Unfortunately for the followers, as a tree is understood by it's fruits, often times we have some bizarre demands ( somewhat anti-social also) from the deities as almost from their whims. Wiping out races, killing first born, killing and destroying. Many gods in out recent history demand complete allegiance and there absolutely no other gods that would come before. Does he really have to mention that  - guess it's a piece of advice. Anyway, the gods have been fighting for eons and the human surrogates have continued. The defect of monotheism is that somebody thinks their right - all the way to heaven- and somebody's wrong - because it was longer than 2000 yrs ago? Or the the religion says there are many ways ( but really - ours is the way). And a new savior comes along periodically (maybe working in the pond) and many humans and messiahs have their illusions. As conflict seems to be the stimulus for growth - only a Divine and fair creator would give only a few years of one life - this is a play we wrote and - it needs work. And - people are working...