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Author Topic:   Is Christianity Polytheistic?
articulett
Member (Idle past 3398 days)
Posts: 49
Joined: 06-15-2010


Message 335 of 375 (569242)
07-21-2010 4:34 AM


I'd say Christianity is polytheistic because of the trinity-- the 3-in-1 god-- but not because of Satan and other supernatural beings (angels, succubi, unicorns, demons, etc.)
I'd put all these guys into the same category of "supernatural beings"-- and I don't see evidence than any supernatural beings exist or have existed. I would guess that most atheists don't believe in any of these beings even though the only "requirement" for being an atheist is lacking a belief in any being recognized as a god. Myself, I don't believe consciousness can exist without a material brain, so I don't believe in ANY invisible beings.
Gods tend to be supernatural "good guys" and devils tend to be supernatural "bad guys". I'd say that the believer gets to define what is and isn't a god according to whatever it is they believe. I also let the believer define his religious affiliation. If he thinks he's a Christian, I'm glad to consider him a Christian... even if some other Christian sect(s) disagree. Mormons and Catholics both consider themselves Christians, but the Jehovah Witnesses would disagree, for example. I don't believe in any of their gods and it's irrelevant to me whether they think they believe in the same god(s) or not. I also don't believe in their devils, demons, angels, spirits, etc. They are all indistinguishable from imaginary friends (and enemies) to me.
I know Christians consider themselves monotheistic, but it's a semantic game from my perspective. Entities born of a god and a mortal --like Jesus-- are demigods... and the "holy spirit"-- well what is that supposed to be? God is just a spirit anyhow when he's not a burning bush or Jesus-- right? So how is this holy spirit different? If god is everywhere, then this holy spirit can't even be in a different place than god... so why is it part of a trinity instead of just "god"? I know, I know... it's all part of the "mystery" that humans can't hope to understand (I was raised Catholic), but I'm not buying it.
And if Jesus is god, then how can god sacrifice himself to please himself to atone for the sins of his other children (?) which he would have known would be sinners? I think Christianity had a few gods melded together and then they tried to mesh it down to one Supergod that could beat all the other gods that people believed in at the time. Toss in a bit of mental illness, threats of hell, massive illiteracy, ignorance, faulty memories, and (best of all) the promise of salvation for believing that Jesus died for the sins of mankind --and presto-- Christianity. It's polytheist, but it's isn't, because the 3 are really 1. It's magic!
I think anyone being honest would have to say the idea of the trinity is polytheistic. But religion is seldom about honesty in my experience.

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