Why are basically all monotheistic religions ones that have a male god?

Early Religions Thought to Express Proto-Monotheistic Systems around 4,000 years ago

Single God Religions (Monotheism) = “Man-o-theism” started around 4,000 years ago with the Great Sky Spirit/God Tiān (天)?

The broader definition of monotheism characterizes the traditions of Bábism, the Bahá’í Faith, Balinese Hinduism, Cao Dai (Caodaiism), Cheondoism (Cheondogyo), Christianity, Deism, Eckankar, Hindu sects such as Shaivism and Vaishnavism, Islam, Judaism, Mandaeism, Rastafari, Seicho no Ie, Sikhism, Tengrism (Tangrism), Tenrikyo (Tenriism), Yazidism, and Zoroastrianism, and elements of pre-monotheistic thought are found in early religions such as Atenism, ancient Chinese religion, and Yahwism. ref 

Why are basically all monotheistic religions ones that have a male god?   

Expressions of the GOD term?

God may be primarily a male term, as opposed to goddess, but GOD may be conceived as genderless, bigender, or alternatively as either male or female at different times or levels.

AI Overview:

 God can be conceived as genderless, bigender, or as either male or female, depending on the religious or philosophical perspective. Many traditions, like Islam and some interpretations of Christianity and Judaism, view God as transcending gender entirely. However, in other views, God is described with a mix of male and female imagery or is even conceived as both.

Genderless

Many traditions, such as Islam, hold that God (Allah) is beyond gender, as gender is a physical attribute God does not possess. In Christianity, some theologians state that God is neither male nor female and transcends all such categories, a view supported by teachings like the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Some interpretations of Judaism also hold that, despite masculine grammatical forms in the Torah, God has no sex.

Alternatively, male or female: fluid?

In Christianity, God is referred to using masculine language and pronouns, a practice linked to the incarnation of Jesus. Even in traditions that maintain God is genderless, the divine is sometimes referred to using feminine imagery, such as God being described as a mother hen or a woman in labor.

Bigender

In Hinduism, some traditions conceive of God as being bigender (both male and female). The deity Ardhanarīśvara is a well-known example, representing a form that is half-male and half-female.

AI overview of “king as male” and “monotheism as male”

The association of “king as male” and “monotheism as male” reflects historical and social structures where both secular and sacred authority have traditionally been depicted as male. These concepts are connected through patriarchal societies that have shaped both political and religious thought.

King as male, Traditional monarchy:

Historically, a “king” is a male monarch who inherits power or is chosen to rule a country, a kingdom, or a tribe. In patrilineal societies, this title and power typically pass down through male members of the family.

Masculine archetypes:

In psychological and mythological contexts, the “king” archetype represents mature masculine energy. This includes embodying wisdom, responsibility, and the defense of order.

Exceptions and changes:

While male monarchs have historically dominated, there are many examples of female monarchs, or queens regnant, who have wielded power. Modern constitutional monarchies have increasingly moved toward gender-neutral succession laws.

Monotheism as male Anthropomorphism:

In many monotheistic religions, such as Judaism and Christianity, God is described using anthropomorphic terms, including male pronouns and masculine imagery like “God the Father”. The societies that created these texts were patriarchal, and this influenced their religious beliefs.

Theological challenges:

This male anthropomorphism presents a theological dilemma, particularly in a religion where God has no female counterpart in the divine pantheon. This can lead to contradictions regarding the nature of masculinity and divinity.

Transcendent nature of God:

Islamic theology and some Christian traditions emphasize that God transcends gender. The use of male pronouns, such as “Huwa” (He) in Arabic, is often explained as a linguistic convention rather than a literal gender assignment. 

Impact on gender roles:

Critics, including feminist theologians, argue that a male image of God has significant implications for how women are viewed within religious traditions. This can reinforce patriarchal social structures, influence gender roles, and contribute to restrictions on women in leadership.

AI Overview: Monotheism and the State

Monotheism has a complex relationship with the state, as it can foster political and social stability by concentrating authority, but also lead to conflict by promoting a single truth and demanding submission to a higher power.

Historically, this has enabled the development of theocracies, where religious and political power merge, as a single God can legitimize a single ruler or government more effectively than a polytheistic system. Conversely, the emphasis on a universal, absolute truth can be divisive, creating an “us vs. them” dynamic between the faithful and those outside the religion, which can lead to intolerance and antagonism.

AI Overview: Divine Right of Kings and a Male god (Monotheism) 

The divine right of kings was closely tied to sexism because both theories used patriarchal ideologies to justify a rigid, male-dominated power structure. The belief that kings were divinely appointed reinforced the idea of a male head of state, while biblical interpretations, such as the creation of Eve as a helper for Adam and the requirement for wives to submit to their husbands, were used to claim male authority in both political and social spheres. This often resulted in the exclusion of women from positions of power and control, even though a female monarch’s rule could be justified under the same divine right, as seen with Queen Elizabeth I.

 The “divine right of kings” is a political-religious doctrine asserting that a monarch’s right to rule comes directly from God, not from the people, and that the king is accountable only to God. In systems where God is traditionally depicted as a male figure, this theory gives the king a divine male authority on Earth, similar to how a father has authority within a family. Therefore, a male king’s authority was seen as a reflection of a divine male authority, making any challenge to the king a challenge to God.

The “divine right of kings” Key concepts

God-granted authority: Kings were believed to be appointed by God to rule.

Justification of male authority

Theology: The divine right theory was supported by certain theological interpretations that positioned men as superior to women. Arguments included Adam being created before Eve, Eve being created as a helper, and the biblical instruction for wives to submit to their husbands.

Power structure: The theory asserted that God appointed the king to rule, a role most often filled by men. This patriarchal model was then extended to family and society, where men were seen as the rightful heads of households and therefore the natural leaders in all aspects of life.

Exclusion from power: The patriarchal framework often excluded women from political leadership. Male monarchs were seen as the natural and divinely appointed rulers, while a female monarch was often an anomaly.

Ambiguous status: Women’s roles were often ambiguous. In some interpretations, female rulers could be viewed as subverting the natural order, as in the play Macbeth, where Lady Macbeth’s actions are seen as a perversion of nature.

Biblical examples: Passages from the Bible, such as 1 Corinthians 11:7-9 and Ephesians 5:22–24, were used to justify male leadership and female submission, reinforcing the idea that women were created to be subservient to men.

Divine right and religious sexism

God as a patriarchal figure: The doctrine is built on a Judeo-Christian framework where God is often depicted as a father figure who appoints male rulers. This reinforces a patriarchal view of authority originating from a male source.

 Male monarch as God’s representative: The king is portrayed as God’s representative on Earth, an earthly mirror of divine authority. Since God is presented as the ultimate male authority, his chosen king is also a male figure with absolute power.

Justification for male-dominated power: By claiming that a monarch’s authority came directly from God, the doctrine removed any earthly checks on power, such as the will of the people or parliament. This inherently supported the idea that a male ruler should hold absolute control, as his power was seen as divinely sanctioned, and therefore, not to be challenged by anyone—especially not by those of lesser status.

The father-of-the-country analogy: Some proponents argued that just as God is the father of the universe, the king is the father of his country. This further embeds the patriarchal structure by equating the king’s role with that of a father, reinforcing the idea that he has absolute authority over his “family” (the state).

Impact on society

Patriarchy: The divine right of kings contributed to the perpetuation of patriarchy, a system where men hold power and women are largely excluded from it.

Social hierarchy: The divine right model reinforced a rigid social hierarchy in which a man’s authority in both government and family was seen as divinely ordained and unquestionable.

Control over women: The justification for male authority in government and religion was also used to assert control over women in their social and domestic lives.

Divine representation: Kings were considered God’s representatives on Earth.

No accountability to people: Monarchs were not accountable to earthly powers, such as the people or parliaments, and could not be deposed by them. Rebellion is a sin: Challenging the king was seen as equivalent to rebelling against God’s will.

Responsibility to God: The king had a duty to govern justly, and God would hold him accountable for his actions.

Examples

The Bible, particularly Romans 13, was used to support the idea that all authority comes from God.

Ancient cultures, such as the Mesopotamians and Egyptians, also had concepts of divine kingship where rulers claimed descent from deities or were considered gods.

In Europe, monarchs like those in England and France used this theory to justify absolute rule from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. The theory was challenged by thinkers like John Locke, who promoted the idea of a social contract between the ruler and the ruled.

AI Overview: Mandate of Heaven and a Male god

Mandate of Heaven is a Chinese political ideology where a male emperor, the “Son of Heaven,” receives his right to rule from Heaven, which is considered a male god or supreme power. If the ruler becomes corrupt or loses the support of the people, it is believed he has lost the mandate, which is often signaled by natural disasters like floods or famine.

This concept was used to legitimize the rule of dynasties and the right to revolt against a ruler who was no longer fit to govern. The Mandate of Heaven is a Chinese political philosophy that justified the rule of the emperor, but it was deeply connected to and reinforced the sexism and patriarchal norms of traditional Chinese society.

Role in governance Legitimacy: The Emperor’s power was believed to come from Heaven, giving him a divine right to rule and legitimizing his position.

Son of Heaven: The ruler was considered the “Son of Heaven” and the supreme universal monarch.

Moral responsibility: The emperor’s right to rule was conditional on his virtue and ability to govern justly. He was responsible for the well-being of his people.

Loss of mandate: A ruler could lose the mandate for being unfit. This was often indicated by signs of Heaven’s displeasure, such as natural disasters, peasant uprisings, or foreign invasions. 

 Connection to male god Tian (Heaven): In Chinese philosophy, Heaven (\(Tian\)) is the supreme entity from which the mandate originates. While not always depicted as a personified male god, it functions as the supreme, masculine-coded divine authority.

 Son of Heaven: The ruler, or “Son of Heaven,” was a male figure who was seen as the intermediary between Heaven and the people. 

The emperor as the son of Heaven: As the “Son of Heaven,” the male emperor was the sole link between the cosmic order and the earthly realm. This belief elevated the male ruler to a sacred, almost divine status, which directly supported a patriarchal system.

The correlation with sexism

The Mandate of Heaven intertwined with other philosophies like Confucianism to establish a patriarchal social order where men’s dominance was seen as natural and divinely ordained.

Yin-Yang and gender roles

Correlative sexism: The cosmological principle of yin-yang, which describes complementary opposites, was used to justify a hierarchical, sexist social structure.

Male and female roles: Yang was associated with masculinity, strength, and leadership, while yin was associated with femininity, weakness, and subservience.

Justifying oppression: Later interpretations of these ideas, particularly by influential thinkers like Dong Zhongshu during the Han dynasty, solidified a patriarchal viewpoint. They presented women as naturally subservient, rationalizing their oppression through an ostensibly “natural” ordering of the universe.

 Absence of female rulers

 Reinforced male authority: The Mandate of Heaven was exclusively tied to the male emperor. A female empress or ruler would have been an anomaly that challenged the core assumption of a male-dominated cosmic and social order.

Limited power for women: While some women wielded influence within the home, they were excluded from wielding legitimate, public political power. Their domestic authority existed within a system that upheld male control over the external world.

Erosion of female status

Perpetuated inequality: Over time, the fusion of Confucian ideas with the Mandate of Heaven and Yin-Yang principles led to increasingly rigid and oppressive views of women’s roles.

Emphasis on chastity and compliance: The virtues for women were different from those for men, often emphasizing chastity and compliance. These values were reinforced by a system that defined a woman’s honor and status through her subordination to male figures.

My updated thoughts on the Evolution of Gods? 

Animal protector tutelary deities at least 13,000/12,000 years ago, from old totems/spirit animal beliefs (tutelary animal spirits as protectors are at least 30,000 years old, as seen with dogs or dog-like animals) come first to me. Next, human sky/star/constellation deities focused representation on life-size or large nude male statues 11,000/10,000 years ago (Sky Father?), as well as small female figurines and female animal statues (Sky Mother?). Then, males (Hunter/Hurder) seem to lose some importance (Agriculture reliance may explain why), and the rise of Earth Mother (Gatherer becomes more important/powerful) female goddesses develop and are in control around 8,000 years ago. Women as the main power did not last long. Then male gods came roaring back about 7,000 to 5,000 years ago with clan wars. The “male god” seems to have forcefully become prominent/dominant around 7,000 years ago (Supreme Gods?). The “King of the Gods” idea likely is from the time of priest-kings 6,000 years ago. Whereas the now favored monotheism “male god” is more like after 4,000 years ago or so. Moralistic gods seem to relate to around 5,000/4,000 years ago, and monotheistic gods are last at around 4,000/3,000 years ago. Many monotheism-themed religions started in henotheism, emerging out of polytheism/paganism.

Gods?

“Animism” is needed to begin supernatural thinking.

“Totemism” is needed for supernatural thinking connecting human actions & related to clan/tribe.

“Shamanism” is needed for supernatural thinking to be controllable/changeable by special persons.

Together = Gods/paganism

Gods, like religions in general, are cultural products. To me, high gods, like “Sky Father” (Sun or Blue Sky usually, or Storm deities on the deity’s “dark side” like Yin and Yang) or “Sky Mother” (Moon or Stars) myths beliefs are at 39% when tested, in hunter-gatherers the world over.

The Evolution of Deities was not a one-and-done? 

To me, the God of Sky, relating to stars 12,000 to 11,000 years ago, is older than the sun god of the sky 10,000 to maybe 11,000 years ago, but 10,000 seems more evident. Likewise, to me, the Mother Goddess of the sky was first 10,000 to maybe 11,000 years ago. All in the Middle East. Then, around 9,000 to 8,000, seemingly more evident 8,000 years ago, is the Earth Goddesses, also from the Middle East, likely once the Dawn goddesses or another goddess of the sky, possibly the night. Who dies in the childbirth of the Twins and by going to the underworld, is associated with the earth? Or is believed to live in the Earth at night, making her an Earth Goddess. These ideas were spread in several different ways, which impacted the entire world both directly and indirectly. It involved several different languages and DNA moving in different directions at various times. It is complicated and moving in different ways, even back and forth with different ideas moving both back and forth, especially in and out of the Middle East and Siberia.

Around 10,000 years ago, ideas went into Africa. Around 10,000 to 9,000 years ago, these ideas from the Middle East were in Siberia then moved to China and to the Americas by around 9,000 years ago. Religious ideas also left the Middle East from 9,000 to 8,000 years ago to Europe. Around 8,000 years ago, new ideas got to Ukraine but didn’t spread far. From 8,000 to 7,000 years ago, ideas again entered Africa with evolved beliefs from the Middle East. By 7,000 years ago, evolved deities from the Middle East moved again to Europe and Ukraine. And 7,000 years ago, the Siberian sun god of the sky, with a warrior culture, armed forts, and pre-kurgans, moved from Siberia to Ukraine and then returned to the Middle East around 6,000 years ago, influencing the Sumerian religious ideas. 6,000 to 5,000 years ago, these new Siberian influenced ideas from the Middle East were also in Africa. Then new evolved ideas moved back out of from Ukraine to the East by 5,500 to 5,000 years ago to Siberia, then China, and the Americas. Ideas from Ukraine went into Europe as well. Then, 5,000 to 4,000 years ago, the new ideas, now somewhat evolved again, from Siberia headed back to Europe, and so did ideas from the Middle East. ETC. This is just a rough outline to grasp some of the details, as I feel I understand them. There is a bit more, but this gives a good idea of how complicated it was.

AI Overview: Monotheism and God Tiān

The relationship between the Chinese deity Tiān (Heaven) and monotheism is complex, with some scholars identifying monotheistic-like trends in ancient Chinese religion, while others argue that it was never a true, exclusive monotheism. The perception of Tiān has changed significantly over time, evolving from an anthropomorphic sky god to a more impersonal cosmic principle.

Monotheism is the belief in a single God, while Tiān (天), meaning “heaven” or “sky,” is a concept in ancient Chinese religion that evolved from an impersonal power or nature to a supreme, sometimes personalized, deity. The relationship between monotheism and Tiān is complex; early Chinese thought can be seen as having a form of monotheistic-like belief with the identification of Tiān with Shangdi (上帝, the Supreme Ruler), and the term Tiān is used today in various Chinese religions as a translation for the monotheistic God of Abrahamic religions.

God Tiān

Originally, Tiān referred to the physical sky; it later evolved to represent both an impersonal force and a supreme being. During the Zhou dynasty, Tiān became closely identified with Shangdi, the supreme god of the preceding Shang dynasty. Tiān and Shangdi are often used interchangeably to refer to the singular, supreme deity in Chinese religion.

In modern usage, “Tiān” can be used as a non-religious translation for “God” in Abrahamic religions and is a common name for a universal deity. Practices such as the Annual Sacrifice to Heaven (祭天, jìtiān) at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing honor the highest deity, Huangtiān Shangdi (皇天上帝).

Tiān’s history and relation to monotheism

Early, pre-dynastic eras: Some scholars propose that ancient Chinese belief centered on a single supreme deity, Shangdi, or “Above Sovereign,” who was later associated with Tiān. Like the Hebrew God, this original concept may have represented a monotheistic high god before other traditions and deities gained prominence.

Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE): During this period, Tiān was a supreme god who governed the world, granted legitimacy to rulers via the “Mandate of Heaven” (天命, Tiānmìng), and received worship from the emperor. While Tiān was the principal deity, this system was not strictly monotheistic, as lesser deities and ancestral spirits were also worshipped.

Classical Chinese philosophy: Philosophers like Confucius and Mozi continued to view Tiān as a source of moral order and a benevolent, all-seeing being. The Mohists even approached a form of exclusive monotheism by arguing that the purpose of lesser spirits was simply to carry out Tiān’s will. However, later philosophical traditions, particularly Neo-Confucianism, focused on Tiān as an abstract, impersonal cosmic principle rather than a personified god.

Influence of Western missionaries: In the 19th and 20th centuries, some Western missionaries identified parallels between the worship of Shangdi/Tiān and the Abrahamic God. They argued that ancient Chinese texts provided evidence for an original monotheism, which they believed had degenerated over time. This view, however, is not the consensus among modern scholars.

Why Tiān is not a typical monotheistic deity

The ancient Chinese understanding of Tiān differs from the concept of God in Abrahamic religions for several key reasons:

Coexistence of other gods: Even when Tiān was worshipped as the supreme deity, it was not an exclusive practice. Ancestor worship and the veneration of local and nature spirits have always been integral to Chinese religious practice.

Transcendence versus immanence: In some interpretations, Tiān was a distant, transcendent figure who was too remote for ordinary people to worship directly. Its will was instead accessed via ancestral spirits, who acted as intermediaries. This differs from the personal, immediate relationship common in many monotheistic traditions.

Pantheistic and impersonal aspects: Over time, the concept of Tiān evolved to be less anthropomorphic and more aligned with an impersonal cosmic force or natural order. This blurred the line between theistic belief and more pantheistic or naturalistic views of the cosmos.

Fluidity of classification: Scholars note that standard Western categories like “monotheism” and “polytheism” do not neatly fit the syncretic nature of Chinese religion. As such, Tiān worship is best understood on its own terms rather than being forced into a foreign classification.

AI Overview: Bible God sitting at the Council of Gods

This concept is found in passages like Psalm 82:1, which says, “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment”. The “gods” in this context are often identified as angels or other celestial beings who serve God, who is their ultimate ruler. The Bible describes God sitting at the head of a “divine council” of other divine beings, not a council of human gods. This heavenly assembly is portrayed as a group of divine beings, sometimes called “sons of the Most High,” over which God (Yahweh) presides as the ultimate ruler and judge. The Bible states that this council is where God deliberates and makes decisions, and through which he works, with prophets sometimes gaining access to these meetings, as seen in the books of Job and Jeremiah.

Meaning of the “gods”: The “gods” in this assembly are not presented as equal to God (Yahweh). Some interpretations view them as a heavenly host or angels, while others suggest they represent lesser deities over whom God has authority.

• Psalm 82: The most direct reference, where God stands in the “assembly” and “holds judgment among the gods”. This is also where God says to these beings, “You are gods… sons of the Most High”.
• Jeremiah 23: The prophet Jeremiah is told that false prophets had not “stood in the council of Yahweh,” implying there is a divine council that holds divine truth. Job:
• In Job 15:8, Eliphaz asks Job if he has “listened in on the council of God,” showing that this was a known concept in that time.
• 1 Kings 22: This passage depicts God on his throne with a heavenly host standing around him, with some heavenly beings offering suggestions on how to proceed with earthly matters.
• Isaiah 6: The prophet Isaiah is transported to God’s throne room and sees God “seated on a throne, high and exalted,” in the midst of other heavenly beings.
• Ezekiel 1: The prophet Ezekiel also experiences a vision of God’s throne, which comes to him, and the heavenly throne room with divine beings.

Monotheism is the belief in one God, while a “council of gods” typically refers to a polytheistic structure with a pantheon of deities. However, some ancient Israelite religious views, which evolved into monotheism, conceptualized a divine council where Yahweh, the one God, presided over a heavenly assembly of divine beings. 

This council, which included lesser gods or “sons of God,” mirrored human royal courts and was used to display Yahweh’s authority rather than to suggest that He needed assistance. The ultimate shift to a monotheistic view in Israel obscured this council, declaring that Yahweh was the only true God and had destroyed the others. 

Divine council in the ancient Israelite religion 

Monolatry to monotheism: Before the sixth century BCE, Israelite religion was often considered monolatrous—worshipping one god while acknowledging the existence of others. The concept of a divine council, with Yahweh as its master, was a part of this worldview. 

Hierarchical structure: The divine council was an assembly of divine beings who served Yahweh, carrying out his will and participating in cosmic decisions. It was not an independent body, but rather a reflection of Yahweh’s supreme authority and power. 

Human-like court: The divine council was depicted as a heavenly court, similar to the royal courts familiar to the ancient Near East. 

Transition to monotheism: During the Babylonian exile, a new monotheistic understanding emerged that declared Yahweh had put the other gods to death. This event led to the obscuring of the divine council in canonical texts, although references to it persisted. 

Monotheism and the divine council 

The uniqueness of Yahweh: Even within the concept of the divine council, Yahweh was distinguished as the sovereign, all-powerful Creator God. 

Ambiguous terminology: The use of the plural term Elohim (which can mean “God” but also “gods”) to refer to both Yahweh and the members of his council has led to scholarly debate and is sometimes misinterpreted by English readers who assume the term always refers to a unique, singular deity. 

Modern perspectives: Today, many biblical scholars recognize the divine council concept as central to the understanding of ancient Israelite religion and believe it is fundamental to the biblical narrative, even though it represents a monotheistic viewpoint where other gods no longer exist or are subject to Yahweh’s judgment.

The term “monotheism” and the concept of “sons of heaven” can seem contradictory, but scholars argue that one evolved from or developed alongside the other. Many believe that the monotheistic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam arose from earlier henotheistic or monolatrous beliefs that recognized a divine hierarchy, or pantheon, in which one god was supreme.

Here’s how monotheism relates to the idea of “sons of heaven”: From a divine council to a solitary god

The ancient pantheon.

The earliest versions of what is now the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) were written in a cultural context that recognized a pantheon of gods. This is seen in passages that mention a “divine council,” where a high god presides over a gathering of lesser “sons of God,” or bənē hāʾĔlōhīm in Hebrew.

The shift to monotheism: Over time, the lesser gods of this council were demoted to the status of angels or demons within a hierarchy, with Yahweh (the God of Israel) at the very top. This created a “monarchic monotheism” where other divine beings existed but were subordinates to a single supreme being, a precursor to today’s monotheistic traditions.

Between 7,000-5,000 Years ago, rise of unequal hierarchy elite, leading to a “birth of the State” or worship of power, strong new sexism, oppression of non-elites, and the fall of Women’s equal status

Around 5,000 years ago: “Birth of the State” where Religion gets Military Power and Influence

KING OF BEASTS: Master of Animals “Ritual” Motif, around 6,000 years old or older…

Atenism, or the “Amarna heresy”, refers to the religious changes associated with the eighteenth dynasty Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, better known under his adopted name, Akhenaten. Akhetaten means “Horizon of the Aten“.  Aten or Aton, Ancient Egyptian disk of the sun that in ancient Egyptian mythology, was originally an aspect of the male god Ra.  For fifteen centuries, the Egyptians had worshiped an extended family of gods and goddesses, each of which had its own elaborate system of priests, temples, shrines and rituals. Then the deified the male god Aten became the focus of the monotheistic religion of Atenism. It was a relatively obscure sun god; without the Atenist period, it would barely have figured in Egyptian history.  During the reign of Thutmosis IV, it was identified as a distinct solar god, and his son Amenhotep III established and promoted a separate cult for the Aten. There is no evidence that Amenhotep III neglected the other gods or attempted to promote the Aten as an exclusive deity.  Amenhotep IV initially introduced Atenism in the fifth year of his reign (1348/1346 BC), raising Aten to the status of supreme god, after having initially permitted continued worship of the traditional gods.  In the ninth year of his reign (1344/1342 BC), Akhenaten declared a more radical version of his new religion, declaring Aten not merely the supreme god of the Egyptian pantheon but the only God of Egypt, with himself as the sole intermediary between the Aten and the Egyptian people.  Aten was addressed by Akhenaten in prayers, such as the Great Hymn to the Aten: “O Sole God beside whom there is none”.  ref, ref, ref

Bábism also known as the Bayání Faith is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion which professes that there is one incorporeal, unknown, and incomprehensible God who manifests his will in an unending series of theophanies, called Manifestations of God. ref 

Bahá’í Faith or Bahá’í teachings are in some ways similar to other monotheistic faiths: God is considered single and all-powerful. However, Bahá’u’lláh taught that religion is orderly and progressively revealed by one God through Manifestations of God who are the founders of major world religions throughout history; Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad being the most recent in the period before the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Baha’is believe that God periodically reveals his will through divine messengers, whose purpose is to transform the character of humankind and to develop, within those who respond, moral and spiritual qualities. Religion is thus seen as orderly, unified, and progressive from age to age. Bahá’ís regard the major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose, though varied in social practices and interpretations. Bahá’í teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image of by themselves. Therefore, human understanding of God is achieved through his revelations via his Manifestations. ref

Balinese Hinduism also called, Agama Hindu Dharma, and traditionally the religion was called by many names such as Tirta, Trimurti, Hindu, Agama Tirta, Siwa, Buda, and Siwa-Buda and overall is an amalgamation of Indian religions and indigenous animist customs that existed in Indonesian archipelago before the arrival of Islam and later Dutch colonialism. Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the Divine Oneness and supreme god (Brahman) of Balinese Hinduism. The Supreme God in traditional wayang (shadow puppet) theatre. The term Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (“God Almighty”), which although coined in the 1930s by Protestant missionaries to describe the Christian God, was thought to be well-adapted to describe the Hindu supreme deity. All gods, goddesses and existence are believed to be the manifestation of the Acintya in Balinese Hinduism. Acintya corresponds to a rather recent trend towards monism in Bali, according to which there is one supreme deity, and that all other gods are only manifestations of him. Acintya is emptiness, and considered as the origin of the Universe, all other divinities emanating from him. He is often associated to the sun god and depicted in human form with flames around him. His nakedness expresses that “his consciousness is no longer carried away by his sense-faculties”. ref

Cao Dai (Caodaiism), Cao Dai, a god in this Vietnamese religion, literally the “Highest Lord” or “Highest Power”) is the supreme deity, believed by Caodaists to have created the universe. The symbol of the faith is the Left Eye of God, representing the yang (masculine, ordaining, positive and expansive) activity of the male creator, which is balanced by the yin (âm) activity of Mother Goddess, the Queen Mother of the West (Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu, Tây Vương Mẫu), the feminine, nurturing and restorative mother of humanity. ref 

Cheondoism (Cheondogyo), is a 20th-century Korean religious ideology, based on the 19th-century Donghak religious movement founded by Ch’oe Che-u and codified under Son Pyŏng-Hi. Haneullim is the “Lord of Heaven” (from Korean “haneul” “heaven” + “nim” “lord”) venerated in the Cheondoist religion. Haneullim or Haneulnim(“Heavenly King”), also spelled Hanunim, Hwanin, also called Sangje (“Highest Deity”) also known simply as Haneul (“Heaven”) or Cheon (“Heaven”, in Sino-Korean), or Cheonsin (“God of Heaven”), is the concept of the sky God peculiar to Korean shamanism, (including Cheondoism and Jeungsanism). In some of these religions he is called Okhwang Sangje (“Highest Deity the Jade Emperor“).Hwanin – or “Divine Regent”. In the traditional Dangun mythology Hwanin is portrayed as the Emperor of Heaven himself. And Sangje“Highest Deity” in the theology of the classical texts, especially deriving from Shang theology and finding an equivalent in the later Tian (“Heaven” or “Great Whole”) of Zhou theology. Although in Chinese religion the usage of “Tian” to refer to the absolute God of the universe is predominant, “Shang-di” continues to be used in a variety of traditions, including certain philosophical schools, certain strains of Confucianism, some Chinese salvationist religions (notably Yiguandao) and Chinese Protestant Christianity. ref, ref, ref, ref, ref 

Christianity as everyone knows has a male god, seen in the belief in God the Father, Jesus Christas the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. ref

Deism derived from Latin “deus masculine (feminine dea)” meaning “god”) is the philosophical belief which posits that although God exists as the uncaused First Cause – ultimately responsible for the creation of the universe – God does not interact directly with that subsequently created world. Equivalently, deism can also be defined as the view which asserts God’s existence as the cause of all things and admits its perfection (and usually the existence of natural law and Providence) but rejects divine revelation or direct intervention of God in the universe by miracles. ref, ref

Eckankar is a religion founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. For the name of God given by Guru Nanak in the Japji, Ik Onkar. Ik Onkar is a symbol of the unity of God in Sikhism, meaning God is One or One God, also is the opening phrase of the Mul Mantar, present as opening phrase in the Guru Granth Sahib, and the first composition of Guru Nanak. Further, the Mul Mantar is also at the beginning of the Japji Sahib, followed by 38 hymns and a final Salok at the end of this composition. “One universal Creator God, Truth and eternal is the name, Creative being, Without Fear, Without Enmity, Timeless and deathless Form, Not affected by the circle of life and death – unborn , Self-Existent, He can be realized by the grace of the true and eternal Guru who has the power to enlighten us.” Eckankar is not affiliated with any other religious group. In Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, David C. Lane writes that the lineage, known as the Vairagi masters in Eckankar, allegedly traces its genealogy back through some 970 Living Eck Masters to Rama, an avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism. And in Hindu iconography, Vishnu is a malegod usually depicted as having a pale or dark blue complexion and having four arms. He holds a padma (lotus flower) in his lower left hand, Kaumodaki gada (mace) in his lower right hand, Panchajanya shankha (conch) in his upper left hand and the Sudarshana Chakra (discus) in hisupper right hand. ref, ref, ref 

Shaivism is one of the major traditions within Hinduism that reveres Shiva as the Supreme Being. It is one of the largest sects that believe Shiva and He is worshipped as a creator and destroyer of worlds — is the supreme god over all. In his fierce aspects, he is often depicted slaying demons. Shaivism has ancient roots, traceable in the Vedic literature of 2nd millennium BCE, but this is in the form of the Vedic deity Rudra in the Rig Veda. Rudra “the wild one” or “the fierce god” is referred as God of Gods and the name Rudra has been taken as a synonym for the god Shiva and the two names are used interchangeably. The earliest mentions of Rudra occur in the Rigveda, where three entire hymns are devoted to him. He is “fierce like a formidable wild beast” (RV 2.33.11). Shaivism is one of the largest traditions within Hinduism. ref, ref, ref 

Vaishnavism it considers Vishnu as the Supreme Lord. He is one of the principal deities of Hinduism, and the Supreme Being or absolute truth in its Vaishnavism tradition. His avatars most notably include Rama in the Ramayana and Krishna in the Mahabharata. He is also known as Narayana, Trilokinath, Ishtadeva, Jagannath, Vasudeva, Vithoba, and Hari. He is one of the five equivalent deities worshipped in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta Tradition of Hinduism. In Hindu iconography, Vishnu is usually depicted as having a pale or dark blue complexion and having four arms. He holds a padma (lotus flower) in his lower left hand, Kaumodaki gada (mace) in his lower right hand, Panchajanya shankha (conch) in his upper left hand and the Sudarshana Chakra(discus) in his upper right hand. ref, ref 

Islam is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, universal religion teaching that there is only one God (Allah). God (Allah) is described in chapter 112 of the Quran as: “Say, He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him” (112:1–4). ref 

Judaism is an ancient, monotheistic, Abrahamic religion with the Torah as its foundational text. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant that Godestablished with the Children of Israel. It encompasses a wide body of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization. The Torah is part of the larger text known as the Tanakh or the Hebrew Bible, and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrashand the Talmud. It evolved from ancient Israelite religions generally around 2,500 years ago. Judaism’s texts, traditions and values strongly influenced later Abrahamic religions, including Christianity, Islam and the Baha’i Faith. According to the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), God promised Abraham to make of his offspring a great nation. The Book of Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, is Judaism’s account of the creation of the world and the origins of the Jewish people. God creates a world which is good and fit for mankind, but when man corrupts it with sin God decides to destroy his creation, saving only the righteous Noah to reestablish the relationship between man and God. The Ancestral History (chapters 12–50) tells of the prehistory of Israel, in relation to God and his chosen people. ref, ref, ref 

Mandaeism or Mandaeanism “Saint John Christians” is a gnostic religion and the Mandaeans are Semites and speak a dialect of Eastern Aramaic known as Mandaic. The cosmos is created by Archetypal Man, who produces it in similitude to his own shape. Within the Middle East, but outside of their community, the Mandaeans are more commonly known as the Ṣubba (singular: Ṣubbī) or Sabians. The term Ṣubba is derived from the Aramaic root related to baptism, the neo-Mandaic is Ṣabi. In Islam, the “Sabians” are described several times in the Qur’an as People of the Book, alongside Jews and Christians. The religion has been practiced primarily around the lower Karun, Euphrates and Tigris and the rivers that surround the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, part of southern Iraq and Khuzestan Province in Iran. At the beginning of the Muslim conquest of Mesopotamia, the leader of the Mandaeans, Anush son of Danqa appeared before Muslimauthorities showing them a copy of the Ginza Rabba, the Mandaean holy book, and proclaiming the chief Mandaean prophet to be John the Baptist, who is also mentioned in the Quran. They are a very simple people and they claim to possess a secret law of God, which they preserve in beautiful books. Their writing is a sort of middle way between Syriac and Arabic. They detest Abraham because of circumcision and they venerate John the Baptist above all. They live only near a few rivers in the desert. They wash day and night so as not to be condemned by God… The earliest Mandaean religious texts suggest a more strictly dualistic theology, typical of other Iranian religions such as Zoroastrianism, Zurvanism, Manichaeism, and the teachings of Mazdak. In these texts, instead of a large pleroma, there is a discrete division between light and darkness.The ruler of darkness is called Ptahil (male similar to the Gnostic Demiurge), and the originator of the light (i.e. God) is only known as “the great first Life from the worlds of light, the sublime one that stands above all works.” When this being emanated, other spiritual beings became increasingly corrupted, and they and their ruler Ptahil created our world. The name Ptahil is suggestive of the Egyptian Ptah. Ptah is an Egyptian male creator god who existed before all other things and, by his will, thought the world into existence. The Mandaeans believe that they were resident in Egypt for a while thus in s possible that Ptah-il— could be Ptah joined to the semitic El, (or ʼil meaning male “god”). ref, ref, ref 

Rastafari or Rastafarianism is an Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. Rastas refer to their beliefs, which are based on a specific interpretation of the Bible, as “Rastalogy”. Central is a monotheistic belief in a single male God—referred to as Jah—who partially resides within each individual. This belief is reflected in the aphorism, often cited by Rastas, that “God is man and man is God”. Many Rastas regard Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia between 1930 and 1974, (He is a defining figure in contemporary Ethiopian history) as an incarnation of Jah on Earth and as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, another figure whom practitioners revere. Other Rastas regard Haile Selassie not as Jah incarnate but as a human prophet who fully recognized the inner divinity in every individual. Jah or Yah is a short form of Yahweh, the national god of the Iron Age kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah. His exact origins are disputed but is sen as the proper name of God in the Hebrew Bible. This short form of the name occurs 50 times in the text of the Hebrew Bible, of which 24 form part of the phrase “Hallelu-jah“, which is actually a two-word phrase, not one word. The short form Jah/Yah, which appears in Exodus 15:2 and 17:16, Psalm 89:9, Song of Songs 8:6, is preserved also in theophoric namessuch as Eli-jah (“my god is Jah”), Malchi-jah (“my king is Jah”), and Adoni-jah (“my lord is Jah”), etc. ref, ref, ref, ref 

Seichō no Ie (Japanese “House of Growth”), is a syncretic, monotheistic, New Thought Japanese new religion. Emphasizes gratitude for nature, the family, ancestors and, above all, religious faith in one universal God. It is a God-given prayerful meditation revealed directly to Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi when he attained spiritual enlightenment. Man cannot live by bread alone. Since he is a spiritual being even before he is a physical being, he needs spiritual food as much as, or even more than, he needs physical food. Shinsokan is that spiritual food which brings to the one who practices it, the spiritual knowledge that one is a Child of God and therefore perfect in every way. A mere intellectual understanding of this fact is not enough. The understanding must be intuitive and spiritual. We must know that God is within us with our heart, soul, and body, and Shinsokan is the way to that kind of understanding. The Seiza or formal posture is the one most highly recommended for proper alignment with the cosmic order. In this posture, we sit with legs folded beneath us, the left foot resting on the right. The left foot symbolizes fire, the masculine principle, positive polarity, and heaven. The right stands for water, the feminine principle, negative polarity, the earth. After visualizing the Kingdom of God in this manner, continue as follows: I am in the Kingdom of God of Grand Harmony, and as a child of God, I am receiving fromhim an infinite supply of his infinite life power. ref, ref 

Sikhism from Sikh, meaning a “disciple”, “seeker,” or “learner”), is a monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century. Sikhs believe in reincarnation and karma concepts found in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. However, in Sikhism both karma and liberation “is modified by the concept of God’s grace” (nadar, mehar, kirpa, karam etc.).The fundamental beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib, include faith and meditation on the name of the one creator, divine unity and equality of all humankind, engaging in selfless service, striving for justice for the benefit and prosperity of all and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder’s life. The Sikh scripture opens with Ik Onkar, its Mul Mantar and fundamental prayer about One Supreme Being (God). In Sikhism, the concept of “God” is Waheguru considered Nirankar(shapeless), akal (timeless), and Alakh Niranjan(invisible). The Sikh scripture begins with Ik Onkar, which refers to the “formless one” and understood in the Sikh tradition as monotheistic unity of God. Guru Nanak taught that living an “active, creative, and practical life” of “truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity” is above the metaphysical truth, and that the ideal man is one who “establishes union with God, knows His Will, and carries out that Will”. God in Sikhism is known as Ik Onkar, the One Supreme Reality or the all-pervading spirit claimed to have no gender in Sikhism, though translations may present it as masculine. About “Ik Onkar” Pashaura Singh states, “By beginning with ‘One,’ Guru Nanak emphasizes the singularity of the Divine. That is, the numeral ‘1’ affirms that the Supreme Being is one without a second, the source as well as the goal of all that exists. That is quite evident from the following statement: ‘My Master (Sahib) is the One. He is the One, brother, and He alone exists’ (AG 350). ref, ref 

Tengrism also known as Tengriism, Tenggerism, or Tengrianism, is a Central Asianreligioncharacterized by shamanism, animism, totemism, poly-, and monotheism, and ancestor worship. It was the prevailing religion of the Turks, Mongols, Hungarians, Bulgars, Xiongnu, and, possibly, the Huns, and the religion of the several medieval states: Göktürk Khaganate, Western Turkic Khaganate, Old Great Bulgaria, Danube Bulgaria, Volga Bulgaria and Eastern Tourkia (Khazaria). In Irk Bitig, Tengri is mentioned as Türük Tängrisi (God of Turks). The word “Tengrism” is a fairly new term. It is conventionally used to describe a form of Tengri-centered shamanism that prevailed on the Eurasian steppes mostly among early Turkic and Mongol Khanates. Tengrism differs from Siberian shamanism in that the polities practicing it were not small bands of hunter gatherers like the Paleosiberians but a continuous succession of pastoral, semi-sedentarized Khanates and empires from the Xiongnu Empire (founded 209 BC) till the Mongol Empire (13th century). On a scale of complexity Tengrism lies somewhere between the Proto-Indo-European religion (a pre-state form of pastoral shamanism on the western steppe) and its later form the Vedic religion. The eastern steppe where Tengrism developed had more centralized, hierarchical polities than the western steppe. Nonetheless, the chief male god Tengri (Heaven) is considered strikingly similar to the Indo-European sky male god *Dyeus and the structure of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European religion is closer to that of the early Turks than to the religion of any people of Near Eastern or Mediterranean antiquity. According to this scholarly reconstruction, Dyeus was known as Dyḗus Ph2tḗr, literally “sky father” or “shining father“, as reflected in Latin Iūpiter, Diēspiter, possibly Dis Pater and deus pater, Greek Zeus Pater, Vedic Dyáuṣ Pitṛ́.  The original Mongol khans, followers of Tengri, and the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, said: “We believe that there is only one God, by whom we live and by whom we die, and for whom we have an upright heart. But as God gives us the different fingers of the hand, so he gives to men diverse ways to approach him.” (“Account of the Mongols. Diary of William Rubruck”, religious debate in court documented by William of Rubruck on May 31, 1254). ref, ref, ref 

Tenrikyo (sometimes rendered as Tenriism) is a Japanese new religion which is neither strictly monotheistic nor pantheistic, originating from the teachings of a 19th-century woman named Nakayama Miki, known to her followers as Oyasama. Followers of Tenrikyo believe that God of Origin, God in Truth, known by several names including “Tsukihi,” “Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto” and “Oyagamisama (God the Parent)” revealed divine intent through Miki Nakayama as the Shrine of God and to a lesser extent the roles of the Honseki Izo Iburi and other leaders. The sacred name of the single God and creator of the entire universe in Tenrikyo is “Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto”. As we learned from the female Nakayama Miki who founded this religion, the mouth of the Foundress is not different from that of an ordinary person, but the words spoken through the lips are those of God the Parent, and it is God the Parent Himself that is speaking through the mouth of the Foundress. Her outward appearance is quite similar to that of an ordinary person, but it is the mind of Tsukj· Hi, God the Parent, that dwel ls in Her body. Therefore, the teachings which were later given through the lips, through the pen, through action, and through wonderful salvation, are the very ones directly given by God the Parent. ref, ref 

Yazidis or the Yazidi people are a mostly Kurmanji–speaking ethno-religious group, or an ethnic Kurdish minority indigenous to Iraq, Syria and Turkey who are strictly endogamous and also once had significant numbers in Armenia and Georgia. It is a monotheistic religion and has elements of ancient mesopotamian religions and some similarities with Abrahamic religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam.  Well established, however, are similarities between the Yazidis and the Yaresan or Ahl-e Haqq, some of which can be traced back to elements of an ancient faith that was probably dominant among Western Iranians and likened to practices of pre-ZoroastrianMithraic religion. Mehrdad Izady defines the Yazdanism as an ancient Hurrian religion and states that Mitanni could have introduced some of the Vedictradition that appears to be manifest in Yazdanism. The Yazidis are monotheists, believing in one God, who created the world and entrusted it into the care of a Heptad of seven Holy Beings, often known as Angels or heft sir (the Seven Mysteries). The Yazidis believe in a divine triad, like the Alawites. The original god of the Yazidis is considered to be remote and inactive in relation to his creation, except to contain and bind it together within his essence. His first emanation is Tawûsê Melek, who functions as the ruler of the world. The second hypostasis of this trinity is Sheikh Adî. The third is Sultan Ezid. These are the three hypostases of the one God. A popular Yazidi story narrates the fall of Tawûsê Melek and his subsequent rejection by humanity, with the exception of the Yazidis. The Kitêba Cilwe “Book of Illumination”, which claims to be the words of Tawûsê Melek, and which presumably represents Yazidi belief, states that he allocates responsibilities, blessings, and misfortunes as he sees fit and that it is not for the race of Adam to question him. ref

Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna, also known as Ohrmazd, is one of the world’s oldest religions that remains active. It is a monotheistic faith (i.e. a single creator God), Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), as its Supreme Being. Even though Ahura Mazda was a spirit in the Old Iranian religion, he had not yet been given the title of “uncreated spirit”. This title was given by Zoroaster, who proclaimed Ahura Mazda as the uncreated spirit, wholly wise, benevolent and good, as well as the creator and upholder of Asha (“truth”). Zoroaster stated that this source of all goodness was the only Ahura worthy of the highest worship. Zoroaster further stated that Ahura Mazda created spirits known as yazatas to aid him, who also merited devotion. Zoroaster proclaimed that all of the Iranian daevaswere bad spirits and deserved no worship. These “bad” spirits were created by Angra Mainyu, the hostile and evil spirit. The existence of Angra Mainyu was the source of all sin and misery in the universe. Zoroaster claimed that Ahura Mazda was not an omnipotent God but used the aid of humans in the cosmic struggle against Angra Mainyu. Nonetheless, Ahura Mazda is Angra Mainyu’s superior, not his equal. Angra Mainyu and his daevas (destroyers), which attempt to attract humans away from the path of truth and righteousness (asha), would eventually be destroyed. ref

The often largely forgotten Gender Fluidity in the Goddesses and Gods

“Many cultures have gods, demi-gods, and heroes with both male and female attributes. In Hindu mythology, Shiva is seduced by Vishnu’s female avatar, Mohini, giving birth to the god Shasta (Ayyappa). Shiva himself is often represented as Ardhanarishvara, an androgynous composite of Shiva and Parvati with a body that is male on the right-hand side and female on the left. Arjuna, the great warrior of the Mahabharata epic, spent a year as a woman, during which he took the name of Brihannala and taught song and dance to the princess Uttara.” ref

“The Mesopotamian Ishtar, the beautiful goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex, is sometimes represented with a beard to emphasize her more bellicose side. She could change a man into a woman, and the assinnu, kurgarru, and kuku’u who performed her cult had both male and female features. After the hero Gilgamesh rejected her offer of marriage, Ishtar unleashed the Bull of Heaven, ultimately leading to the death of Enkidu, whom Gilgamesh loved more than anyone: “Hear me, great ones of Uruk/ I weep for Enkidu, my friend/ Bitterly mourning like a woman mourning.” ref

“Hapi, the Egyptian god of the annual flooding of the Nile, brought such fertility as to be regarded by some as the father of the gods: he is generally depicted as intersex, with pendulous breasts and a ceremonial false beard. To seduce the nymph Callisto, Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, took the form of the goddess Artemis.” ref

Ten Intersex Goddesses and Gods

“Many cultures have had religions and beliefs that feature human-like gods and goddesses, most of them being specifically male or female. However, for some, creation and fertility was not always a female feature, and many concepts of nature and the universe could only be explained from a dipole perspective. Sometimes, being intersex was a result of magical or mysterious events. 1. Hermaphroditus (Greek), 2. Agdistis (Phrygian, Greek, Roman), 3.“Hapi (Egyptian), 4. Ardhanarishvara (Hindu), 5. Lan Caihe (China), 6. Ymir (Norse), 7. Ometeotl (Aztec), 8. Jehovah (Hermetic Kabbalah), 9. Phanes (Greek), and Ahsonnutli (Navaho).” ref

If you are a religious believer, may I remind you that faith in the acquisition of knowledge is not a valid method worth believing in. Because, what proof is “faith”, of anything religion claims by faith, as many people have different faith even in the same religion? 

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Paganism (beginning around 12,000 years ago)

Paganism (such as that seen in Turkey: 12,000 years ago). Gobekli Tepe: “first human-made temple” around 12,000 years ago. Sedentism and the Creation of goddesses around 12,000 years ago as well as male gods after 7,000 years ago. Pagan-Shaman burial in Israel 12,000 years ago and 12,000 – 10,000 years old Paganistic-Shamanistic Art in a Remote Cave in Egypt. Skull Cult around 11,500 to 8,400 Years Ago and Catal Huyuk “first religious designed city” around 10,000 years ago.

Paganism is approximately a 12,000-year-old belief system and believe in spirit-filled life and/or afterlife that can be attached to or be expressed in things or objects and these objects can be used by special persons or in special rituals that can connect to spirit-filled life and/or afterlife and who are guided/supported by a goddess/god, goddesses/gods, magical beings, or supreme spirits. If you believe like this, regardless of your faith, you are a hidden paganist.

Around 12,000 years ago, in Turkey, the first evidence of paganism is Gobekli Tepe: “first human-made temple” and around 9,500 years ago, in Turkey, the second evidence of paganism is Catal Huyuk “first religious designed city”. In addition, early paganism is connected to Proto-Indo-European language and religion. Proto-Indo-European religion can be reconstructed with confidence that the gods and goddesses, myths, festivals, and form of rituals with invocations, prayers, and songs of praise make up the spoken element of religion. Much of this activity is connected to the natural and agricultural year or at least those are the easiest elements to reconstruct because nature does not change and because farmers are the most conservative members of society and are best able to keep the old ways.

The reconstruction of goddesses/gods characteristics may be different than what we think of and only evolved later to the characteristics we know of today. One such characteristic is how a deity’s gender may not be fixed since they are often deified forces of nature, which tend to not have genders. There are at least 40 deities and the Goddesses that have been reconstructed are: *Pria, *Pleto, *Devi, *Perkunos, *Aeusos, and *Yama.

The reconstruction of myths can be connected to Proto-Indo-European culture/language and by additional research, many of these myths have since been confirmed including some areas that were not accessible to the early writers such as Latvian folk songs and Hittite hieroglyphic tablets. There are at least 28 myths and one of the most widely recognized myths of the Indo-Europeans is the myth, “Yama is killed by his brother Manu” and “the world is made from his body”. Some of the forms of this myth in various Indo-European languages are about the Creation Myth of the Indo-Europeans.

The reconstruction of rituals can be connected to Proto-Indo-European culture/language and is estimated to have been spoken as a single language from around 6,500 years ago. One of the earliest rituals is the construction of kurgans or mound graves as a part of a death ritual. kurgans were inspired by common ritual-mythological ideas. Kurgans are complex structures with internal chambers. Within the burial chamber at the heart of the Kurgan, elite individuals were buried with grave goods and sacrificial offerings, sometimes including horses and chariots.

The speakers of Pre-Proto-Indo-European lived in Turkey and it associates the distribution of historical Indo-European languages with the expansion around 9,000 years ago, with a proposed homeland of Proto-Indo-European proper in the Balkans around 7,000 years ago. The Proto-Indo-European Religion seemingly stretches at least back around 6,000 years ago or likely much further back and I believe Paganism is possibly an approximately 12,000-year-old belief system.

The earliest kurgans date to 6,000 years ago and are connected to the Proto-Indo-European in the Caucasus. In fact, around 7,000 years ago, there appears to be pre-kurgan in Siberia. Around 7,000 to 2,500 years ago and beyond, kurgans were built with ancient traditions still active in Southern Siberia and Central Asia, which display the continuity of the archaic forming methods. Kurgan cultures are divided archaeologically into different sub-cultures such as Timber Grave, Pit Grave, Scythian, Sarmatian, Hunnish, and Kuman–Kipchak. Kurgans have been found from the Altay Mountains to the Caucasus, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria. Around 5,000 years ago, kurgans were used in the Ukrainian and Russian flat unforested grasslands and their use spread with migration into eastern, central, northern Europe, Turkey, and beyond. ref, ref, ref, ref, ref, ref, ref, ref, ref, ref, ref, ref, & ref

 8,000 Years Ago or after it was 17 Women Reproduced for Every One Man 

“At this time it seems there were 17 WOMEN REPRODUCED FOR EVERY ONE MAN. Once upon a time, 4,000 to 8,000 years after humanity invented agriculture, something very strange happened to human reproduction. Across the globe, for every 17 women who were reproducing, passing on genes that are still around today—only one man did the same.  A researcher, a biological anthropologist, hypothesizes that somehow, only a few men accumulated lots of wealth and power, leaving nothing for others. These men could then pass their wealth on to their sons, perpetuating this pattern of elitist reproductive success. If this hypothesis is correct, it would be one of the first instances that scientists have found of culture affecting human evolution.” ref  

8000-year-old fertility stone works found in Israel linked to ancestor cult

Full Neolithic agriculture has spread through Anatolia/Turkey to the Balkans.  

8,000 years ago: Agriculture appears around in the Balkans, see Old European Culture.  ref 

Migrations and Changing Europeans Beginning around 8,000 Years Ago  

“8,000-year-old shattered skull of a Ancient European Hunter Gatherer died in a grisly murder from Poland. The skull showed signs of healing, after “received a sharp hit with the tool,” thus he did not die at the impact and likely died a week after his injury. Because the bone was burned and the skull had obviously been dealt a strong blow, the researchers first thought maybe the man had been cannibalized but he had not, it’s possible it was burned in a funerary ritual, as people during the Mesolithic both burned and buried corpses.” ref 

Our ancient ‘mother tongue’ words were spoken around 8,000 years ago.

“8,000 to 5,500 years ago the Proto-Indo-European language was spoken from by all who lived on the steppes to the north of the Caspian Sea. Linguists say it evolved over time to spawn more than 440 modern languages and is the root of all Indo-European languages today. With offshoots in Anatolia (the Hittites), the Aegean (Mycenaean Greece), Western Europe (the Corded Ware culture), Central Asia (Yamna culture), and southern Siberia (Afanasevo culture.) late 6th and early 5th millennium BC: Beginning of Samara culture at the Samara bend region of the middle Volga, Russia. late 6th and early 5th millennium BC: Beginning of Samara culture at the Samara bend region of the middle Volga, Russia.” ref, ref

  6th millennium BC (8,000-7,000 years ago) 

• 8.000 years ago: Female figurines holding serpents are fashioned on Crete and may have been associated with water, regenerative power and protection of the home.
• 7,900 years ago: Vinča culture emerges on the shores of lower Danube, mainly with female figurines.
• 7,900 years ago: Beginning of human inhabitation in Malta.
• 7,500 years ago: Beginning of the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture in the region of modern-day Romania, Moldova, and southwestern Ukraine, mainly with Female figurines.
• 7,500 years ago: Earliest evidence of cheese-making (Kujawy, Poland). ref
• 7,500 years ago Danubian culture. ref
• 7,250-6,500 years ago Hamangia culture, Romania and Bulgaria, with both male and Female figurines, possibly the first male god. 

Hamangia culture around 7,250-6,500 years ago (Romania and Bulgaria)

First Male God? To me, it seems he stole the goddess’s birthing stool, and possibly her power? Cernavodă, the necropolis where the famous statues “The (MALE) Thinker” and “The Sitting Woman” were discovered and may date sometime after 7,000 to 6,600 years ago. ref, ref, ref

“Hamangia Culture’s Pottery: Painted vessels with complex geometrical patterns based on spiral-motifs are typical. The shapes include bowls and cylindric glasses (most with of them with arched walls). They are decorated with dots, straight parallel lines, and zig-zags, which make Hamangia pottery very original. Pottery figurines are normally extremely stylized and show standing naked faceless women with emphasized breasts and buttocks.” ref

4,700 years ago – The famous Sumerian King Gilgamesh rules the city-state of Ur. 

4,400 years ago- The Sumerian language is replaced by the Akkadian language as the primary spoken language in Mesopotamia. 

4,330 years ago – Sargon I of the Akkadians conquers most of the Sumerian city-states and creates the world’s first empire, the Akkadian Empire.  ref