trinity; monotheistic or polytheistic?

[sayak83]

is the holy trinity polytheistic or monotheistic?

Polytheism.

 

[Super Universe]

God created Himself, then He created the Son, then the two of them created Spirit. God is the only creator. The Son and Spirit are not to be worshipped.

 

[SabahTheLoner]

The Trinity could be polytheistic, like Terese said it's avatar-based. Meaning that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the same entity in different masks. Like in Hinduism the creator (Brahma) can be the protector (Vishnu) or the destroyer (Shiva).

I've heard about some people criticizing some sects of Christianity for that belief though because of the polytheistic nature.

 

[pearl]

is the holy trinity polytheistic or monotheistic?

Given that the concept of the Trinity is a product of the Church, one must assume a definition not intended by that Church to claim it is polytheistic. It is a constant teaching of the Church that it presents no contradiction to monotheism.

 

[Spiderman]

. If Mary is the Queen of heaven, who is the King????

God

 

[Spiderman]

You should have started a poll... the teaching is it is one God ministering to earth as three different persons

 

[whirlingmerc]

I like how Peter Lombard said all good theology comes from the Trinity and all bad from a wrong idea of God

 

[Kemosloby]

Monotheistic because there is a Top, God the Father.

 

[shunyadragon]

Depends on the way it's interpreted. It's monotheism if all are parts of one God, like hands and feet are part of human body. It's polytheism if they are separate. IMO existence of a separately acting Satan is more problematic for monotheists who believe in it.

In traditional Christianity the three beings are distinct and separate that are than consider one, and not like hands, feet and head. Jesus Christ is described as seated on the right hand of God the Father and distinctly separate from God the Father

 

[shunyadragon]

God

God

Therefore Mary is a Goddess.

 

[Spiderman]

Therefore Mary is a Goddess.

She weilds the power of one
Miracle of the Sun - Wikipedia

 

[pearl]

I like how Peter Lombard said all good theology comes from the Trinity

True.
The Trinity is not an item in the creed but rather the basic form of the creed. We never actually say that we believe in the Trinity. The Trinity is not a doctrine next to other doctrines of the faith; it is the only doctrine, and all the others are expansions and explanations of it.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

is the holy trinity polytheistic or monotheistic?

From experience: Monotheism.

The creator is an diety
Jesus is a human
Holy spirit is a, well, a spirit

A human and a spirit are not deities. In Christianity, a human and spirit are not creators.

Jesus is the son of the creator
The holy spirit comes from the creator

However they are joined, their nature, and denominational differences doesn't exclude one is a deity, one a human, and the other a spirit.

Polytheism says more than one deity. Christianity only has one.

 

[shunyadragon]

True.
The Trinity is not an item in the creed but rather the basic form of the creed. We never actually say that we believe in the Trinity. The Trinity is not a doctrine next to other doctrines of the faith; it is the only doctrine, and all the others are expansions and explanations of it.

Very confusing and slippery.

[cite=[URL='http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p2.htm']Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 1 ARTICLE 1 PARAGRAPH 2[/URL]]

The dogma of the Holy Trinity

253 The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity".83 The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: "The Father is that which the Son is, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God."84 In the words of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), "Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature."85

254 The divine persons are really distinct from one another. "God is one but not solitary."86 "Father", "Son", "Holy Spirit" are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son."87 They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds."88 The divine Unity is Triune.

255 The divine persons are relative to one another. Because it does not divide the divine unity, the real distinction of the persons from one another resides solely in the relationships which relate them to one another: "In the relational names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of their relations, we believe in one nature or substance."89 Indeed "everything (in them) is one where there is no opposition of relationship."90 "Because of that unity the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son." [/cite]

 

[shunyadragon]

Monotheistic because there is a Top, God the Father.

Not clear, Top God? What you are beginning to describe is a hierarchal polytheism.

 

[Kemosloby]

Not clear, Top God? What you are beginning to describe is a hierarchal polytheism.

I guess it depends how picky you want to get with it. Your definition of God would tell you which you're talking about. Jesus said we are gods.

John 10:34
Jesus replied, "Is it not written in your Law: 'I have said you are gods' ?

But there is also the One God.
1 Timothy 2.5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

 

[shunyadragon]

I guess it depends how picky you want to get with it. Your definition of God would tell you which you're talking about. Jesus said we are gods.

John 10:34
Jesus replied, "Is it not written in your Law: 'I have said you are gods' ?

I believe this is a reference to a different understanding and definition of 'god' small g, and not really germane to the discussion.

But there is also the One God.
1 Timothy 2.5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

I get picky with selective citations trying to justify an agenda, What you cite is what I believe, unfortunately the dogma of the belief in the Trinity is different from your citations above.

 

[Kemosloby]

I believe this is a reference to a different understanding and definition of 'god' small g, and not really germane to the discussion.



I get picky with selective citations trying to justify an agenda, What you cite is what I believe, unfortunately the dogma of the belief in the Trinity is different from your citations above.

The dogma is different but scripture is consistent with the One God and the heirarchy beneath him as you say. Jesus being slightly beneath the One God, and us way down on the totem pole with our little g's.

 

[blü 2]

is the holy trinity polytheistic or monotheistic?

The Trinity is found nowhere in the NT. Instead Jesus repeatedly insists that he's Yahweh's agent and has no power except what Yahweh has given him. He also says quite expressly that he worships Yahweh as his god (John 20:17).

But as Christianity grew away from its original Judaism (and a rivalry with Judaism developed) an easily foreseeable desire developed to worship Jesus as such. This appears to have drawn taunts from Jewish authorities that like the pagans, the Christians had many gods.

By perhaps the third century the solution to this had become the Trinity, God in persons three as the carol says, and by 390 CE it was part of the 'Apostles' Creed'.

So the Trinity is a self-conscious attempt to remain monotheistic while being able to worship Jesus as god, Yahweh as god, and the Holy Ghost as god. (I'm not sure why the Holy Ghost has to be there, but so it goes,)

The result is incoherent, or as the theologians say, a 'mystery'. Obviously the choice is between (a) three gods, OR (b) God as a committee of three members (each in effect one third of God).

But that won't do politically: the aim is to worship Jesus and in doing so worship the true and only God. Thus God has to be three distinct persons, each of them 100% of God.

Do the sums: 100% + 100% + 100% = 300% = 3 gods. But no, in the face of reason (or theologians say, 'above reason') 100% + 100% + 100% = 100%.

Of course it's polytheism.

And if you throw in Mary and Satan, it's fivefold, and if you include the RCC's 10,000+ saints, all of whom accept prayers, then who could doubt it?

 

[Rival]

The dogma is different but scripture is consistent with the One God and the heirarchy beneath him as you say. Jesus being slightly beneath the One God, and us way down on the totem pole with our little g's.

You mean at the top. That's how totem poles work