Before I start this, I want to say a couple of things. I know this is kinda like a religious topic but not like the type that isn't allowed on this site. So please no religious references.

Ok now heres my question. Is their religon a poloythsesim,{belief in many dieties}, or monothesism,{belif in one deity}.
In the Bionicle storyline, it claims that Mata-Nui is their God, so to speak. But it also speaks of dieties known as the "Great Beings". So do they have a belief in Mata-Nui and the "Great beings", so they believe in many dieties. Or is Mata-Nui the only Diety they worship and the "Great Beings", are simply other powerful spirits that are not dieties?

ideas, comments?

I belive mata nui is one of the great beings. There could be others like the toa perhaps. Nice idea.

Monothesism. Mata Nui, the only one they worship.
Then again, they do treat the Toa like demi-gods...
Yeah, Monothesism. Mata Nui is the only god for them. The Toa are simply sent from Mata Nui.
My two cents.
~Miriax

I really don't think that they have an official religion, but I know that they do worship Mata-nui and the Toa. They also believe in the Great Biengs, but I don't think they directly worship them.

i say the 'great beings' are like greek gods & godesses. i guess mata-nui's the great macheine being.and they did say makuta is mata-nui's 'brother'. maybe the great beings are the family of gods&godesses,and makuta is the great demon being who likes to ruin his yunger siblings' stuff like the big,mean older brother.
cool,i'm the first guy to sound off. where's my prize?

A religion is how people interpret their surroundings. They believe in the Toa cause different natural occurences - for example, they believe that thunderstorms are the results of clashes between Lewa and Gali, the forces of air and water. They also believe that earthquakes are caused by a displeased Onua, and so on. I would say they are polytheistic - do they not accept both Mata Nui and Makuta as gods? Do they not believe in other "Great Beings?"

Here is my definition of a religion: A religion is when unexplained natural occurences are associated with higher beings (Great Beings). Example - the creation of earth, the sun, rain, etc. When these connections occur, it is a religion.

Because Buddhists do not believe in higher beings, Buddhism is not a religion. It is simply a way of life.

QUOTE (The Cat In The Hat @ May 5 2003, 07:08 PM)

I belive mata nui is one of the great beings. There could be others like the toa perhaps. Nice idea.

Mata Nui and Makuta are the gods, only they worship Mata Nui, the other "beings" are the toa.

You have to remember that Mata-Nui and Makuta are gods
in MATORAN BELEIF, you can't take everything poeple
beleive in seriously. And as Greg said, there were and still are
religions that beleive that the Earth rests on the back of a
giant turtle.

Bisc

Yes... Disc-ism... Involves four elephants, too. One slipped.

Err, I'd say they're the Poly one, in a sense.
I mean, Mata Nui is the only Great Being they worship, but they know there are others.
Makuta would be their Satan, I suppose.

Is it me or aren't they called the Matoran? Oh well good topic anyway, i like the idea

They are indeed called Matoran now.

However, when referring to pre-Bohrok events, it seems we still refer to them as Tohunga.

I think Mata Nui is their main god, but there are still other gods (the 'Great Beings') that they worship, but just don't know as much about as Mata Nui.

That's a difficult question. I think it would probably be poloythsesim because they hold the Toa, Toa Nuva, Great Beings, and Mata-Nui with such reverence that they probably worship more than one god.

After all, in the Bio's of the Toa and Toa Nuva it says the Matorian worship Gali most of all out of the 6 toa, and they still worship Mata-Nui.

well i think they worship mata nui and before the toa came i think that they also worship for the toa to come to mata nui and save them from makuta

Basically, Mata-Nui only. Say Mata-Nui is the god of Mata-Nui (island) and there are other ones for other things: The Great Beings. Makuta is one of the evil Great Beings, perhaps the only one.

Basically they have two gods. Mata Nui and Makuta. They Worship Mata Nui. He is their idol. They do not worship Makuta. It is like Mata Nui is God and Makuta is the Devil. Your regular god vs god, good vs evil, light vs dark kinda thing. It is known that Mata Nui and Makuta are brothers. Maybe there are more siblings we do not yet know about.

Well, there have been Great Beings mantioned other than those to, but we do not know who they are.

Mata-Nui only. The toa were just meant to save them, but they did build suvas for them