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49
54
Just one More than one
Debate Score:103
Arguments:109
Total Votes:106
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 Just one (41)
 
 More than one (42)

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How many gods in Christianity?

I was just reading Genesis for info on another debate, and came across the following line:

Genesis 3:22: Then Yahweh God said, "See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge of good and evil..."

"one of us"?  Who is he talking to, and who are the others that he considers to be like himself?

Just one

Side Score: 49
VS.

More than one

Side Score: 54
4 points

He could easily be talking to the other angels in heaven. I would imagine that they understand the concept of good and evil.

Side: Just one
2 points

Kind of takes the wind out of my revelation, but you're right, the beings he's talking to don't have to be exactly like him, they just have to share the one characteristic that is being discussed, namely the concept of good and evil.

Side: Just one
1 point

I support your argument (as well as all others who said one or one in three parts)

Side: Just one
2 points

Christianity is mono-tri-theism, which is to say the belief in one God, with three parts, similar to the concept of a human having a body and soul (dualism).

Side: Just one
1 point

When you downvote a messenger of the lord, you downvote the LORD of Christians and Muslims and Scientologists.

Side: More than one
lolzors93(3225) Disputed
1 point

Good thing I didn't downvote the messenger of the Lord, then, right?

Side: Just one
0 points

I was praying to THE LORD about this, and he told me something very strange. He is going to punish you by giving you a severely annoying facial tick.

Side: More than one

Just one, three in one. Three in ONE! THREE IN ONE! FLEM!

Side: Just one
1 point

It's kind of like the Three Musketeers then, right? "All for one and one for all!"

Side: Just one
1 point

... ....

.... ... no... ... ...

Side: More than one
1 point

1

Side: Just one
Cartman(18192) Disputed
2 points

Why does He say "us" then? Is He Golem from Lord of the Rings?

Side: More than one
2 points

It could be like the "royal we" were some one of a high position like a monarch uses plural pronouns to stress their power and importance.

Side: Just one
churchmouse(328) Clarified
2 points

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

Dr. Charles Ryrie explains the plurals as plurals of majesty: "Gen. 1:26 us . . . our. Plurals of majesty" (Ryrie Study Bible, NIV, p.6).

"The explanation of the first person plural forms is probably that the Creator speaks as heaven's King accompanied by His heavenly hosts" (The New Bible Commentary, p. 82).

"It is possible that this plural form implies a discussion between God and his heavenly court... Alternatively, the plural expresses the majesty and fullness of God's being" (New Jerusalem Bible, p. 19).

"It is now universally admitted that the use of the plural in Gen. 1:26 did not mean to the author that [God was more than one Person.]" (The Word Bible Commentary)

Side: Just one
quickscopz(163) Disputed
2 points

Because other beings existed in heaven. Like the angels. So saying "us" could include them.

Side: Just one
Srom(12206) Disputed
1 point

He is referring to the Trinity.

Side: Just one
1 point

This misunderstanding represents a translation issue between Hebrew and English. Elohim can be a singular or a plural word, its plurality in Hebrew from the accompanying verbs.

When it refers to single beings such as Moses and Baal in the OT they are both referred to with singular verbs and is in a singular form. When it refers to multiple beings such as the gods of egypt, it is accompanied by plural verbs and has a plural form. In the OT when it refers to God it is accompanied by singular verbs and takes a plural form.

In Gen 1, it is only accompanied by singular verbs such as bara, singular masculine of create. Traditionally, in Hebrew the use of Elohim in a plural form with singular verbs indicates a fullness of power and majesty unique to God himself.

Just as it is done in Arabic and other Semitic languages. And in English, where we traditionally capitalized God and Him to indicate a specific being.

Side: Just one
GuitarGuy(6096) Clarified
1 point

What the hell? You gave me that exact same argument over there ---->

Side: Just one
1 point

There are zero because it's too lame to be true xD

Side: Just one
1 point

There is just one God. It even says that in the bible 1 Corinthian 8:6

Side: Just one
1 point

He is talking to his angels. There is only one god but angels are about as close as it gets. It could be said that God Is basically just the most powerful angel in existence but that would insinuate that another angel could then Ascend to his status which is impossible.

Side: Just one
GuitarGuy(6096) Disputed
1 point

You only think that he's talking about angels. You don't actually know.

Side: More than one
warrior(1854) Disputed
1 point

It's what I consider to be the most likely answer seeing as how it is stated in the bible that there is only one God

Side: Just one
1 point

God is simply talking to the other members of the Trinity.

Side: Just one
4 points

In Genesis 1:1 it says, "In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth", but in Hebrew "God" is referred to as Elohim... which is often plural. When added with the verse that you posted, it would make sense that they were actually saying, "In the beginning the Gods made Heaven and Earth".

Side: More than one
ColumCille(9) Disputed
1 point

This misunderstanding represents a translation issue between Hebrew and English. Elohim can be a singular or a plural word, its plurality in Hebrew from the accompanying verbs.

When it refers to single beings such as Moses and Baal in the OT they are both referred to with singular verbs and is in a singular form. When it refers to multiple beings such as the gods of egypt, it is accompanied by plural verbs and has a plural form. In the OT when it refers to God it is accompanied by singular verbs and takes a plural form.

In Gen 1, it is only accompanied by singular verbs such as bara, singular masculine of create. Traditionally, in Hebrew the use of Elohim in a plural form with singular verbs indicates a fullness of power and majesty unique to God himself.

Just as it is done in Arabic and other Semitic languages. And in English, where we traditionally capitalized God and Him to indicate a specific being.

Side: Just one
GuitarGuy(6096) Disputed
1 point

First, I'm curious, why don't you have any points? It says on your profile that you've been a member for a while. Do you upvote and downvote a lot?

Okay, now that I have that out of my system...

I didn't suggest that Elohim is always plural. It's the accompanying verbs, like you just stated, that make it plural... which it has.

I would like to see your evidence that they referred to God in the plural sense as a way to show his "fullness of power and majesty". Judaism was not the World's first religion and every religion before it was polytheistic. I personally believe that the World's religions built off of each other. Many things have been lost in translation and I believe that what we are taught today is a misinterpretation of what the Bible was actually trying to say.

Many consider Old Testament to be the introduction of monotheism, at least on text... however, if we look at the Bible we see many hints of polytheistic beliefs. It's important to understand that before the Bible was created, many associated the Gods with the planets.

Isaiah 14:12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!". This is the only verse in the Bible containing the name Lucifer, yet most Christians believe that to be Satan. In this verse, Lucifer is referred to as the "son of the morning". In other Bible translations, he's referred as "son of the morning star" and some just call him "morning star" or "day star". Well, this is important because prior to the Bible, Venus was always referred to as the morning star. There are even quotes from ancient Greek philosophers/writers where they referred to Venus as not only "the morning star", but Lucifer as well... and there is an ancient Roman God by the name of Lucifer who is also associated with Venus. Lucifer actually means "the bearer of light". Some even refer to him as the "personification of enlightenment". That's weird, isn't it? Everyone was brought up to believe he's Satan, who I'll get back to in a little bit. So why does all of this Lucifer/Morning Star stuff matter? Revelation 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

So... now Jesus is associated with the morning star? He's either saying he IS the morning star aka Venus... or he's a descendant of the morning star.

Now like I said earlier, people used to consider the planets to be Gods. Saturn was the evil planet. He started a battle, which in turn, helped spawn the creation of Earth. Saturn was Satan. The first cycle of Earth was due to him. Earth was just a rock then. Then the Sun intervened and started the second cycle, which was the introduction of vegetation as well as the introduction of the Garden of Eden. When Lucifer (the serpent) and Venus intervened and corrupted this kind of pure Earth, they were punished... and in order to defeat them another planet was created as a way to reflect the Sun's rays in order for his light to be shown onto the Earth through both day and night... the planet was the Moon, who is apparently a Goddess. The Moon brought in the third cycle. These three cycles are recognized through the first three days of the week. Saturn-Day(Saturday), Sun-Day(Sunday), and Moon-Day(Monday).

With all of that in mind... it does make sense that the Bible was using Elohim in the plural sense.

If you look at the World's main religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, etc.) and many ancient polytheistic religions (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, etc.), they all have a similar story, which fits along this outline. Names obviously aren't the same and stories are a bit different, but if you look at those stories in a metaphorical sense... they're pretty similar.

Christianity is just a term. Modern Christians are obviously monotheistic, but I think it is very possible that the Bible originally spread a polytheistic message.

Side: More than one
1 point

In Genesis 1:1.....

The word for God isn't always plural it can be singular.

Side: Just one
GuitarGuy(6096) Disputed
1 point

When did I say that it is always plural?

Side: More than one
1 point

I really don't get how if the trinity is one triune god that Jesus doesn't know when god will send him, even though they are the same person.

There is more than likley an answer, but until I find it it's puzzling as all get-out.

Side: More than one

According to gnostic Christianity there is a Monad or all-being type god. It consists of a male and female part called the god and goddess or father and mother. The goddess breaks away one day by herself and creates a being called the demirge. This is a serpent type creature born of wisdom (the mother) and this being suspended in nothingness believes it must be god. This is the Yaweh of the bible who then creates an imperfect world as it is imperfect itself being created by half of the Monad. This is in abandoned Christian literature. Some books were also left out of the bible at the council of Nicea (dunno how to spell it) for referencing this theology.

Side: More than one