Why do christians pretend they aren't following a polytheistic religion?

Question

father, son, holy spirit - three gods, three gods = polytheism, polytheism = a pretty hardcore violation of the "thou shalt worship no other blah blah" commandment

don't give me this "different but the same" crap, that fails any test of logic, not that the rest of christianity doesn't either

and don't give me this "well god just appears in different forms", right, he appears as both father and son? that's pretty sick in an incestual sort of way,

person - to translate from your "unemployed undergrad religion major" speak to plain english:

there is one god who takes on different forms

so why did god appear as both father and son and make up that whole "i got mary knocked up, son of god blah blah, then got crucified blah blah blah" story. isn't that mean of him to fool christians like that?

wow, some real quality answers here, naturally ive come to expect this from christians though

julie - you don't read very well you do you?

if the son of god thing was simply god appearing in different forms, then it is in essence just an act...a ploy, a fraud, a farce

he's god so can appear in any way he pleases, so he chose the father son thing because it makes a compelling story. and THAT makes god pretty sick and manipulative

Answer 1

Dear someguy,

The answer to your question is that either you have misrepresented the claims of Christianity or that you are the one that has failed to apply logic properly.

I will try to give an explanation that I hope can resolve your confusion. The Bible asserts that God is one in "essence," and three in "persons." Or, put another way, God is one "what," and three "whos." While this may seem paradoxical, it is not contradictory.

To violate the law of non-contradiction, the assertions would need to claim that God is one in essence and three (or any number besides one) in essence, at the same time and in the same relationship. Or the law of non-contradiction could be violated if the claim was that God is three in persons and one (or any number besides three) in persons, at the same time and in the same relationship.

Look carefully at the assertions stated above, and you will see that they are not contradictory. The assertions claim that God is "one" in one thing, and "three" in another thing. This is no more of a contradiction than saying that water is one in "chemical" (i.e., H2O), even though it can be three in "state" (i.e., solid as ice, liquid as water, and gas as steam).

A summary of the historic Christian teaching would be that there is only one God in essence. Additionally the Bible makes the following assertions:
(i) The Father is God,
(ii) The Son (Jesus) is God, and
(iii) The Holy Spirit is God.
It also asserts that
(a) The Father is not the Son,
(b) The Father is not the Holy Spirit, and
(c) The Son is not the Holy Spirit.

Notice that if you applied the water analogy to these assertions, you would say that
(wi) ice is H2O,
(wii) liquid water is H2O, and
(wiii) steam is H2O.
Additionally,
(wa) ice is not liquid water,
(wb) ice is not steam, and
(wc) liquid water is not steam.

So although we may not fully grasp how it is that three distinct persons share the same essence (since we're accustomed to thinking of one person for one essence), there is not a logical contradiction that keeps the historic Christian view from being monotheistic.

Answer 2

Point 1 - For someone who seems to be fairly well-read philosophically, you have made some bad arguments. To say that Christians "pretend" is the logical fallacy known as the excluded middle, because it is impossible to defend the side that would claim "pretending" is okay. Ask a better question, and you'll get a better answer.

Point 2 - When you said, "so why did god appear as both father and son and make up that whole "i got mary knocked up, son of god blah blah, then got crucified blah blah blah" story. isn't that mean of him to fool christians like that?", you were intentionally insulting and demeaning. That is no way to open a debate between opposed positions.

Point 3 - Whatever your arguments against Christianity, even if you find it to be completely untenable, have respect enough to state your argument in terms that can be debated rightly. As it is, you've only created a forum for bitter reprisals and bilious response.

If you are serious in debating the merits of Christianity, you can contact me and I would welcome the opportunity to answer your questions.

Answer 3

In the early days of Christianaty, or Paulism, as I like to call it (Christianity as we know it did not exist until Paul got knocked of his horse by the white light and got converted from a Roman IRS agent to a holy dude. This happended after Christ was crusified.), the people worshiped pretty much anything they wanted and felt good about. However, the early "Fathers" (as in MEN ONLY, for the most part) of the Church wanted to get all these pagans to come in from the country in to Church on Sunday so they could collect money to buy land, amass power and build more churches to collect more money and amass power. The way they did that is they spoke about the Trinity. They convinced a good part of those pagans that the new Church was an improved version of what they were doing, and they could get some better protection from the criminals out there if they came into the Church. Besides they were guaranteed to go to Heaven when they died. And, heaven was a better place than living in the dry and dusty desert with little water, no Direct TV. Not even one chanel!!! Mostly goats to have fun with- yeah, they outlawed bestiality!

The other side of the coin is that, if you think about it, human beings are not usually one-dimentional. They are deep and have many facets like a diamond. As above, so below. If we are created in God's image, then God must be also that way, as we are.

Plus, it is hard to wrap the mind around the concept of an all-powerful being that is everywhere, knows everything Etc. So it's easier to grasp one aspect. The Father, Son, Holy Spirit is the Roman Catholic thing along with many other denominations. In India, every specialy holy person gets a statue in their home town after they die. Many Hindus and Buddhists consider all of us to be god, since we are all a chip off the old block. "what if god was one of us?"

Answer 4

I guess you pretty angry if you think our beliefs are polytheistic and won't let us argue otherwise.

I will give you "well god appears in different forms" removing the just because it's pretty hard for you to understand. God has three expressions Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Just like water has liquid, gas and solid form. You say you don't get the Father and Son part as you think it's incensous. I don't really get how you think that and I know my answer isn't all that it could be but this might help
http://www.carm.org/doctrine/whatisthetrinity.htm

Answer 5

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are NOT 3 gods. God exists in 3 persons (not 3 gods). Read the Bible and stop trying to twist things around to suit what your narrow mind thinks.

Answer 6

Christianity is Monotheistic because there are indeed three parts to God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost but it is not correct to seperate them into three seperate beings because they are the one and the same. It is confusing but that's the way it is.

Answer 7

You have a mind a body and a soul, when you die your body and this mind will die with you, your soul and a new mind if your are saved will live forever.

Are you three people or one, do you not believe you have a mind, body and soul, even if you don't believe in God, surely you think you have a body and a mind.

Anyway, why attack other peoples belief, I would ask you to seek out God through his son Jesus, but if you choose not to I will not attack you belief because it is wrong.

Good luck with you life, I hope when it's over you will have a new body, I know you will have a soul and I hope you will have the mind of Christ, I know I will.

God Bless.

Answer 8

The three in one is actually monolarity or polymorphism. Other religions, such as Kemetic Orthodoxy and other forms of Paganism, also have this belief. Judaism is monotheistic, but once Jesus and the Holy Spirit were added, it became a type of monolarity.

Monolarity means all different aspects on only one divine being, or god. Polymorphism means a god's ability to appear as different gods, with different names and personas.

Answer 9

The real answer to your question is that there is only one God, No where is it written that you are to worship any other God, I just believed that it has not been explained to you in away that you can understand, and you are just confused thats all.

Answer 10

You are right.....The purpose of Christ was to show humans that it is possible for man to have a relationship with the spirit of God as shown by the works that he did, healing people, delivering people from nightmarish oppression....

And somehow, people have deified Christ to the place of the most High and you are right, he is not.....Christ himself tells people that he is not God; he said, "God is greater than I."

They are practicing polytheism....