Zed

Christians have used some sort of a bogus loophole in, well, theology to maintain their membership in the club, but today, the Monotheism club has cancelled their membership.

"For two thousand years, we put up with this crap about 3 being equal to 1, despite protests from other members, like Islam and Judaism," said the club's president. "But today, we have decided that enough is enough. They're no longer part of our club."

"The Quran says that Allah is One, indivisible. PERIOD. End of Story. It's not Three Persons and One at once, or whatever BS they're giving us," said the Muslim representative in the club.

"Christianity became a polytheistic religion from the beginning in order to gain popularity in the Roman world," said the Jewish representative. "But they kept pretending they were monotheistic to maintain their link to Judaism, because that gave them the appearance of antiquity; of not being a newly made-up religion."

Other members of the Monotheism club, such as Sikhism and Baha'i, welcomed the decision.

"You have a shamrock, and it has three petals, but it's one shamr....", said the Christian representative, before being interrupted by security, who dragged him out of the building for the last time.

spin

The christian didn't say that at all. You're putting words into his/her mouth. This is what the christian said,

"Think of Das Kapital. Some analysts will tell you it's history and it is. Others will say it's politics and it is. Yet others will swear it's economics and they're right. Three different faces, but still one book."

And the christian was lynched for threatening to overthrow the state, advocating communism.


spin

Toto

I don't see any Biblical History or Criticism here...

Zed

This is a criticism of Christianity, if you agree that the Trinity is a Biblical concept.

Christianity has always claimed to be a monotheistic religion, which it's clearly not. Yet its claim has always been assumed to be a given (except by Jews and Muslims).

It gets away with it simply by saying the three distinct Supernatural Persons it worships are somehow one god. Mind you, it doesn't pretend they are three manifestations of one god, or three parts of one god, but three distinct Persons. They're three gods!

That's called polytheism, and Christianity has somehow gotten away with it.

Toto

Actually, the Trinity is not a Biblical concept, and not all criticism of Christianity is Biblical Criticism. There is a forum called Abrahamic Religions that might be more appropriate - unless you want to tie this to Christian history.

GakuseiDon

In 2 Cor 4:4, Paul calls Satan "the god of this world", so that's an additional one.

Paul also refers to those led by the Spirit of God as "sons of God":

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
...
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

There is also John 10:

33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '?
35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),
36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

And John 1:

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Toto

Nice try, but Satan is not part of the trinity.

Chili

The Trinity is a necessary part of "God with us" or our Infallibility would be sham!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course futuristic Judaism cannot accept that and Islam would not know the difference.

Oh, and fuck Baha'i and Sikhism too.

GakuseiDon

Not sure what I am trying -- or do I??? Mwahahaha! (insert Dr Evil laugh!) -- other than that there is more going on than just the word "God".

Anyway, if Christianity suddenly declared itself to be polytheistic, no doubt someone like Zed would pop up and say, "Hey, now wait just a minute... those three gods are three hypostases in one essence!!! That's monotheistic! What the heck are those Christians playing at?!!"

Toto

I don't understand this obsession with monotheism. Modern day Hindus claim to be really monotheistic, because all of their gods are just aspects of the divine.

It's like monotheism is advanced, and polytheists are primitive, so you better be a monotheist if you want to be cool.

One god, many gods - they're all delusions.