Worshiping God and Goddess

[Curious_Kitty]

So let's say that there is one Spirit *the christian God*, and to help understand them better you broke them down into aspects, or personalities *the God and Goddess* and they join together to be the Spirit. The God represents the father aspect of Spirit, and the Goddess represents the female aspect. Would that be considered polytheism?

[CelticRavenwolf]

Originally Posted by Curious_Kitty

So let's say that there is one Spirit *the christian God*, and to help understand them better you broke them down into aspects, or personalities *the God and Goddess* and they join together to be the Spirit. The God represents the father aspect of Spirit, and the Goddess represents the female aspect. Would that be considered polytheism?

I would hazard to say that it's no more polytheism than the concept of the Holy Trinity - keep in mind that many Christians refute this concept strongly to begin with. It's still not really a Christian view, persay, but if you still consider them one and the same it's not polytheism.

[Curious_Kitty]

Good, that was worrying about that. Though, i see how it would be easy to forget that they are the same thing, as with the Holy Trinity, and accidentally start polytheistic worshiping.

[UltraViolet]

I do understand the psychological need to merge a bit,
before taking a major paradigm leap.

Maybe my own experience will help you.

The passage in the bible that first gave me "safe confidence"
that I could call "God" "Goddess" was this one.
(paraphrased cause I don't want to take the time to look it up)

"In OUR image we formed them.... man and woman"

So I began to think of god/dess in terms of ying yang.
(not that I ever thought god was ACTUALLY a "male" to begin with)
Obviously if man and woman were created in THEIR image...
both the female AND male attributes belong to god/dess.


Then as my christian training wheels finally came off...
and I was free to ride off into my own freedom
I found mySelf of a more pantheistic/panenthiestic mindset.
ALL is gOd. All that exists, did exist, and potentially exists.
This means that as a WHOLE... there is indeed ONE gOd.
Yet, at the very same time... each individual thing is ALSO gOd.
I am gOddess... my piano is gOddess... my computer is gOd... etc etc
because we are all comprised of the very same "gOd/dess stuff".
The stuff of existence/potential existence itself.

So I am both mono & poly theist at the same time I guess.
or neither. ??



anyway, that's my thing.
Hope it helps.

Good luck in your moving beyond....

[CelticRavenwolf]

Ultraviolet - A good point and a very interesting view. Thanks for sharing!

Curious_kitty - Some argue that the worshiping the Trinity IS polytheistic, which is why there are so many sects that do not recognize it and condemn the faiths that do. Catholics still do, Anglicans do, and I'm pretty sure Lutherans and Presbyterians do too. Come to think of it, I think that it's more the "newer" offshoots that reject the Trinity, though if memory serves me there have always been grumblings and disputes about whether or not Jesus is God-come-to-Earth, or literally the son of God, and about the deification of the Holy Spirit.

Long story short - religion is something that no one in this life can prove, thus millions of people around the world believe different things. You can choose a personal spirituality or a communally-approved religion. You can opt to combine the two, but the fact of the matter is that such a highly structured and regimented religion does not tolerate creative thinking. God might, but his church does not. Instead of asking people here for answers, ask your god. Do you think that your dreams were his way of saying that damnation awaits, or do you simply think that it was your own fears run amok?

[Curious_Kitty]

Ultraviolet/Celtic Raven- good points. i guess im just gonna have to wrestle with my self and try to find out if it was fear, or God.

Everyone-Thanks for helping me! your viewpoints are all appreciated and helpful

[CelticRavenwolf]

You're most welcome. Best of luck on your journey!

[AlsoAnima]

Hello.

o.o Wow, my religion suddenly woke up when I was away.

I supposed this has already been solved before I posted but I'll go ahead and throw in my input on the original post.

The Father
The Holy Spirit
The Son

Okay. The Son is a manifestation of the Deity embodied in a form of flesh.
The Father is the male aspect of the Deity
The Holy Spirit, described sometimes as "Mathew's Spiritual Mother" for that disciples strong connection with that aspect, is the female aspect. Also called Wisdom in some parts of the bible. This is the 'missing' female aspect that got glossed over by the patriarchal church set up after Christ's death.

[syberpriend]

1st time I hear there is goddess in christianity also, but y christians say Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, y not Son, Holy Ghost n Father?

[Jeremiah767]

order of importance to the catholic church at the time, I would guess. The Father being the creator, the son being the savior, and the holy spirit being an entity that embodies divinity in human beings. So it is a all about importance in my opinion.