Which denominations/ religions refuse the doctrine of the Trinity?

Question

I've read somewhat about the Unitarian doctrines but I keep seeing different religions outside of Christianity who agree with the Unitarians under the Catholic and Protestant Umbrellas. This is interesting to note so I would appreciate your help on this! I'm firmly a Trinitarian but would like to know who all belongs to which belief system and why/how did you arrive at that belief?

Totally informative so far! What's an amazing observation to me is that these denominations/religions are so far from one another in their other core doctrines. I had hoped to hear from someone of each belief to explain why they believe it. You have friends to help fill in the blanks?

Answer 1

Excellent question.

Though there are many religions that do not believe that God exists as a Trinity, such as Judaism and Islam, there are a number of groups that profess to be Christian but deny the concept of the Trinity as well.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, and the Oneness Pentecostals are the three largest anti-trinitarian groups that profess to be Christian worldwide.

The Jehovah's Witnesses deny the Trinity by stating that Jesus is not God but is a created being, less than God the Father. The JW's view of God is what we would call a Unitarian view of God. Unitarianism is the belief of one God existing in one person. In their case the Father is Jehovah, and he and he alone is God. In regards to the Holy Spirit the JW's beleive that the Holy Spirit is the force or power of God - the one whom they call Jehovah.

The Mormons deny the Trinity teaching that God the Father was once a man who became a god, that Jesus was one who became god, and that we too can follow their path in becoming gods. The stress here I'll make briefly in regards to Mormonism is the fact that both the Father and the Son have not eternally been God, but that it was something that both of them progressed to.

Oneness Pentecostals, which make up the third largest anti-trinitarian group that professes to be Christian have varied interpretations on God. All of the interpretations that exist within Oneness Pentecostalism can be classified as Unitarian in nature. One of the most popular views is that God is Father in Creation, Son in Redemption, and Holy Spirit in Regeneration. The idea behind this statement models that of the classical view of Modalism: the idea that God exists in three different modes. Sometimes God is the Father, sometimes God is the Son, and sometimes he is the Holy Spirit. The emphasis here reveals Father, Son, and Spirit to be mere roles or offices assumed by God at different times. This is considered Oneness Pentecostalism but it is only one form of it. Another popular form of Oneness Pentecostalism that is found in groups like the United Pentecostal Church International hold to the view that Jesus is both the Father/Spirit and the Son. In this view they believe that the Father / Spirit is divinity and the Son is humanity. What should be noted however is the fact that this group does believe that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh. Those who believe in the Trinity have a far different interpretation than those who align themselves with this camp.

The United Church of God and the Intercontinental Church of God are two denominations that deny the Trinity as well. They are much closer to Trinitarians. These groups believe in One God that exists in Two Persons rather than in Three Persons. They share many similarities with Trinitarians in their understanding of God but they differ on the personality of the Holy Spirit. They do not accept the Holy Spirit as a person, but believe that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force. These groups were part of what was known as the Armstrongian movement led by Herbert Armstrong and his son Garner Ted Armstrong out of Tyler, Texas.

The Christadelphians are another group that deny the Trinity, yet profess to be Christian. And of course there are always people in liberal churches that tend to not believe in doctrines so essential as the Trinity. It astounds me how we in this generation are being bombarded with so many attacks on the very doctrine that is the heart of the Christian faith and so many are oblivious to the true meaning and beauty and necessity of the profound truth. There are other groups as well that deny the Trinity, but the ones I have addressed here are some of the more popular ones that profess to be Christian.

The Christian faith is a matter of accepting the Father's Testimony, embracing the Son, and submitting to the Holy Spirit of God. This is the belief I came to, and in order to be saved it is something that we all must do, and can only do by the enabling grace of God.

Answer 2

We only follow the Bible and doctrines taught. We don't give place to things that the Bible offers no authority to. We study diligently and though not everyone who goes there is strong, most everyone has more Biblical knowledge than the average American 'Christian.' We don't base our beliefs on three or four things alone..we just follow the Bible. I grew up in a multitude of denominations, and I went without a lot of answers, though I believed fervently. Once I found this church, though, the Bible was explained so logically. Nothing was unanswered, everything harmonized and now, I can spot a denominational lie easily. You just know when you find the truth.

Answer 3

Which Religion believed in Trinity, even before Christianity? Hinduism. The principal deities are: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, sometimes referred to as the Hindu Trinity. Brahma is thought of as the creator, Vishnu as the sustainer of life, and Shiva is associated with dissolution and death.

The concept of the Godhead as a Trinity is unique to One Western Mindset, and that is the Roman Church, and spread to all the Churches........it is recorded in the History Books from which they can never erase......

Ecclesiastical History shows how that the doctrine of the Trinity was gradually superimposed upon the Truth until it completely obscured it, fulfilling Paul's warning ( 2 Tim 4: 1-3 ) Consider the following, gradual declension in the early Church:

AD 120 - The Apostles Creed says, " I believe in God the Father Almighty "
AD 150 - Justin Martyr begins to Corrupt Christianity with the Philosophy of the Greeks...
AD 170 - The word " Trias " first occurs in Christian Literature
AD 200 - The word " Trinitas" is first used by Tertuallian.
AD 260 - Sabellius teaches: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are three names for the same
God..
AD 300 - No Trinitarian forms of Prayer yet known to the Church.
AD 310 - Lactantius ( Orthodox Teacher ) writes: " Christ never calls himself God."
AD 325 - The Nicene Council agree to call Christ, "God of God, the God of very God.
AD 350 - Great conflicts in the Church about the doctrine of the Trinity.
AD 370 - The Doxology, " Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost," composed
and complained of as a novelty.
AD 381 - The Council of Constantinople gives the finishing touch to the Doctrine of 3 persons
in one God.
AD 383 - The Emperor Tehodosius threatens to punish all who will not believe in and worship
the Trinity.
AD 519 - The Doxology is Ordered to be sung in all the Churches.
AD 669 - The Clergy commanded to commit to Memory the Athanasian Creed incorporating
the doctrine of the Trinity.
AD 826 - Bishop Basil orders the Clergy to repeat this Creed every Sunday.

Thus the Trinitarian error obscured the Truth.......It is the responsibility of everyone who would serve God “ in Truth ‘ to seek out the Facts; “ to prove all things “ and hold fast to that which is good “ ( 1 Thes 5 vs 21 )

In my interaction with Islam, I remind them that the one thing that you cannot do, is remove your History, it is there for keeps, that everyone will know the truth about Muhammad, and so it is, with the History of the Roman Church, and how she imputed this false teaching, over the head of the Churches.....................You cannot remove your history!

Answer 4

JWs, Unitarians, United Pentecostal, Apostolic Pentecostal and other Oneness Pentecostal groups. Mormonism declares their belief in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but in reality believe that all Mormons can attain godhood, and therefore the Mormons hold to polytheism.

Answer 5

I attend a Spirit filled, Holy Bible believing and teaching, non-denominational church. We believe in One God that has revealed Himself as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Trinity although the word "Trinity" is not in the Holy Bible, is Biblical. Jesus told His disciples to out to all the nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Matt. 28:18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Answer 6

Only denominations who do not understand the trinity do not believe in it.

I am Assemblies of God and the trinity is one of our core beliefs

Answer 7

quite a few doctrines unitarians islam ortodox jews protestants jehova witness

Answer 8

I believe. I know that Jewish and Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in the Trinity.

Answer 9

All but one: Biblical Christianity

Answer 10

to many christian denominations that don't believe in trinity.
hard to believe.....