Jews don't get a pass either because your post downplays them as more liberal. I know you don't buy their deity anymore than you do the Christian one.

BUT, as you said, in correctly rejecting the superstition of other religions, you applied the same logic to Christianity and Jewish religions.

There is tons of evidence that even the Jews stole their ideas from prior polytheism. Of course they would argue that they don't mean the same thing, but that is besides the point.

Names out of the OT appear prior polytheism, EL, ELOHIM, BAAL and ASHURA are all part of the Ugartic pantheon which were adapted into the early Hebrew faith. Jewish historians will claim that they have nothing in common. THATS TRUE, if one is to go by the parameters of the Hebrew stories.

BUT, as we have seen in business competition, we see Coke come up with a new flavor soda, and Pepsi will look at that and come up with their own version with a different flavor and different color can. What people miss is that the "motif" is the same SODA.

So while "BAAL", for example, had different powers and different attributes in polytheism, the name, even if only in name, was taken from a prior religion and adapted and changed to suit the newer religion.

In the Ugartic text it says, "Let us make them in our image" which ment the head god "El" was summoning his divine family(lesser gods) to make humans in their image. We see this same motif occur in the OT.

We see older motifs such as curing blindness, flood stories, eye for an eye, creation motifs, purity motifs, in polytheism long before the monotheism of the god of Abraham.

The core of religion is quite simple, "My deity(insert label here) chose us, "chosen people" and someday a super hero(monotheism) or "super heros(polytheism) will save us".

This motif was born out of tribal kingships who attributed their wealth and power to gods.

Which makes more sense?

1. "Thor makes lighting"

OR,

2. Someone made up that story?

If one rightfully rejects that claim, what makes them think their own religion is immune to making false claims?

It makes much more sense that humans make things up and believe them as fact, than it would be to litterally believe that their magical claims are real.