response 221 of 293:

Dec 17 03:09 UTC 2003

I admit this is drifting, but jep -- the monotheistic religions didn't invent
nationalism as opposed to tribalism (China had it, as did Rome, the Greek
city-states, the Aztecs, and many other societies).  As for industry, there's
no reason to believe it wouldn't have evolved in a polytheistic society.  A
number of polytheistic cultures attained great achievements in science and
engineering:  Egypt, the Maya, China, Greece, Rome, etc.

Some of those societies are the ones that contributed the knowledge the
monasteries preserved during the Dark Ages.