Wow, the breakout at the end into ad hominem was hilarious. It's like you thought you were actually refuting my views with your enumerated quibbles, strawmen, and red herrings.
I've said multiple times now that my point about the desert metaphor isn't meant to be a complete explanation of the rise of monotheism. I've said it's not a sufficient condition of the rise of monotheism. So the fact that some people who lived near deserts don't become monotheists is irrelevant.
What you've ignored is the analogical nature of my argument. I've pointed to the similarity between the experience of living in a desert region, and the projected experience of living under the sovereign God who was described in the world's major monotheistic religions. So the former may serve as an extended metaphor that shapes the content of the latter. That's what my article is about. But you like to change the subject and go off on red herrings, don't you? I believe that's what's called trolling, which wastes the other person's time.
Yes, I'm aware of the existence of India. If you consult an atlas, you'll see the desert from North Africa and the Middle East stretches above India, reaching the Gobi Desert. Roughly speaking, it's one big desert region. (Link below.) So how does the existence of India refute what I said about a single, sprawling desert region? In some places that desert gets narrow and is offset by non-desert areas such India and the rest of China. So in those areas, the desert metaphor wouldn't be overwhelming, as it is in the Middle East where desert is the main climate.
I asked, "How is the core of monotheism similar in Judaism and Christianity?" You changed this to "How is Judaism similar to Christianity"? Do you see the difference between those two questions? Another strawman from you. Judaism is emphatically monotheistic, whereas by deifying Jesus and allying itself with the Roman Empire, Christianity became much more polytheistic. Catholic Christianity posits a trinity of divine persons. So there's no core of monotheism that the two religions have in common. Christianity is a hybrid religion, syncretizing Judaism and Roman polytheism. That was my implicit point.
Your alleged form of enlightenment is in dire need of being leavened by a commitment to philosophical honour. Instead of lapsing into juvenile, unseemly personal attacks, you should purchase a pair of reading glasses, read much more carefully, address what's been written, and work cooperatively to address the strongest version of your opponent's arguments, not wallow in Pyrrhic victories when you knock down strawmen. That's what I learned how to do when I was in school.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/desert-map
