A question for discussion concerning Polytheism in the Bible

Thats a good point Stewards. There is a special name for places in the bible where Jesus is meant to have been seen before he was born. The meeting with Abhram and the 3 'men' is one ... I think Jacobs struggle with God is another...


I think to say that Judaism was polytheistic based on just the name of God is far fetched. That is not much evidence to use considering how powerful the message of the Commandments and the theme of the is for monotheism.

Again this is a case where people can take the words and distort them to serve their own agenda.

In fact I remember reading that polytheastic religions generally come from monetheistac ones, behind the belief in many gods is the very old belief in one old powerful creator.

� Early Hebrew religion was polytheistic; the curious plural form of the name of God, Elohim rather than El, leads them to believe that the original Hebrew religion involved several gods. This plural form, however, can be explained as a "royal" plural. Several other aspects of the account of Hebrew religion in Genesis also imply a polytheistic faith.

� The earliest Hebrew religion was animistic, that is, the Hebrews seemed worship forces of nature that dwelled in natural objects.

[Edited on 12-11-2002 by Netchicken]

My dear friends...you all discount polytheism in the bible with the "trinity" but you all fail to mention when trinity was actually introduced into the bible. It surely was not in genisis, which came first, so when in human history, did Trinity finally cast down the last spectors of polytheism in the bible?

Hmm I went in search just now of trying to find the time Trinity was put into the bible. I found something more interesting, though I'd like someone to try and find WHEN it was put in.

The more interesting site, is a website that has versus of the bible that DENY trinity, which I think would lend support that there used to be a great deal of polytheism in the bible until trinity was introduced to try and do away with any references of polytheism, but trinity itself is not entirely accepted in the bible. See for yourself and see what you think of it.

www.geocities.com...

Sincerely,
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As I recall, the issue of trinity was not well accepted in some Christian sects -- long before our modern Unitarians hit the scene. Issues like this were usually settled with beheadings and excommunications until the one with the most power won.

sigh .. there are the Unitarians (?) who say that there is no trinity, and then there are the moslems... This page is created by a moslem with verses to support his viewpoint.

Again, I am getting tired of repeating myself here, the trick is to take isolated verses and ascribe to them the point you want to make.

For example it says you cannot anthroporphise God, (make him with human attributes) yet the bible does a very good case of that, but he fails to point out those scriptures, only to use obscure ones...

God is a trinity like water = ice = steam, all part of the same being.

Check out this link on information on the trintiy .. hope it works
www.blueletterbible.org...

[Edited on 13-11-2002 by Netchicken]

Which page are you refering to NetChicken? What page is made by a moslem?

Hmm and your description of trinity is an interesting, but you are saying you have no idea WHEN trinity was introduced? It was surely not around even a hundred years after Jesus died was it?

Oh...I guess you mean that link?

Sincerely,
no signature

[Edited on 13-11-2002 by FreeMason]

I did a little searching and found some sites that seem to speak less nonsense and more sense on the trinity issue.

It was, as I remember, NOT a part of the original religion.


This site dates it to 5th century AD

Similar info (interesting read) from BibleStudents.Org

Jehovah's Witness site -- but good scholarship

Note that the Catholic Unitarian Creed is the oldest form, dating back to the early church (50 AD)

Now -- for a VERY good (but culturally different, and intellectually intriguing) twist on this, read this page on Arius and the fights that occurred over the unitarian/trinitarian sects in early Christianity. The info is correct, historically, but what makes it so interesting is that this is from an Islamic website -- so you get an interesting, outside view of one of the biggest fights in the early Christian church:
www.alislam.org...

That was a great link! Who would have known that the First "Pope" was such a political leader / tyrant. He wanted to stamp out this idea of Christ and the Father being two separate beings. And that was one of the factors that lead to the Nicean Creed, which most Protestant religions even attest to. History once again.
Maybe I should name Protestants as Reformed Catholics? I am not trying to slander anyone, but it's just a thought...

i believe that there are many interpretations of the bible because everyone wants to interpret each written scripture as part of them