; is at best completely illogical. Man’s freewill, intellect, and mind are permanently attached to our Souls; this “package” I have come to call “our Other-self.” And it is this after death Spiritual- package that our human body choices choose for us: Either Eternal Hell or Eternal Heaven. And yes; like our God our Other-Self is immortal; it cannot be killed and it never dies.
So I have, I pray, proven logically and biblically the existence of God. Physical things can come from a variety of other physical things; BUT the Spiritual reality of man’s “Other-self” can only come in emulation from another “Spiritual Reality”. It is the reality that we choose to call [as commanded by the First Commandment] “our God
As awesome as is the Universe that God created so that man, using logic and the powers of observation might discover Him; even more amazing is the other side of the coin called “The Natural Laws”, which are the Moral Laws written upon men’s hearts and embedded in their minds, so that man could discover goodness. It is this innate inner sense of goodness in all men that makes most evident the reality of God and goodness whose souse is God. Man’s Freewill however at times over shadows it. That too is evidence of God.
GBY
For what it’s worth, polytheist thinkers have always been staunch defenders of our immortality.