Why is it so important?

[Elijah John]

Why is it so important to Trintarians that they be considered Monotheists?

If folks want to worship Jesus as God, and (consider him eternally pre-existent) why not just admit to Tri-theism? Or poly-theism?

Why is it so important to have it both ways?

[McCulloch]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Mark 12:29
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;

James 2:19
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Mark 12:29
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;

James 2:19
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

"Tradition"? Or an attempt to distance themselves from any possible charge of idolatry with their desire to glorify Jesus and indulge in "Jesus-worship"?

Note that the verses you provide do not speak of the compromise known as the Trinity,.. at all.

Seems even NT authors viewed the Father alone as God.

[liamconnor]

[Replying to post 3 by Elijah John]

"Tradition"? Or an attempt to distance themselves from any possible charge of idolatry with their desire to glorify Jesus and indulge in "Jesus-worship"?

This is a strange suggestion: Christians have an irresistible impulse to worship Jesus; since they can't suppress it, they turn him into a god to justify the impulse?

But why would they have an impulse to worship Jesus, unless they already thought he was god?

The suggestion has the cart pulling the horse.

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 4 by liamconnor]

Either way, if one considers Jesus to be "God" or wants to indulge in Jesus-worship, it is a violation of Shema. Or at best, a compromised monotheism.

The Trinity is a solution to problems that would not exist if believers had not deviated from undiluted Shema-Monotheism into glorifying a human being to the point of Divinity.

So again, why the desire to maintain the nomenclature of Monotheism? Would there be some kind of sin or stigma attatched to a more accurate description, such as "Tri-Theism"?

[Monta]

[Replying to post 4 by liamconnor]


"This is a strange suggestion: Christians have an irresistible impulse to worship Jesus; since they can't suppress it, they turn him into a god to justify the impulse? "

True, can't suppress it.
Once you know the Truth it sets them free from falsities.

[ttruscott]

So again, why the desire to maintain the nomenclature of Monotheism? Would there be some kind of sin or stigma attatched to a more accurate description, such as "Tri-Theism"?

Just that the divine Trinity are not three Gods but ONE GOD as per the Sh'ma. Three divine persons in one GOD sums up Christian trinitarian language as the best we can do...

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]



I can't see the appeal myself, but I think that's the point of the trinity, it makes God a mystery. Like being married to three different women, but having only have one wife... inexplicable but evidently appealing to some.



JW

[ttruscott]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]
I can't see the appeal myself, but I think that's the point of the trinity, it makes God a mystery. Like being married to three different women, but having only have one wife... inexplicable but evidently appealing to some.
JW

The Bible says that two bodies joined in sex have one body...but you cannot say how nor understand the meaning. In other words, not understanding how two bodies (not spirits or minds) are one, does not mean that they cannot be one body. Apply that thinking to the divine people within the Trinity being One GOD, not three, about which we do not understand the meaning.

[JehovahsWitness]

Apply that thinking to the divine people within the Trinity being One GOD, not three, about which we do not understand the meaning.

Yes, that's pretty much what I said, I personally cannot make head nor tail of whole thing and I find it most unappealing but I see that is not the case for others. Maybe if Emperor Constantine were here to explain it...

Not my cup of tea at all as we Brits say ....