# I Pit people who misrepresent Christianity as polytheistic **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 17, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594 "2009-12-17T04:10:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/21 "2009-12-17T05:23:11Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I’m sorry, but you don’t get to define the rules of civilized society on this messageboard with regards to your religious beliefs. Who died and made you a junior mod? As a matter of fact, I do get to open a pit thread for people who are deliberately being a jerk. If you don’t like it, you get to flap you gums, which you did. But I think the behavior is uncivilized and I get to say so. Nah, nah. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/22 "2009-12-17T05:26:07Z")
> [@Hero\_From\_Sector\_7G](#): > > In my own time I’ve seen a lot of religious hatred and cruelty towards homosexuals. It appears you are claiming that religion itself doesn’t hate homosexuals, rather, individuals who hate homosexuals use religion as justification for their own prejudice. Still, this argument always strikes me as odd - if the followers aren’t representative of their religion than what is? I made no comment about gays and lesbians. Now I will. Gays and lesbians are deserving of all the rights and respect of any people. God commands that we love all people. I’m sorry that not all people feel that way. There are denominations that support this view, including the Episcopalians. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/23 "2009-12-17T05:26:17Z")
> [@](#): > > **Hero** : …if the followers aren’t representative of their religion than what is? We call ourselves “followers,” but the teachings in so many different Christian groups contradict each other. That’s because the Bible (written by human beings) is contradictory. Some groups sincerely understand passages from the Bible to mean one thing and other groups emphasize something else and truly believe that they are right. And it seems that everybody cherry picks. I believe in a cosmic sort of Godhead which is the Trinity. I believe there are other paths to understanding this cosmic truth. I believe in the unity of _everyone_ and _everything_. I believe in love and shellfish. If this all sounds new-agey, I’ve thought it out for a long, long time and I’m still a Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/24 "2009-12-17T05:26:32Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Who died and made you a junior mod? As a matter of fact, I do get to open a pit thread for people who are deliberately being a jerk. If you don’t like it, you get to flap you gums, which you did. But I think the behavior is uncivilized and I get to say so. Nah, nah. …dude. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/25 "2009-12-17T05:26:33Z")
I find your butthurt crybaby crusade of tears to be quite amusing. I’m hoping you have a nervous breakdown right here in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/26 "2009-12-17T05:28:26Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Who died and made you a junior mod? As a matter of fact, I do get to open a pit thread for people who are deliberately being a jerk. If you don’t like it, you get to flap you gums, which you did. But I think the behavior is uncivilized and I get to say so. Nah, nah. Well, now I’m persuaded. Why didn’t you say that earlier? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/27 "2009-12-17T05:31:19Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Many _Orthodox_ Jews at least follow [Maimonides’](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonides) thoughts on the matter, who did indeed conclude that Christianity is polytheistic due to its dominant strain of Trinitarianism ( by contrast he considered Judaism and Islam to be monotheistic ). His is not the last word on the topic, but it is very influential. This is not a wholecloth invention, but a very real theological discussion within Judaism at least. And I utterly reject the teachings of Martin Luther on the subject of Judaism because they are wrong and anti-Semitic and divisive. I do not dispute what points I feel he was correct on. A serious discussion privately among Jews isn’t what I am talking about. Nor am I talking about how the Roman Catholic Church goes around saying that only they have The Way. I am talking about trolls whipping up hatred and misrepresenting religion, which is what is going on at the Straight Dope. You guys want to make snide jokes among yourselves, fine. If some people find it necessary for their theology to misrepresent Christianity for their internal beliefs, I’ve got no problem. But spreading ignorance and religious bigotry just for the sake of it is depraved and dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/28 "2009-12-17T05:34:26Z")
“People are questioning the logic of some incomprehensible religious tenets I hold as a matter of faith…Those assholes!” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/29 "2009-12-17T05:38:11Z")
You have a head god, a son of said head god, minor good nonhuman creatures(angels) that serve the head god, an opposing god-this is, without a doubt, a polytheistic religion. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/30 "2009-12-17T05:38:42Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > This is your idea of defending religion? That’s a lot worse than calling Christianity polytheistic. > > Ah, how typical! Blame people for actually following their religion. It’s never the fault of religion when people do awful things in its name; it’s all the fault of those vile, scummy human beings. Of course, when those same people do _ **good** _ things, it’s all due to the influence of religion. > > I find it amusing that you are taking umbrage at supposed mockery of a religion, while you try to defend religion by insulting the human race. > > As for your complaints; suck it up. Religion is stupid and vile and destructive, and deserves nothing but mockery and loathing. Respecting religion is not “in the best interests of civility and social accord” because religion in itself is the enemy of those things. The first step in progress towards a more civilized world is always - _always_ - to throw out or marginalize religion. The march of progress of civilization has been one long war against the madness and evil of religion. > > And besides being my honest opinion, what I just said is an example of what insulting comments towards religion are really like. Not your faux outrage over people pointing out the obvious. Religion isn’t logical. The vast majority of human activity isn’t logical. Get over it. I am sorry that you find the human race insulted, but I find people responsible for their actions, not their religions. This isn’t a thread for your dislike of religions for the reasons you have stated well here and elsewhere. I respect your dislike of religions for the reasons you have stated, but I don’t agree for reasons stated elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/31 "2009-12-17T05:39:05Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > “People are questioning the logic of some incomprehensible religious tenets I hold as a matter of faith…Those assholes!” Yeah, really. If even _ **he** _ claims the beliefs don’t make any sense and are not logical, then why the heck is he getting so upset that folks are agreeing with that part? ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/32 "2009-12-17T05:40:08Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I respect your dislike of religions for the reasons you have stated… No, clearly, you don’t, seeing as how you’re telling all of us to shut up about them. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/33 "2009-12-17T05:41:04Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I am talking about trolls whipping up hatred and misrepresenting religion, which is what is going on at the Straight Dope. You guys want to make snide jokes among yourselves, fine. If some people find it necessary for their theology to misrepresent Christianity for their internal beliefs, I’ve got no problem. Misrepresenting religion according to you. But according to a lot of other people, including other religious people it’s not misrepresentation at all. In fact, it’s rather obvious. You could change Christianity into an officially polytheistic religion with just a few tweaks of language - Satan as god of evil, angels as minor gods - with no change to the basic nature of the religion. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/34 "2009-12-17T05:43:35Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You have a head god, a son of said head god, minor good nonhuman creatures(angels) that serve the head god, an opposing god-this is, without a doubt, a polytheistic religion. No, you are a liar. God incarnated himself. If God wants to incarnate himself, that is up to him. If he wants to pray to himself, that is his business. You guys are deliberately being a bunch of assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/35 "2009-12-17T05:44:08Z")
This thread is _fantastic_. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/36 "2009-12-17T05:46:58Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Respecting religion is not “in the best interests of civility and social accord” because religion in itself is the enemy of those things. The first step in progress towards a more civilized world is always - _always_ - to throw out or marginalize religion. The march of progress of civilization has been one long war against the madness and evil of religion. And what happens then? The State becomes the new god. The State tells you what to believe and what not to believe, what to think and what not to think, and steps on you if you don’t obey. Sorry, but I don’t trust The State. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/37 "2009-12-17T05:48:25Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > No, you are a liar. God incarnated himself. If God wants to incarnate himself, that is up to him. If he wants to pray to himself, that is his business. You guys are deliberately being a bunch of assholes. [Me]Thank you _ever_ so much for respecting my thoughts about religion.[/Me] ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/38 "2009-12-17T05:48:33Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I am sorry that you find the human race insulted, but I find people responsible for their actions, not their religions. So which is it? Is religion worthy of respect just because it is religion - in which case, of course people will just do what it says - or should it be looked at with a critical eye? You are trying to have it both ways; demand mindless, reflexive credulity for religion, then criticize people for having such credulity. > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > This isn’t a thread for your dislike of religions for the reasons you have stated well here and elsewhere. I respect your dislike of religions for the reasons you have stated, but I don’t agree for reasons stated elsewhere. I rather doubt you respect my dislike, or anyone else’s; just look at this thread you made. And my dislike of religion is relevant because you are busy demonstrating some of the reasons I feel that way. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/39 "2009-12-17T05:50:28Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Misrepresenting religion according to you. But according to a lot of other people, including other religious people it’s not misrepresentation at all. In fact, it’s rather obvious. You could change Christianity into an officially polytheistic religion with just a few tweaks of language - Satan as god of evil, angels as minor gods - with no change to the basic nature of the religion. If we are going to go on whether people agree and if we are going to take votes you will find you are outvoted. Civility is not, however a matter of majority vote. Yeah, I get that you think the world would be a better place without religion. I think that a complete and exhaustive philosophical disproof of your position was done by Parker and Stone in a South Park goes to an atheist future and find the atheists fighting just as much. Humans are capable of great violence. Atheists are not immune to that anymore than anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/40 "2009-12-17T05:53:44Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > No, you are a liar. God incarnated himself. If God wants to incarnate himself, that is up to him. If he wants to pray to himself, that is his business. You guys are deliberately being a bunch of assholes. No. “Disagrees with **The Second Stone** on religious nomenclature” isn’t a synonym for “asshole”. > [@SteveG1](#): > > And what happens then? The State becomes the new god. The State tells you what to believe and what not to believe, what to think and what not to think, and steps on you if you don’t obey. > > Sorry, but I don’t trust The State. False dilemma. Weakening religion doesn’t mean the state is elevated to godhood; nor does religion being strong mean that the state isn’t elevated to godhood anyway. “Divine right of kings” sound familiar? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594.md?page=3)