Are Christians monotheistic?

ThatOwlWoman said:
I cannot agree. Jesus and God the Father have always been seen and treated as and prayed to and worshipped as two distinctly separate entities. Maybe to the priesthood of the various sects, the "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" are Hindu-like aspects of The One. But regular Xtians for the most part see Jesus and Jehovah as two beings, father and son.
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That isn't standard Christian Theology. The Nicene Creed that most Christians (Protestants and Catholics) espouses was put in place PRECISELY to avoid the assumption that God and Christ are separate. They are considered homoousios.

Entire heresies were stamped out in order to avoid this conception of "separateness" of Christ and God.

HEre's the Creed if it's been a while:

We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.
 
Oscillator said:
That isn't standard Christian Theology. The Nicene Creed that most Christians (Protestants and Catholics) espouses was put in place PRECISELY to avoid the assumption that God and Christ are separate. They are considered homoousios.

Entire heresies were stamped out in order to avoid this conception of "separateness" of Christ and God.

HEre's the Creed if it's been a while:

We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.
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As a failed-to-connect juvenile Christian/Catholic,
I was always confused by the Trinity.

I had a vague idea about the Father and the Son--very vague--
but I didn't understand the Happy Ghost at all.

What was the Happy Ghost supposed to be?
What was its function in the overall scheme of things?
 
NiftyNiblick said:
As a failed-to-connect juvenile Christian/Catholic,
I was always confused by the Trinity.

I had a vague idea about the Father and the Son--very vague--
but I didn't understand the Happy Ghost at all.

What was the Happy Ghost supposed to be?
What was its function in the overall scheme of things?
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Someone with more theology background than I will have to explain that one. I always thought it was part of the Johanine Comma but it does show up throughout all 3 synoptic gospels apparently.
 
Oscillator said:
Someone with more theology background than I will have to explain that one. I always thought it was part of the Johanine Comma but it does show up throughout all 3 synoptic gospels apparently.
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Johanine Comma?

Owl is constantly making me wear out my Google machine, but usually,
I understand what she meant after I conduct the search.

You've done her one better.

I did the search and STILL can't figure out what it means.
If it ever popped up in a college class,
I must have been studying the ponies with the racing form.

I suppose everybody must have some regrets when it comes to his/her youth.
 
NiftyNiblick said:
Johanine Comma?

Owl is constantly making me wear out my Google machine, but usually,
I understand what she meant after I conduct the search.

You've done her one better.

I did the search and STILL can't figure out what it means.
If it ever popped up in a college class,
I must have been studying the ponies with the racing form.
I suppose everybody must have some regrets when it comes to his/her youth.
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It's a famous section of the First Epistle of John that reads: 'For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." and, if I recall my theology correctly, is largely thought to be the establishment of the "Trinity" in the Bible.

The cool thing about the Johannine Comma is that when Erasmus was doing his translation of the Bible he couldn't find that in the extant manuscripts he had at the time and wasn't planning on including it. But then the Church stepped in and "found" some to show him that had the comma in it.

It is unclear if the comma was made up later or if it was just missing in the manuscripts Erasmus had access to.

(I will freely admit a lot of this is from memory so I might be messing up some of the facts)
 
ThatOwlWoman said:
Yet now He is the "Son of God" is accepted as Christian canon.
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While Jesus may not be quoted as saying that it IS in the Bible in John 3:16 " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

That might explain why it is accepted as Christian Canon because it's in the Canon explicitly.
 
Jarod said:
If so how is the devil not a type of God? How does the Devil have his own realm?
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Standard Christian doctrine holds that Satan is not a deity and cannot create; he can only corrupt and deceive.

Your results may vary.
 
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