DBW: Why did Monotheism originate in Iroquois land?

[Tom Veil]

(In honor of the recent rash of monotheism threads, I've decided to do a double-blind why, where we have a discussion, but in the character of the alternative time line. Enjoy!)

Over the first several millennia of human civilization, vaguely monotheistic thoughts popped up every once in a while, from the failed slave revolts of Ancient Egypt to the primitive semi-nomadic people of Mecca. It never succeeded among an organized society, however, until Joseph Smith, who had immigrated with his family from New Anglia to Palmyra, in the Seneca Nation, received visions of the Angel Moroni and the Golden Plates of the Book of Mormon.

Considering how fast Mormonism has taken over since then -- thousands of temples worldwide, several major governments converting to Mormonism, the smashing of the Temple of Artemis -- why did no monotheistic religion ever survive, let alone thrive, before then? Is there something about "one God" that only an Old World immigrant in a bustling New World republic could articulate?

 

[Fabilius]

I just think that Monotheism, never could´ve evolved at all in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine or Arabia. Some say, monotheistic inclinations were in ancient India among some philosophers, and others point at, in most origin myths, there is one creator.

The economic environment has to be right. And Joseph Smith seems to have been the right man at the right time.

Early as 1646 C.C. (Ceasar´s calendar), when Descartes stated his doubts about polytheism, atheism had been spreading around. Disbelief on old gods, and the rise of enlightenment had already weakened the polytheistic religions.

Joseph Smith monotheism simply filled the gap. The old theisms were already crumbling.