Doppler

Is Catholicism polytheism?

Does praying to Mary and having human beings forgive sins (priests) breaking the "I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no gods before me" commandment?

Bible Humper

Technically no.

They are very legalistic in the way that they define it so that the saints, Satan, Arch-angels and friends don't count as either minor gods or demi-gods.

This allowed them define themselves as monotheists, but still allowed them to adopt pagan deities into the pantheon, deify revered figures, add new tales, etc.

I ate Pascal's Wafer

Well, I think they believe that Mary and the saints are not elevated to the status of deity, but are somewhat more than your average person. They are God's bitches, if you will. In that sense they would not necessarily be polytheistic as Mary and the saints would just refer your prayer over to the big one (either that or they may have limited ability to answer some prayers).

Of course the whole issue of daddy, junior, and the spook is different and I think one can make a case for polytheism in that respect.

-Nick

Ronin

Anyone that can worship a Trinity and call it monotheism can believe and rationalize just about anything.

I ate Pascal's Wafer

Believe and rationalize? Pardon? Sure, they may be able to believe anything, but it's doubtful that they can rationlize their way out of a box.

-Nick

Biff the unclean

Oh good grief another Protestant heretic attacking the base of his own religion on an Atheist site.

Doppler it doesn't matter if you pray to one God or a bushel full. If you can't prove that it/they exist you are being dishonest.

Ronin

In the intransitive sense, Nick ~

Rationalize: to provide plausible but untrue reasons for certain conduct.

Oh, and now the use of plausible in this context ~

Plausible: superficially pleasing or persuasive <a swindler..., then a quack, then a smooth, plausible gentleman -- R. W. Emerson>

Language is such a funny thing...well, not "ha-ha" funny...ah, screw it.

They'll believe anything.

I ate Pascal's Wafer

Hmm, you're right. I always thought rationalize meant being able to explain something such that it is a reasonable, logically sound answer. Apparently it's not as narrow a definition as I had thought.

Lol, yup. Isn't language fun?

I'll drink to that!

-Nick

Doppler

Biff, I am not a protestant. But I think it was about time someone mistook me as being religious lol

Ok, my whole issues is that they are praying to human beings, no matter how you slice it. Human beings aren't on the same level as god is, and they are praying to dead humans. Praying to a dead human doesn't make any sense. Why not cut out the middle man anyway, and go directly to the source, the only one who would be able to 'help' you?

I also have a problem with the Catholic religion using priests, who again are human, to forgive their sins. That also smacks of Polytheism. So does the trinity, at least in my opinion.

I ate Pascal's Wafer

Doppler, Catholics consider Mary and the saints as more than mere humans, but less that deities. They aren't just your average person, but very special people... Apparently they think that these people have some type of limited power to answer prayers (you wouldn't ask the patron saint of travelling to give you relationship advice, for example). They don't elevate them to the status of god, but they also don't consider them as mere humans either.

Mary et. al. would have the limited ability to help you, though. Apparently they can take care of the small stuff so that you would only bother the big guy for the big issues.

No, they just consider priests to be God's worker on Earth. They represent God in the confessional, but are not consider gods themselves. Basically, they are simply the mechanism by which God forgives you. One can make a case for xianity being a polytheistic religion, but this isn't one of them.

The trinity is a clearer example, and it would take a skilled mental gymnast to justify the statement that three divine entities at the center of a religion is not polytheism. If you're going to state that xianity is polytheistic, then this is likely the angle that you will have to work from.

-Nick