# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/101 "2009-12-17T16:16:31Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Can I pit deists who claim that Hinduism is a monotheistic religion? > > Please? Heh, I was going to bring that point up to \*\*Second Stone \*\*myself- “You think YOU have it bad, try trying to explain to someone that Hinduism is Monotheistic!” 😛 It can be done, and it in my opinion is just as tenuous as a position as someone who wants to make ANY claim about a religion. We humans believe lots of odd and tricky things. But yes, if you would like to Pit me, you’re welcome to do so. It would be a pretty quick pitting though, as I’d agree with you that my position is tenuous, and my beliefs are certainly no more valid than the next person, and that we (Hindus) don’t really know anything for CERTAIN, so it’s possible, just one that some people may agree with and some may disagree with. Though in the end, I think the (non-ultraconservative) Hindus would agree that it’s not really a big deal and if that’s what you’re hung up on, you’re kinda missing the point. Which is cool. But yeah- you think YOU’VE got problems, **Second Stone** … Heh. Try explaining 12 avatars for one God, that’s really one God into Three Gods, as Well as Male AND Female at the same time, in counterparts, so he’s really 1-\>3-\>6 which each of those facets of him having their own avatars and demigods and planar beings… Pffft… you Christians have it easy! 😛 ---
**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, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/102 "2009-12-17T16:20:34Z")
Hindus consider Hinduism to be monotheistic? Seriously? EDIT: a brief scan of the wikipedia article on Hinduism reveals that it’s extremely esoteric and completely over my head. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/103 "2009-12-17T16:22:10Z")
> [@ToeJam](#): > > **One and one and one make three** Heh. Kind of a fitting quote to go with your user name. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/104 "2009-12-17T16:31:20Z")
If god and the devil are destined to fight a great battle over the world, and god is …well god, what kind of creature could fight him on even terms? Would it help you to define the devil as a terrorist? The church has fought the trinity battle a long time. They have made a point of trying to define it as one god because three would have an atavistic flair. Christianity wants to be thought of as a newer religion, not an old polytheistic one like the Romans had. It is just that the attempts fail miserably. It does not change a thing for you to admit that you are a polytheist. You can still go to church on Sunday. And when you pray to the Virgin Mary to do a miracle for you or St. Christopher to protect you, you can expect it to work because they are gods. Confession is good for the soul. So is reality. ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/105 "2009-12-17T16:52:46Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I don’t have a criticism of atheism per se. Iti s a perfectly understandable (and logical) way to see the world. But I don’t see it as a religion. None of the atheists I know personally are about spreading it. I am aware from the internet that there are people like you who want to spread the word on atheism. It’s not for me anymore than my beliefs are for you. Then you are a very lucky person. Every atheist I have met is just as evangelical (if not moreso) than my Christian, Jewish and Muslim friends. Granted, Judaism and Islam are not particularly evangelical religions. I get more lectures about how evil my religion is than I have ever given about how living well and being nice to others is a good thing to do. In my opinion, atheism becomes a religion when its proponents start trying to “convert” others to their cause. So there are certainly some non-religious atheists out there, but there does seem to be a growing number of evangelical atheists. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/106 "2009-12-17T16:59:21Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I am an atheist now. My youth was spent been indoctrinated and lied to by Catholic priests. You should count yourself lucky that they didn’t rape you as well. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/107 "2009-12-17T17:02:27Z")
> [@slitterst](#): > > In my opinion, atheism becomes a religion when its proponents start trying to “convert” others to their cause. So there are certainly some non-religious atheists out there, but there does seem to be a growing number of evangelical atheists. I would agree that more atheists are getting in people’s faces about this but IMO a lot of it comes from anger/frustration about religious people not only having their religion but wanting laws to reflect their beliefs e.g. same sex marriage ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/108 "2009-12-17T17:08:54Z")
> [@slitterst](#): > > Then you are a very lucky person. Every atheist I have met is just as evangelical (if not moreso) than my Christian, Jewish and Muslim friends. Granted, Judaism and Islam are not particularly evangelical religions. > > I get more lectures about how evil my religion is than I have ever given about how living well and being nice to others is a good thing to do. > > In my opinion, atheism becomes a religion when its proponents start trying to “convert” others to their cause. So there are certainly some non-religious atheists out there, but there does seem to be a growing number of evangelical atheists. I doubt that. You are hyper sensitive to people who don’t embrace religion. Most atheists know better than to say they are one in public. It is dangerous. It can affect employment . There are a lot of religious people who are strident about pushing their beliefs down innocent peoples throats. I don’t know any atheists who attempt to convert. Religious people are trained to accept their beliefs in flawed religions from youth. A pep talk from an atheist would be a waste of time. ---
**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, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/109 "2009-12-17T17:35:01Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > As for the Incoherent thread, yes, the concept is not clear. But that doesn’t require its open mocking. It’s Great Debates, not an open ended discussion on what people find heretical about the concept of the Trinity. Frankly, some of the posts here have been more enlightening on it as a concept. Some worse. I just re-read the GD thread - Nobody mentions the concept that the Trinity is a polytheistic until post #25 \*\* Gonzomax’s\*\* “The church has a lot of gods”, followed by **Sqweels’** post #32, “the Trinity was an attempt to rationalize the belief in the divility of Jesus vis-a-vis monotheism.” [sic]. **Voyager** makes a comment regarding early Christian and contemporary Jewish beliefs (#40) and suggests that it is an attempt to reconcile monotheism and also combat roman beliefs. These are reasonable things to say in a thread about the incoherence of the Trinity. This isn’t mocking, this is reasonable discourse. Then you charge in, guns blazing: [QUOTE= Second Stone] B.S. That’s like saying that the God of Moses and the God of Abraham and the God of Noah make Judaism non-monotheistic. Or appearing as a Pillar of Fire or Pillar of Cloud or showing his back to Moses, or as a burning bush. Deliberately doing that would be anti-Semitic. It is no less disgusting when it is pointed at Christians. If you want to be an atheist, that’s fine with me, but if God wants to dress up as Jesus one day or float about as the Holy Spirit the next or walk through the Garden as the Father on another, that doesn’t mean he is any more illogical than finding that Star Trek aliens can have off-spring with humans, in fact less so. Mocking people’s religion for kicks is impolite and borish. Those of us who are religious get that you don’t think it makes sense and don’t believe. There is no need to be an asshole about it. And if you insist on being a jerk, at least use smilies. [/QUOTE] You are the person who derailed that thread, and you brought in the anger and intolerance of other views. The most amusing thing about this thread is that you started it. You should have been the one pitted for your over-the-top weenie-ness. I’m thinking you’re just not thick skinned enough or grown up enough to play on the dope. ---
**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, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/110 "2009-12-17T18:14:12Z")
You are entitled to your opinion. Mocking people’s religion isn’t play. That’s my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/111 "2009-12-17T18:20:45Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I am an atheist now. My youth was spent been indoctrinated and lied to by Catholic priests. \ Ahhhhhhhhh – suddenly so many threads become so very clear to me! 😉 > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > On a more subtle level, Christianity is crawling with deities. It doesn’t _call_ them deities, and the Christian pantheon has a clear Boss God, but for all intents and purposes, Satan is a deity, and so are all the angels, demons, Madonnas and saints. It’s something we inherited from the Jews; after all, the angels and all were theirs first; right down to people being bodily carried to Heaven. And I believe there is some of that in the Koran as well but I must admit that I am not as well versed in that Scripture as I should be. So chances are most religions are polytheistic ------- I can live with that. PS – I agree it isn’t trolling when discussed as it is here. But some of the one and two line replies I see throughout the Dope come real close IMHO. One of the reasons I thank Jesus I’m not a mod of anything other than my own brain. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/112 "2009-12-17T18:29:06Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > 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. How dare you state a different opinion than others on this divisive religious subject. You do this with the anonymity of the internet and in my opinion it is nothing but trolling to stir up religious quarrels. Religious quarrels are, as has been pointed out, dangerous and deadly. They should not be instigated simply to amuse oneself, divide one’s enemies or for other reasons. ---
**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, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/113 "2009-12-17T18:32:01Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > You are entitled to your opinion. Mocking people’s religion isn’t play. That’s my opinion. Show me the mocking in that thread, prior to your complaints. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/114 "2009-12-17T18:35:12Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > 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. Was that before or after they philosophically proved that all imaginary characters live in Imagination Land, and that Jesus has a basic cable talk show? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/115 "2009-12-17T18:59:36Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > \< snip \> most Christians want to take Christ’s commandments and teachings to be good to each other seriously. [Yeah](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11379257&postcount=6). [It _is_ important to be good to each other.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10987235&postcount=444) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/116 "2009-12-17T19:19:48Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > You are entitled to your opinion. Mocking people’s religion isn’t play. That’s my opinion. Are you a teenager? Your reactions seem to be just taught responses. Nobody is mocking religion. They are just pointing out some contradictions that are obvious if you give them any thought at all. How does pointing out all the gods you have mock anything at all? Perhaps you will get a more mature understanding of what you have for a religion. You may thank us when you are ready. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/117 "2009-12-17T19:29:24Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Mocking people’s religion isn’t play. That’s my opinion. The problem with your idiotic viewpoint is that the people you are accusing of “mocking” your religion are doing no such thing. They are suggesting that it could be considered polytheistic, and you are so incredibly offended by this that you’ve turned into a raging asshole about it. Guess what? I, too, think that some of the arguments have merit. Yes, I think that, depending on how you define the terms, that one could reasonably call Christianity “polytheistic.” There, I said it. Have I been insensitive? Have I mocked your beliefs? Are you going to start ranting about me too? From an outsider’s perspective, it appears that it is your position that even _discussing_ your religion without agreeing with its tenets is considered “mocking”, and that is pit-worthy. As others have pointed out many times, it’s you that’s being the intolerant asshole here, and it is you that brought the antagonism to that other thread. Go read it again. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/118 "2009-12-17T19:44:47Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > You are entitled to your opinion. Mocking people’s religion isn’t play. That’s my opinion. It is play. You just don’t like being the kid having to dodge the ball, rather than the jock doing the throwing, as is the usual religous MO. You know who else can’t dodge our balls? Your mom! Now _that’s_ mocking your viewpoint. Arguing for a well-backed-up view of Christianity’s inconsistencies in GD isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/119 "2009-12-17T19:56:15Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I’m a cafeteria Protestant. That means I take very seriously the commandments treat other people well and with love. Including the first one? The one about having no other gods before him? Who are these gods? ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594/120 "2009-12-17T20:07:53Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Hindus consider Hinduism to be monotheistic? Seriously? > > EDIT: a brief scan of the wikipedia article on Hinduism reveals that it’s extremely esoteric and completely over my head. It is. When they talk about “Vishnu” or “Ganesha” etc, they are just talking about facets of the same 1 god, “Ram”. And really, it’s not important because the stories about those gods are just parables–meant to explain a lesson–and generally not taken as FACT. Before iconic Hinduism that is seens so much today was formless Hinduism–its just easier to talk about someone/something when it has features you can envision. Hindus don’t actually believe that an elephant headed six-armed giant roams the Earth while riding on a mouse–but it does paint a nice picture. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-misrepresent-christianity-as-polytheistic/521594.md?page=7)