12. Why are there so many gods in the world?

According to the Bible mankind created gods because in their rebellion against the One true Supreme Creator God of heaven and earth, they chose to create their own lesser gods which would permit them to do the sinful things that their evil hearts wanted them to do. Romans 1 verses 19-24 states: ‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human

being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.’

In Isaiah chapter 46, the Bible records the actions of those who worship idols, which never answer prayer, but are mere creations of man’s hands. Then in verse 9, God confronts these idolaters with the revelation of who He is: ‘For I am God – I only – and there is no other like Me… listen to me you stubborn evil men. For I am offering you deliverance, not in the distant future but right now, I am ready to save you.’ The worship of idols and gods is the foolishness of man’s wisdom. That is why there are so many gods in the world.

A major theme of the life of Muhammed and the Qur’an is the teaching that idolatry is wrong and offensive to Allâh. The mission of Muhammed was to get the Meccans to give up worshipping 354 gods and worship the One true Creator God. The Qur’an teaches that Allâh will banish to Hell Fire all who worship idols. In Surah 40 Ghafir ayat 71-72 it states: ‘When the fetters and the chains shall be on their necks; they shall be dragged into boiling water, then in the fire shall they be burned. In Surah 22 Al Hajj ayat 19-21 it states: ‘But as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads; Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted; And for them are hooked rods of iron.’ In Surah 4 Al Nisa ayat 56 it states: ‘Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall expose them to the Fire. As often as their skins are consumed We shall exchange them for fresh skins that they may taste the torment Lo! Allâh is ever Mighty, Wise.’

In the hadith Bukkhari 54:487 it states: ‘Someone asked, ‘O Allâh’s Apostle This (ordinary) fire would have been sufficient (to torture the unbelievers),’ Allâh’s Apostle said, ‘The (Hell) Fire has 69 parts more than the ordinary (worldly) fire, each part is as hot as this (worldly) fire.’ In other words, ordinary fire isn’t hot enough to torture non-Muslims. Therefore the fire in Hell is 69 times hotter. Non-Muslims in Hell will be given thick skin so as to prolong their agony (before they are given fresh skin for a new round of torture – Qur’an verse 4:56 – (Muslim (40:6831).