# Christianity Really A Monotheistic Religion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 6, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874 "2004-03-06T18:42:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/1 "2004-03-06T18:42:27Z")
I was thinking this morning…is Christianity really a monotheistic religion? I’m talking about Christianity in aggregate, not specific sects like Voodoo, Santaria, Catholicism, etc. I’m not so sure it is. Your “basic” flavor of Christianity believes in three entities, God, Jesus, and Satan/Lucifer/the Devil. Now there’s some debate about whether Jesus and God are two entities or one, but we’re not going to quibble about that, We know that are two, at least- God (plus or minus a Jesus), and Satan. Now, while God may be seen as more powerful than Satan, the “real” power as it were, one could easily argue that the Satan figure is clearly some flavour of minor “god,” with supernatural powers, ability to influence events and people, present in the world, and ruling over his own domain. Wouldn’t this then mean that Christianity is at _least_ a Dualtheistic religion? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/2 "2004-03-06T19:05:49Z")
Actually, to put a different skew on it… I always thought that the commandment ‘Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me’ clearly implied that _GOD_ at least, acknowledged that other Gods existed. ---
**Author:** ![5cents](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/46a35a/32.png) [@5cents](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5cents)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/3 "2004-03-06T19:28:48Z")
Uh, the trinity is the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit). Satan isn’t in this picture. The explanation given by most Christian groups is that the members of the trinity are all facets of one God, although there are some Christian groups that are not trinitarian. As to why there is a trinity, my best guess, after years of study, is that it came from the marketing department. You see, although Christianity started as a Jewish cult, it quickly spread by converting Greek and Roman pagans, not Jews. Jews were used to monotheism, but pagan religion had a zillion gods. To sell monotheism to pagans, therefore, you needed a hedge to make them comfortable. So you sell it as three-in-one. Why three-in-one instead of two-in-one (after all, most Christians don’t seem to understand the Holy Ghost/Spirit anyway). My guess is that two-in-one seems a bit forced, like “we’re making it sort of multitheistic just for you silly pagans”. But three-in-one is a step beyond. I trust I have insulted all Christians, Jews, cult members and pagans by now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/4 "2004-03-06T19:30:07Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Actually, to put a different skew on it… > > I always thought that the commandment ‘Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me’ clearly implied that _GOD_ at least, acknowledged that other Gods existed. Point. In fact, there are many places in the Torah/Old Testament that God states things like, “I am the God of the Israelites,” and not, say, the Sumerians. He also goes on to say that he is the most powerful god, which implies there are certainly others gods running about. ---
**Author:** ![5cents](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/46a35a/32.png) [@5cents](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5cents)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/5 "2004-03-06T19:36:50Z")
Wait a second, now I see how you figured Satan was in the Trinity. It was the “Ghost” thing, right? The Holy Ghost isn’t a “boo!” type ghost. Devils are fallen angels (I can imagine the Fox TV Series: When Angels Attack!). The Devil (note: no “s”) or Lucifer (or Satan) is the head of the Devils, and is also a fallen angel. Cite: [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Maggy\_May](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/97f17d/32.png) [@Maggy\_May](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggy_May)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/6 "2004-03-06T19:46:21Z")
My understanding is that Satan was the greatest, most beautiful angel God created, what his job was I’m not sure I remember, if I ever knew. I guess you could say he was “above” the other angels. But still he was just an angel, not a god or lesser god, just an angel, another of Gods creations, like humans. And about the commandment “have no god before me” meaning there must be other gods, I don’t think so. I think it means put nothing in your life above me, such as work, any other human, any statue or false idol, etc. ---
**Author:** ![jymjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/45deac/32.png) [@jymjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jymjim)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/7 "2004-03-06T19:53:52Z")
In Catholicism, Mary has ascended to a MUCH higher place of honour than anywhere else, the same for the Saints, to whom you are supposed to petition for help etc. These two are definatly worshipped alongside Jesus, so in that way it could seem slightly less monotheistic, but i’m pretty sure its the only Christian Denomination that does that, the reformers dropping much of that stuff along the way. Apart from that i’m fairly sure its Monotheistic, the Trinity still being a single entity, and a theological theory that hasn’t always found favour. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/8 "2004-03-06T20:05:52Z")
Just a quick note- the concept of three-in-one also exists in certain pagan Goddess cults, in which the Goddess is manifest as Maiden, Mother and Crone, and each aspect has its own name (Persephone, Demeter, Hecate, or other various names, maybe Diana/Artemis in place of Persephone, who eventually had to give up her maidenhood to Hades, in which case she would move into the Crone position, as Goddess of the Underworld… and you thought the Christian Trinity was confusing…) I think that Christianity is monotheistic in the sense that we worship one God. I suppose that the angels (fallen or still in good standing with the Almighty), could be considered as small “g” gods, what with the supernatural powers and all, and the ability to influence the natural world, but would not be considered objects of woship. More or less the same thing would go for the saints. They intercede with God on our behalf, as do the angels, and on some rare occasions, intervene in humn affairs (anyone have a link to the legend of the Loretto staircase?) but are not considered objects of worship. Oh, BTW, I would really like to know where the OP got the idea that Catholicism is a polytheistic sect that can be equated with Voodoo and Santeria. Voodoo is a somewhat altered version of the religions of western Africa. Occasionally Christian saints are invoked, but they are considered manifestations of African gods. Santeria originated as an attempt by African slaves to conceal their worship of the old African gods by disguising it as the veneration of Christian saints. Both religions have some Christian influence, Voodoo by osmosis, Santeria because of deliberate deception, but neither is a Christian sect. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/9 "2004-03-06T20:12:48Z")
> [@5cents](#): > > Wait a second, now I see how you figured Satan was in the Trinity. It was the “Ghost” thing, right? The Holy Ghost isn’t a “boo!” type ghost. > > Devils are fallen angels (I can imagine the Fox TV Series: When Angels Attack!). The Devil (note: no “s”) or Lucifer (or Satan) is the head of the Devils, and is also a fallen angel. Cite: [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm) Uh, no. I wasn’t trying to say at all that Satan was part of the Trinity. The Holy Ghost isn’t really _worshipped_ by most Christians, it sort floats about, although it is figured more prominently in Catholicism. I am refering to the dyad of multiple god forms in Christianity. God + Satan. Of course originally Lucifer was a fallen angel, but then his desent into Hell also was his _asent_ in the mythology, dogma, and belief structure into a second diety, diametric to the original and top-dog God. ---
**Author:** ![5cents](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/46a35a/32.png) [@5cents](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5cents)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/10 "2004-03-06T20:50:29Z")
> [@inkleberry](#): > > Of course originally Lucifer was a fallen angel, but then his desent into Hell also was his _asent_ in the mythology, dogma, and belief structure into a second diety, diametric to the original and top-dog God. I don’t see that at all. Satan/Lucifer is, at best, a “small g” god in Christianity. In most multitheistic religions there is an “inner circle” of important Gods (capital “G”), with a whole host of lesser gods (little “g”). In Christianity you have one or two or three Gods (depending on what sect you are looking at, two or three is the most common), with anywhere from zero to “a lot” of gods (angels, saints, satan, etc). Most common is Catholicism (50% of the total Christian population), with 3 “big G” and literally thousands of “little G”. Typical protestant churches have 2 or 3 “big G” and maybe a couple “little g” (angel? satan? sect’s founder?). In answer to the OP, to an outsider, any Christian church, with the exception of some “Unitarian” sects, would probably be considered multitheistic. I put Unitarian in quotes because many US and Canadian Unitarians have moved beyond Christianity, so it has taken on a different meaning. ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/11 "2004-03-06T21:08:40Z")
> [@jymjim](#): > > In Catholicism, Mary has ascended to a MUCH higher place of honour than anywhere else, the same for the Saints, to whom you are supposed to petition for help etc. Actually, you’re not “supposed” to. You may choose to. No one is ever required to venerate Mary or a saint, though no Catholic I know would ever choose not to if asked or offered the opportunity. Also, the hyperdulia offered to Mary, or the dulia offered to the Saints, is substantively different than the latria offered to the Trinity. The first two are forms of veneration, the latter is the only form of worship in Catholicism. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/12 "2004-03-06T21:17:59Z")
How are you defining God, and/or god? I consider Satan to be a (fallen) angel. I don’t believe he is God; I believe God is the Father-Son-Holy Spirit three-in-one combo. Satan isn’t God anymore than the Archangel Michael is. Small-g god can be defined several different ways. If we’re defining it as “the object of worship in someone’s life”, or “the most important thing/person/concept in someone’s life”, then Satan can be a god. So can my dog, for that matter. If we’re defining god as “creator or co-creator of the universe” or “being who is uncreated”, then no, I don’t consider Satan to be a god, and neither would most Christian sects. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/13 "2004-03-06T21:22:53Z")
I’m not Christian, and so perhaps I’m just ignorant about it… but it certainly seems like Christianiaty is not monothesistic. At the least, you have God, and his son Jesus. If God and Jesus are the same entity, then Jesus is obviously not God’s son, because that relationship only makes sense among two different entities. The arguments I’ve seen otherwise seem to involve a lot of hand waving. ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/14 "2004-03-06T21:28:04Z")
The Father, the Son and the Spirit are one substance, but three persons. They have three distinct wills, but only one essence. ---
**Author:** ![5cents](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/46a35a/32.png) [@5cents](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5cents)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/15 "2004-03-06T21:40:54Z")
> [@spectrum](#): > > The Father, the Son and the Spirit are one substance, but three persons. To non-christians, this is the handwaving. It is like to a non-buddhist trying to understand that the current Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama – same soul, different body. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/16 "2004-03-06T21:45:30Z")
It seems to me if they have three different wills, three different personalities, then we are talking about three different Gods. What if they disagree with each other? ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/17 "2004-03-06T22:23:19Z")
Having one essence, they would not disagree with each other. And God and the Holy Spirit have no physicality, but with Jesus share the same substance (they are made up of the same “God-stuff,” as it were). This is Christian theology, however. If you don’t agree with the basic precepts, you won’t find any logic in the conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/18 "2004-03-06T22:26:19Z")
> [@5cents](#): > > Wait a second, now I see how you figured Satan was in the Trinity. It was the “Ghost” thing, right? The Holy Ghost isn’t a “boo!” type ghost. > > Devils are fallen angels (I can imagine the Fox TV Series: When Angels Attack!). The Devil (note: no “s”) or Lucifer (or Satan) is the head of the Devils, and is also a fallen angel. Cite: [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm) Uh, no. I wasn’t trying to say at all that Satan was part of the Trinity. The Holy Ghost isn’t really _worshipped_ by most Christians, it sort floats about, although it is figured more prominently in Catholicism. I am refering to the dyad of multiple god forms in Christianity. God + Satan. Of course originally Lucifer was a fallen angel, but then his desent into Hell also was his _asent_ in the mythology, dogma, and belief structure into a second diety, diametric to the original and top-dog God. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/19 "2004-03-06T22:30:44Z")
Satan is a deity for all practical purposes. To distinguish him as an “angel” is really just semantic weaseling. Christianity has a pantheon. Even leaving Trinity aside, you still have a whole hierachy of angels, saints and devils. Those are gods just as much as much as Hindu deities are gods. there may be only one all-powerful “creator” God but I think it’s specious to say he’s the only deity in Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874/20 "2004-03-06T22:32:38Z")
In proper Christian theology, Satan is not presented as an anti-God, but an anti-Michael. It’s only in pulp stories and Hollywood blockbusters where Satan is figured as a divine sort of “God of evil” type being. And the Holy Spirit is very much elevated in Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy and Anglicanism. Not sure about most mainstream Protestantism. BUt in any case, those three branches comprise a staggering majority of the world’s Christians (upwards of 60%). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-really-a-monotheistic-religion/232874.md?page=2)