Why is it that when some people start "discussing God" they just cannot think in an abstract manner?
Physics, Math and a lot of other subjects demand an abstraction in order to understand any theory or concept.... so why is it that some people take the explanation of an extremely complex Abstraction so LITERALLY???
The way some other people may "understand" the God concept is going mostly with their intuition since understanding is something one is only capable of doing with the mind. In that sense, IMHO, "any other Gods" may have been
a) simplified... i.e. the translation, so that most people who want to understand this concept get a clear and uncompromising idea of what is meant.
b) since it now has been made fairly clear that there IS only ONE, you can abstract and fill in whatever else may take the place of God and be mistakenly worshipped: could be $$$$$s, Power etc. etc.
b) is only meant to emphasize a)... or a) is something a beginner may understand and b) is for somewhat more advanced minds.
Most religions (I´m thinking of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity) to my knowledge have this concept of God in common.
The Hindus go a step further, as far as abstracting the concept of God is concerned. By acknowledging that God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient (an idea also common to the other religions mentioned)...... they aspire to try "seeing" God in everyTHING and in every BEING, animate and inanimate! With continual practice, the whole Universe becomes and IS an expression of God. In that sense you could have "MANY GODS".... However, its the ONE in everyone that has to be acknowledged and served with love and respect and not necessarily by their appearances, which is usually well hidden by the cloak of ego (or maya). Abstractions like emotions etc.(Love, Abundance, Peace, Grace etc.) are also expressions of All That IS! Everything b e y o n d what our logical and illogical mind is capable of conceiving as well.
All is balanced and in the Flow... Ying & Yang!
One in our Spirits, diverse in appearance.
A SathGuru once said:
God created man.... and man invented God.