Monotheism

Is monotheism inherently intolerant?

This position was argued for yesterday by an emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of Toledo. The intent of my blog isn't to discuss that presentation directly; but rather to help articulate some thoughts I had after that presentation.

First, it might seem initially difficult to talk about all monotheists in the world, right?
Well, I don't think so. One might be tempted to argue that talk about all monotheists is to speak about a stereotype, or generalization...yet the question posed isn't talking about monotheists at all. Rather about the term, monotheism. Is it a generalization to talk about "Football" or "Empiricism" or "Physics"? I think clearly that it is not. However, as we all know talk of these three subjects might involve serious limitations. I cannot speak that intelligbly about all football without qualifying the subject into - minimally- American and International varieties. All I can work with in such a large term, would be what is contained within that term.

How then can I define Monotheism? Well, I'll state that
Monotheism believes in a single god.
Can I answer the initial question? No...not without a greater picture or worldview. I mean, if your belief is simply in the divinity of yourself...then there is one god...you! Or if your belief is that a god is the only thing worth pursuing in life AND money is that thing, then your monotheistic god is money.

But are these what we mean by monotheism? Clearly not. The "Theistic" tradition of god, is almost universally shorthand for a belief in a god that is both 1) all-powerful and 2) all-knowing and also (most of the time) all-good. These traits tend to be associated with the idea that this single god is a First Cause (or an un-caused beginning to existence). This understanding stems from the Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). This understanding of monotheism can help us clarify what is meant by the definition.

Monotheism (in the western Abrahamic tradition) is the belief in one First Cause; or all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good god. Can we now begin to question whether monotheism is intolerant? ALMOST. It's at this point that I want to assert a claim that is clearly questionable.
This claim is that an Abrahamic monotheism necessarily implies a form of Cognitive Realism or Absolutism. That is, this idea begs an understanding of the world that affirms the Law of the Excluded Middle. (It begs this through its reliance on a principle of sufficient reason, that itself is imbedded with the law of the excluded middle) That is, a proposition is either true or false. For example, it is the case that either it is raining or not raining. Or it is false that it will be the case that it will both rain, and not rain. P or Not-P Dude.
---This claim is contentious, I make it on the assumption that the Monotheistic intellectual figures I have read most commonly work from this background, but as I am not a scholar of the intellectual history of all monotheists, I am prepared to be shown research here. But---the other method of perspective, that truth is many - while possible in the views of Martin Buber or Paul Tillich, is NOT the common-sense intuition of most individuals. Most people will tell me, that there is a true fact of the world, and what I need to do is understand it. For that matter, most scientific atheists or agnostics would also assert this. Logical traditions have formed to argue this point, but let's face it...the law of the excluded middle is pretty darn useful.

So, if we accept the law of the excluded middle AND that monotheism is about the belief in a single god -> can we begin to talk about intolerance. Oh hell yes!

Any time one affirms that truth is singular (not many)...AND one asserts that they know this truth -> there is a necessary entailment that the other is wrong. Come again?

Joe Monotheist: Truth is singular and I know what it is!
Implies that John Atheist is wrong...that Jason Polytheist is wrong...etc...

This is a necessary implication, we cannot conceive of a world where the law of the excluded middle holds.

Does this mean that Joe Monotheist is, himself, intolerant? Of course not. Joe might want to be as tolerant as possible, but unfortunatly his belief structure is being intolerant, in spite of him!