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Are Christians polytheists?

Servant_of_the_One1

Well-Known Member
By that definition then Hindus are monotheists too!
They believe all their gods are manifestations of One God.

I wished it was that simple :)

U either with One or Three/Millions.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
Unlike Jews and Muslims, Christians worship holy spirit and Jesus pbuh. They also worship saints and virgin Mary pbuh.

So they are clearly Polytheists.

Do u agree?

No. We worship one God. Catholics may come close to worshiping Mary but their theology is often at variance with true Christianity. Not everything that wears a Christian label is actually Christian just as terrorists wear an Islamic label but are not truly Islamic..
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
Because we have a saying from Umar r.a. He said: I know you(stone) cannot benefit me nor harm me, if the prophet pbuh didnt kissed u i would never have kissed u.


So the stone is just symbolic direction of prayer. It has no power at all.

U can compare it to Jewish wall.


But christians say Mary can hear us and forgive our sins!
They say the same about saints and jesus pbuh.

So that is clearcut idolatry.

I can hear you and forgive your sins. However it is God that is doing so, so that means that it is not multiple gods.

Jesus is God in the flesh so He has every right to forgive sins and was recorded having done so in the Bible.

I believe you lack clarity on this subject.
 

Kelly of the Phoenix

Well-Known Member
The doctrine of the Trinity cannot, by any stretch of the imagination -- unless it's unfairly represented and tortured to mean what it does not mean, point to a "pantheon of gods." It's very specific that God is one God.
Twisting the meaning of the word "one" doesn't make it true, though. Yes, I perfectly understand Christianity teaches God is one. However, that doesn't work out in many ways. It's a tortured logic to deny the people were polytheistic. That's it, really.
 

Useless2015

Active Member
If you're going to argue Christian theology, you have to know something about it. Simply making statements that aren't theologically tenable doesn't prove your "argument."

Believing God has 2 equal partners is polytheism. Jesus himself said that the utter most important commandment is that God is ONE with no OTHERS beside him. One Lord, One deity. Not part of a trinity, does not have equals.


29Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,30and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’31The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.”

32Then the scribe told him, “Well said,Teacher! You have told the truth that ‘God is one, and there is no other besides him.33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34When Jesus saw how wisely the man answered, he told him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one dared to ask him another question.
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
There is no reason to use harsh language.

I would propose that by this reasoning that even a reveler of the Greek pantheon could claim they are a monotheist but that does not make it true.

I propose that the holder of such beliefs is in a better position than you to decide as to whether or not they are monotheistic or polytheistic.

Some Hindus consider themselves monotheistic and others do not.
 
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Father Heathen

Veteran Member
The concept of the trinity is simply 3 facets of the same entity. I don't believe in it, yet I get it. It's not complicated, so it's confusing why some people struggle with it. Also, people know better than anyone else what's in their own mind and 'heart'. To presume to know what someone else believes better than they themselves do is quite arrogant and asinine.
 

sojourner

Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
Twisting the meaning of the word "one" doesn't make it true, though. Yes, I perfectly understand Christianity teaches God is one. However, that doesn't work out in many ways. It's a tortured logic to deny the people were polytheistic. That's it, really.
Are you familiar with the doctrine -- or are you merely refuting the nature of the theology based on assumption? It's quite specific in its assertion that God is One, and that the Persons involved are not separate gods. Read. The. Doctrine.
 

sojourner

Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
Believing God has 2 equal partners is polytheism. Jesus himself said that the utter most important commandment is that God is ONE with no OTHERS beside him. One Lord, One deity. Not part of a trinity, does not have equals.
See, you don't get the theology. Therefore your argument is a non-argument. God doesn't have "two equal partners." The Doctrine is specific in its statement, and accompanying explanation, that God is One.
God is patently not "part of a trinity." God is Trinity.
 

Aset's Flames

Viperine Asetian
The doctrine of the Trinity cannot, by any stretch of the imagination -- unless it's unfairly represented and tortured to mean what it does not mean, point to a "pantheon of gods." It's very specific that God is one God.

Ah so I can see you have a lack of understanding of Wiccan and Hindu theology as they claim the same.

In many forms of Hinduism all the gods are part of the godhead.

And in traditional Wicca the god and goddess are part of one deity.

So if you wish to claim you are monotheistic in that manner than you should refer to these relgions as monotheistic.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
Twisting the meaning of the word "one" doesn't make it true, though. Yes, I perfectly understand Christianity teaches God is one. However, that doesn't work out in many ways. It's a tortured logic to deny the people were polytheistic. That's it, really.

I believe there is no tortured logic. One is "one" and never will be anything different. I believe it always works and no twisting is necessary.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
See, you don't get the theology. Therefore your argument is a non-argument. God doesn't have "two equal partners." The Doctrine is specific in its statement, and accompanying explanation, that God is One.
God is patently not "part of a trinity." God is Trinity.

I believe I know what you mean but this is not really true. God is quite happy to be a unity without involving Himself as a trinity so His essence is unity but for the purpose of salvation He became The Trinity while at the same time never giving up His essence of unity.

I believe you have this right but the statement should be that God is the Trinity not God is Trinity.

I believe you are quite correct. God always runs His own show.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
Ah so I can see you have a lack of understanding of Wiccan and Hindu theology as they claim the same.

In many forms of Hinduism all the gods are part of the godhead.

And in traditional Wicca the god and goddess are part of one deity.

So if you wish to claim you are monotheistic in that manner than you should refer to these relgions as monotheistic.

I believe there is a tendency to deify attributes of God. I can't categorically state that this happens in Hinduism but I suspect that is the case. I know it happens with some quasi Christians who will say God is love and forget that God is also just. What happens is a false worship of an Idolized version of God. A true Christian will view Jesus and the Paraclete as having all the attributes of God because they are God. So the people who try to delineate Jesus as the God is love attribute and forget that He is coming in Judgement at the end of the world are being idolatrous and viewing the Trinity as separate gods.
 

Aset's Flames

Viperine Asetian
I believe there is a tendency to deify attributes of God. I can't categorically state that this happens in Hinduism but I suspect that is the case. I know it happens with some quasi Christians who will say God is love and forget that God is also just. What happens is a false worship of an Idolized version of God. A true Christian will view Jesus and the Paraclete as having all the attributes of God because they are God. So the people who try to delineate Jesus as the God is love attribute and forget that He is coming in Judgement at the end of the world are being idolatrous and viewing the Trinity as separate gods.

A lot of statements with no evidance.
 

Aset's Flames

Viperine Asetian
I propose that the holder of such beliefs is in a better position than you to decide as to whether or not they are monotheistic or polytheistic.

Some Hindus consider themselves monotheistic and others do not.

It is true that many due, however many people call themselves several things that are false.

If I consider myself to be of physically Mandarin descent does that mean that I am?
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
It is true that many due, however many people call themselves several things that are false.

If I consider myself to be of physically Mandarin descent does that mean that I am?

Maybe. Maybe not. What I'm getting at - it's not my place to arrogantly project upon you what is or isn't as per your self-identification.
 

sojourner

Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
Ah so I can see you have a lack of understanding of Wiccan and Hindu theology as they claim the same.

In many forms of Hinduism all the gods are part of the godhead.

And in traditional Wicca the god and goddess are part of one deity.

So if you wish to claim you are monotheistic in that manner than you should refer to these relgions as monotheistic.
I'm only speaking to the doctrine of the Trinity, which is specific in its explanation that each Person isn't "a god," but is God.
 

Sleeppy

Fatalist. Christian. Pacifist.
Unlike Jews and Muslims, Christians worship holy spirit and Jesus pbuh. They also worship saints and virgin Mary pbuh.

So they are clearly Polytheists.

Do u agree?

Actually, you're a polytheist/idolater as well. The majority of Christians, Muslims, and Jews are all idolaters.
 
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