Ainur the HOLY ones

[AbercrombieOfRohan]

(These are all based on my own inferences.)
To my knowledge the Valar are referred to only as Lords, Kings, Queens, but never gods. So this prompted me to ask the question did Elves worship the Valar? Did they worship Iluvatar as the creator?

In the beginning of the Ainulindale, tolkien says

There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Iluvatar; and he made first the Ainur, THE HOLY ONES,...

but this refers to all of the Ainur as holy. So does that mean that the Elves revered all of the Ainur together as holy?

The Numenoreans at least must have looked upon Iluvatar as some sort of a god because they created Meneltarma, meaning pillar of Heaven and they prayed to him, correct?

The Maiar probably weren't thought of as holy so much as wise leaders, because of Thingol and Melian. I'm guessing that someone who was thought of as a God generally wouldn't marry one of their followers. Also Gandalf and Saruman weren't hallowed when they were in Middle Earth. (correct?)

Who would the hobbits/dwarves have worshipped (if they worshipped at all), because they didn't know the history of the Elves or had since forgotten it.

Also since Tolkien was a Christian man and was monotheistic why would he have created a world where polytheism reigns? (This is of course if the Valar are "holy")

Forgive me if this thread already exists, but please point out other threads where I can find these answers. Many thanks.