If you look at history, polytheistic religions (for those not in the know, a polytheistic religion is one where you have an active pantheon of more than one gods and goddesses, who often symbolise and/or controls a particular part of nature) have generally remained very peaceful in their tenets and teachings. They may have gods that wage war among themselves, but an overwhelming majority of these religions don't teach/prescribe killing/destroying the unbelievers. And in cases where they do, it's generally related to a sect that worships only one god. For example, the ancient Egyptian religion does not, in any way prescribe violence against other religions. But conflicts often occurred between people and priests who believed in a single god, not the whole pantheon. So why does it happen? Why are monotheistic religions/sects of polytheistic religions more violent towards believers of other religion/sects? What are your opinions?
I think it's because they are purely based on the Nature and its variety of processes, like raining, storm, daytime, nighttime, drought, heat, etc. Those religions were meant to help people cope with their understanding of places where they used to live, as there was no scientific proof at that time. They literally prayed to the Sun to give them some warmth during cold times. Monotheistic religions, instead, are more about the political power. So, that's why they are kind of more violent.
I definitely agree that it has a lot to do with what those religions focus on. When your whole religion is based on one god and the belief that they are all powerful and control everything, what's being taught is that they are right and anything against them is wrong. Other religions teach that because of the multiple gods, the Earth, everything around us, etc. we are who we are. They don't teach so much that one thing is all powerful and in charge.
Peace and argument are generally at odds. Peace and communication are generally symbiotic. If you look to polytheism, most of these are about communication because of understanding, whereas monotheism points to 1 inarguable point, rather than multiple perspectives.
Polytheistic religions weren't more peaceful. It's just that at that time when a kingdom went to war victory meant their gods were more powerful than the gods of the people who'd been defeated and the survivors would choose either to worship the old gods who couldn't protect or the new gods. Nonetheless I believe people who worship many gods are more open-minded. They know that there might be other gods besides the ones they worship.
I don't think that holds true throughout history. Look at the Greeks and the Romans. They weren't generally peaceful people. Look at the Mongolians they weren't generally peaceful. The Vikings were not necessarily a peaceful people.
I think you don't understand what I'm trying to say. Sure, the Romans, Greeks and Mongolians had committed heinous acts of atrocities in their time, as had Christians and Muslims. But what separates these acts is that the former people didn't justify their actions with their religion, which the latter did. The Romans went to war not with the slogan, "They follow a false god, kill them!" but "We will uild the greatest empire in the whole world!" Also, interestingly, the Greeks and Romans, though they conquered lands and enslaved people, they, for the most part, left the religious freedom of the conquered people alone, and didn't force their own pantheon down other's throat, which, unfortunately was/is kind of the main objective of the religious wars like the Crusade, or the Jihad.
