So you're calling more than one thing Greatest over all? I thought maybe the Heno-theists just take one God over all, but you take 2 Gods and a Supreme being over all, and worship all three right?
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Can deities reproduce?
- Thread starter Eddi
- Start date
Correct
firedragon
Veteran Member
Okay great. Thanks for the clarification. I am not well versed on your theology. I shall read up.
Have a great day.
nPeace
Veteran Member
God used what is called Holy Spirit. It is a controlled force - controlled and directed by God's power.
Can scientist direct a force in a controlled way? Certainly.
If man can do it, it's not far-fetched that a superman can do it...
A superhuman / supernatural... More so.
(Matthew 12:28) But if it is by means of God’s spirit that I expel the demons. . .
(Luke 11:20) But if it is by means of God’s finger that I expel the demons. . .
nPeace
Veteran Member
Not that I know of.
Correct
Maybe that is called Tri-theism or just straight up Polytheism. Polytheistic people often had some number greater than one which they worshipped, but I think heno-theism was supposed to be just one, so a person who believes in many gods, but worships only one of them, and your version is you believe in many gods, worship 2 of them, and one Supreme Being which is not the same sort of thing as a god by your definition, so that you are what might be called a "Christian Polytheist", Christian because you believe in a version of all the Christian stuff, but believe in lots of Gods and also that the three are not exactly truly One, but are actually three different beings, Supreme Being and two god beings, and these three are the bosses or top things over all the other gods / spirits.
So your beliefs are actually close to maybe a lot of people, maybe some Second Temple Jewish groups and early Israelites possibly, maybe some Christian types and Gnostics possibly. The Mormons also believe in 3 individual Gods, but they worship only The Father who they consider a god like the other gods but boss over them, except that he had parents and generations of gods before him too, and so is not separated out as Supreme Being the way your Supreme Being is not a god / spirit like the others.
What is the point though of believing any of this? Is it just that you want to believe in the Bible and this is the only way it makes any good sense to you? I mean, besides "the Bible said so" what evidence is there for any of this or what reason would anyone have to believe any of this?
What sect or denomination do you seem to fit most closely with in your beliefs?
nPeace
Veteran Member
I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
May I ask, why you wanted to know?
I don't know if it shows up for you, but on my screen, under his posts, he has this written out:
"I believe in many deities but only worship those who make up the Godhead. Divine as they are, the others are not to be worshipped. I believe that The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are deities created by The Supreme Being, and are subordinate to him but who with him constitute the Godhead. I believe they are of the same divine substance as The Supreme Being. I believe "God" to be the title shared by all three members of The Godhead. I am therefore a Henotheist. I am a Syncretist because my personal faith contains certain elements that are commonly found in Hinduism."
So, he is a kind of Christian themed "Hard Polytheist" who believes that the "Supreme Being" is not a god, but something else, and that gods are some kind of entity of which there are many, and that the Supreme Being is partnered up with two of these god beings (I think the Supreme Being created these things in their belief), and that one of these gods is Jesus Christ and the other of these gods is the Holy Spirit, and these Three rule over and are the dominant over all the other gods / spirits, or even if not, Eddi worships only these 3 things (how they worship, I don't know, maybe praying to them or asking from them as their main way of interacting).
One may be surprised to find that their beliefs and ideas are not actually that uncommon, and I've encountered in this modern age many people who insist upon beliefs similar to this, even though they would be considered major heresies by the standards of many Christian groups and denominations.
To provide a little contrast (for other readers):
Eddi believes that the Supreme Being is not the same thing as a god. I believe that the Supreme Being is not the same thing as what most people calls "gods" and imagine as kinds of "powerful spirits or beings".
Eddi believes that Jesus Christ is a god. I do not believe in any "gods", except that almost any "god" might be used to refer to things in nature, concepts, abstract things, or actions and creations of the Supreme Being who is One, so that one may even say "all the gods are unreal, except that they are One or controlled by One". This is a statement similar to the Oracle of Apollo at Didyma.
Eddi believes that the Holy Spirit is another god being. I don't believe in that. I think that the Holy Spirit for most people refers to God's power to give things life or animate them. In Islam, the term is said to refer to Gabriel the Angel, but I don't think that is how they are using the term most of the time.
It wouldn't be hard to present the idea that the Supreme Being is something Other, and the things that Eddi is calling "gods" are "angels" and that Jesus Christ is "Michael" and the Holy Spirit is "Gabriel" as the two top angels under the Supreme Being, to match up with Eddi's ideas.
Eddi believes that numerous and various "gods" exist, who are the same sort of being as Jesus Christ or The Holy Spirit, but not the same sort of being as the Supreme Being in their view.
So I am a Monotheist, verging even on being a kind of Monist possibly, a Pan-en-theist in some ways, who only believes in "One Power" that is controlling everything whatsoever, and that there are truly no other intelligences or powers in actuality, only appearances or impressions of such generated by the One Intelligent Power.
Eddi is a Hard Polytheist that is Christian themed (they might like the work of Michael Heiser as well), who has a form of "Tri-theistic" Heno-theism (they like the term Heno-theism, but usually it makes me think of people who select only one God rather than 2 gods and a Supreme Being).
Eddi might enjoy a notion they can read about called "The Second Power In Heaven".
I believe that the three members of The Godhead are joined together in a form of mystical union not unlike marraige and that all three are consubstantial with each other - that they are of a divine essence which is different to what makes up us humans
Yes, that is the only way any of it makes sense to me
For me the evidence is that it makes sense to me
I'm not out to convert other people, that's not my business
It makes sense to me and to me that's enough
Your summary of my beliefs is I think both fair and interesting
I had never heard of "Hard Polytheism" before, so thanks for mentioning that
YoursTrue
Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
I think you are asking very good questions, that's what I think.
YoursTrue
Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
Although it's good to ask questions as to what another person thinks, and why. As far as reasoning goes, it is not always conversion style. For instance, if someone doesn't believe in a godhead of three consubstantial persons, it could be helpful to explain why not. Or vice versa, let's say he does believe in a triune godhead. He should be able to explain why he does. Not necessarily to convert another, but to clarify.I believe that the three members of The Godhead are joined together in a form of mystical union not unlike marraige and that all three are consubstantial with each other - that they are of a divine essence which is different to what makes up us humans
Yes, that is the only way any of it makes sense to me
For me the evidence is that it makes sense to me
I'm not out to convert other people, that's not my business
It makes sense to me and to me that's enough
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YoursTrue
Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
Didn't I go into a brief introductory explanation of what holy spirit is in this or another thread. I'd like to see also, though, Goddess Kit's explanation.
YoursTrue
Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
I figure that's what many answers here are. Fantasy. The question(s) have been asked, just about how many deities have had relationships producing (nonhuman) children?
YoursTrue
Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
Well, taking this for what it is, someone made a little quip about majoring in philosophy and working at a restaurant. When the customer asks for burger and fries, ask 'why' does he want fries with his burger?
SeekerOnThePath
On a mountain between Nietzsche and Islam
In Polytheism yes that kind of stuff is literally part of their mythologies.
For Judaism and Islam, which are Monistic, such an idea of reproduction is antithetical to the very concept of God (which is the one singularity upon which all creation is created), and blasphemous, and also just silly.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Happens in Hinduism, but not with every God.
Gods needed a victorious general for their army and it was possible only when Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati mate, because such was the boon granted to the demon, Tarakasura, that he could be killed only by a son of Shiva. Tarakasura thought that Shiva would never have a son. But Shiva was meditating. So Gods sent Cupid (Kamadeva) to awaken sexual desire in Shiva. Shiva's meditation was broken, he was very angry, he decimated Cupid. But the purpose of Gods was done. In time, Kartikeya / Murugan was born and when he grew up, he commanded the army of Gods and defeated the demon.
Avataras have children in the normal human way. They are in the human garb, so no problem there. Lord Rama's sons were Lava and Kush. Krishna had 80 sons, ten to each of his eight wives. Lord Buddha's son was Rāhula.
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YoursTrue
Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
The thing is the Bible does talk about creating inanimate and living things. So without going into too much depth, I would say God knows how to read minds.