Reply #16: That of course is according to the author. It wasn't my take. [View All]

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But I would argue that, if we are going to have any, the more gods the merrier. Note that the author says "inspire", not maintain a democracy. The democracy we have today is largely an abstract concept and becomes moreso the more monotheistic we become. The recent surge of god fearing BS has turned the country into a fascist state that faces its own destruction if things aren't turned around. Theocratic elements are asserting themselves like never before. Is this a coincidence?

If the successful democracy you talk about were true how come less than half of the eligible voters vote? They think they are in a democracy but they don't believe in it.


The democratic nature of Greece and its vibrant philosophical culture was inspired by polytheism, ditto for the Romans. The later declined as Christianity/monotheism got more power. Edward Gibbons, the seminal author on the Roman Empire and a Catholic, theorized that Christianity was a key factor in Romes decline and fall. Marvin Harris the author of "Cannibals and Kings" and "Cultural Materialism" theorized that monotheism and totalitarianism are closely associated. If you look at the Christian intensive Middle Ages you see that Feudalism, a more primitive form of Totalitarianism, was not hindered by the vise grip of the Holy Roman Empire. Monotheism is content in non-democratic environments. During the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation the spawning of new ideas were commisserate with a reduction in the grip of the Vatican.