Other religions play this game too...

From About.com on Hinduism...

"Many believe that multiplicity of deities makes Hinduism polytheistic. Such a belief is nothing short of mistaking the wood for the tree." The bewildering diversity of Hindu
belief - theistic, atheistic and agnostic - rests on a solid unity. "Ekam sath, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti", says the Rigveda : The Truth (God, Brahman, etc) is one, scholars call it by various names. What the multipicity of deities does indicate is Hinduism's spiritual hospitality as evidenced by two characteristically Hindu doctrines: The Doctrine of Spiritual Competence (Adhikaara) and The Doctrine of The Chosen Deity (Ishhta Devata). The doctrine of spiritual competence requires that the spiritual practices prescribed to a person should correspond to his or her spiritual competence. The doctrine of the chosen deity gives a person the freedom to choose(or invent)a form of Brahman that satisfies his spiritual cravings and to make it the object of his worship."

Hey! Looks like the Xtians aren't the only ones who want to have their monotheism and eat it too....

Michael

I thought that the focus was on the angels. Especially since Turton named the thread "What are angels? Are they evidence for polytheism?"

Of course, I think he now realizes that this would eliminate Judaism and Islam from the monotheistic category. I'm not sure what is left.

I think your biggest struggle is your lack of acceptance of the Supernatural. Your initial proposition probably makes it difficult for you to distinguish anything supernatural from being Supreme. Yet we know that no more than one individual can posess all the attributes of Perfection and be anything but one being. Christian definition (again)= The ONE being who is Perfectly Good, Perfectly Powerful, and Perfectly Aware. Those are off the cuff. I don't care if I am mono or poly. The truth that has been revealed to me is the same regardless. But I define God (and my definition is the one that matters, for you see I am the Christian) as the Ultimate Being (the Supreme if you like). And only one can be supreme, it's inherent in the word. -Shaun

[This message has been edited by Irishbrutha (edited April 04, 2001).]

LOL!!!

You are actually going to DEFEND your slip up, and stick with the loonie idea that Christians worship Satan??

This is almost as good as talking about how Constantine wrote the New Testament, and I must admit, after having grown bored with the Holocaust deniers, and the Castro/Khruschev/FBI/KGB/CIA/Mafia/Lyndon Johnson killed Kennedy crowds, this is a refreshing line of argumentation.

Let's see what else you have to back yourself up on this one Michael. (And remember James Still's warning, the lurkers are watching).

Nomad

I see your reading problem has re-surfaced here.

Rodahi wrote (according to Layman's quote):

"Christians believe that angels and Satan are supreme beings compared to human beings"

Note the last four words there:

COMPARED TO HUMAN BEINGS.

Do you know of any Christian who considers angels and satan to be WEAKER than him or her self?


Michael

Supreme can only mean one person Michael. Supreme is above all else. Superior is the word your looking for, but then that makes your argument pointless...Side note, the Christian believes they will one day JUDGE the angels. Does this sound possible if angels were superior to them? -Shaun

[This message has been edited by Irishbrutha (edited April 04, 2001).]

Actually I have been assured by Rodahi that he has not asserted or suggested that angels and/or satan are supreme beings.

"Monotheism" has been defined as the highest evolution of religion"

This has always given me a chuckle, 'gee instead of worshiping lots of fictional characters lets just do one, I'm tired'
"and the Lord passed judgement on the GODS of Egypt"
"You will have no OTHER GODS BEFORE ME"

No matter how you slice it or define it having the big boss & the little flunkies is no different than when the Babylonians made Marduk the big cheese & demoted the other gods to what, angles? buck privates? They all imply the universe is run by some bizarre bureaucracy, beside we all no now that angels were space aliens.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Layman:
I understand why Muslims and Jews have problems with the Trinity, and I don't think they are idiots for labelling us polythieists.

Thanks. Let's drop the idiot label and move forward.

You know, we do this a lot, you and I.

It is an interesting theological discussion, but Christianity affirms its belief in one God, expressed in the trinity. You can quibble with the language, and I understand the Trinity is problematic, but my focus, as I have said more than once now, has been your claim that 1) Christians worship Satan, and 2) belief in Satan and Angels renders Christianity polytheistic.

(1) and (2) were dealt with above, I thought. I think we are cross-posting here.


And you are once again using special pleading to defend your "Christians worship satan" statement.

No, all I do is look at Christian behavior. Who do they depict on stage and screen? Who do they deal with, bargain with, flatter? Who is the Prince of this Earth?

And as I have said before, my biggest beef with you is that you equate belief in angels and satan with polytheism. And I ask again, which religions are left once you take that definition? Islam affirms the belief in Satan and in Angels. Is it polythieistic? Even the Wahabis? Jews believe in Angels and I think many of them believe in Satan?

I don't really care whether Islam is polytheistic, and I am happy to affirm that Judiasm is close to monotheism, especially those who don't buy Satan.

You have carefully omitted the SAINTS. I have repeatedly focused on the SAINTS. And Mary. Many of the saints, as you well know, incorporate wholly or partly the features and persons of pagan deities.

And what about Protestants? They reject praying to saints and angels. Are they polytheistic because they still believe that angels and satan exist?

Sure. Don't they buy demons as well? As I said, there may be some sects of Judiasm that are truly monotheist, and deists are too.

Finally, a good question from you, no evasions. Thanks.

How about Oneness Pentacostals? They reject the Trinity but accept the angels and the existence of satan?

Never heard of these guys! I salute them. Nope, file'em under the polytheists. They have demons as well, no?

Michael

Satan isn't really a god, more of an enforcer or fund raiser.