Polytheism proven wrong

createdtoworship

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The very definition of God, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once.....refutes it. If there was more than one God they would neither be everywhere at once, as they would share their real estate. They would also share knowledge and neither would have all knowledge of all actions because some actions would be unique to both and without knowledge of each other. By the very definition of God...there is only one God. The great shema, Jews had it right. If there was more than one God, none of them would truly by definition, be God.

note: this is not a history, or Bible debate, it's solely based on logic. So please keep all posts on topic of logic, and not on the bible or on history.
 
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createdtoworship

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I wouldn't say that disproves polytheism, because it would need to be proven that there's only one God.
if you believe in no God, then you are not going to believe in many God's. You are correct. But at the same time they are different, for those believing in many God's, it is easily refuted by the actual definition of God.
 
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mukk_in

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The very definition of God, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once.....refutes it. If there was more than one God they would neither be everywhere at once, as they would share their real estate. They would also share knowledge and neither would have all knowledge of all actions because some actions would be unique to both and without knowledge of each other. By the very definition of God...there is only one God. The great shema, Jews had it right. If there was more than one God, neither would be God.
Amen :). There is no other Name under heaven by which a man (or anyone) can be saved.
 
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ananda

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The very definition of God, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once.....refutes it. If there was more than one God they would neither be everywhere at once, as they would share their real estate. They would also share knowledge and neither would have all knowledge of all actions because some actions would be unique to both and without knowledge of each other. By the very definition of God...there is only one God. The great shema, Jews had it right. If there was more than one God, none of them would truly by definition, be God.
The Buddhist ideas regarding "gods" do not include the idea that they are "all knowing", "all powerful", or "everywhere at once". The gods are simply individuals like us - but with immensely greater lifespans, possess greater powers, etc. It is said that some of them delusionally believe themselves to be eternal, etc. and communicate such to their followers in realms lower then theirs.
 
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tstor

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The very definition of God, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once.....refutes it.
Why are you assuming that this is a universal definition? Christianity most certainly defines God with these essential attributes, but it would be foolish to say that everyone does.

If there was more than one God they would neither be everywhere at once, as they would share their real estate.
Do you think this could be problematic with the three persons of the trinity?
 
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withwonderingawe

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The very definition of God, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once.....refutes it. If there was more than one God they would neither be everywhere at once, as they would share their real estate. They would also share knowledge and neither would have all knowledge of all actions because some actions would be unique to both and without knowledge of each other. By the very definition of God...there is only one God. The great shema, Jews had it right. If there was more than one God, none of them would truly by definition, be God.

You are treating knowledge as if it is a chair of which only one person can posses.

1+1 = 2, I know that and you know that, billions of billions of people know that 1+1 = 2. Clearly more than one God could know that also, they could have a shared knowledge of all things.

all powerful? What does that mean? I would assume in your mind it means the power to create thus the energy to do it.

Matt 28 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

The word ‘all’ means “collectively”. The word power does not just connote energy but “the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)” (Strongs Bible Concordance)

All power = all authority over creation.

John 10
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

John 17
1.…Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Matt 9 we’ve got two here
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house….
8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

John 5,
21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

In that list there is the authority of the resurrection, the authority to heal, forgive and judge.

There are other powers which he demonstrates, the power to sees what he wants, he saw Nathanael under the tree. The power to read men’s minds.

And the power over the elements of the earth, he commands the waves to be still. That power would be the power of creation which God the Father gave him, Heb 1

My point here is that God the Father shared his power or authority to act with Jesus.


Mark 3
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

It is possible for Jesus to also share this power even to the point of having power over the elements because by faith we can move mountains.

Rev 3
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

There is only one seat or throne of power but God doesn’t mind sharing it.
 
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createdtoworship

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The Buddhist ideas regarding "gods" do not include the idea that they are "all knowing", "all powerful", or "everywhere at once". The gods are simply individuals like us - but with immensely greater lifespans, possess greater powers, etc. It is said that some of them delusionally believe themselves to be eternal, etc. and communicate such to their followers in realms lower then theirs.

well then that God would not be powerful enough to create the universe. And thus would not be God. Correct?
 
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createdtoworship

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You are treating knowledge as if it is a chair of which only one person can posses.

1+1 = 2, I know that and you know that, billions of billions of people know that 1+1 = 2. Clearly more than one God could know that also, they could have a shared knowledge of all things.

all powerful? What does that mean? I would assume in your mind it means the power to create thus the energy to do it.

Matt 28 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

The word ‘all’ means “collectively”. The word power does not just connote energy but “the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)” (Strongs Bible Concordance)

All power = all authority over creation.

John 10
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

John 17
1.…Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Matt 9 we’ve got two here
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house….
8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

John 5,
21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

In that list there is the authority of the resurrection, the authority to heal, forgive and judge.

There are other powers which he demonstrates, the power to sees what he wants, he saw Nathanael under the tree. The power to read men’s minds.

And the power over the elements of the earth, he commands the waves to be still. That power would be the power of creation which God the Father gave him, Heb 1

My point here is that God the Father shared his power or authority to act with Jesus.


Mark 3
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

It is possible for Jesus to also share this power even to the point of having power over the elements because by faith we can move mountains.

Rev 3
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

There is only one seat or throne of power but God doesn’t mind sharing it.

you realize that you just redefined power as authority. But in the op, I specifically address power. So please stay on topic.
 
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createdtoworship

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Why are you assuming that this is a universal definition? Christianity most certainly defines God with these essential attributes., but it would be foolish to say that everyone does.


Do you think this could be problematic with the three persons of the trinity?

Well we assume there is a creator, because nothing could not have caused the universe, something must have. Or there would have been nothing to explode into the big bang. So God must at least be powerful enough to cause all the power in the universe. So that is just rationally speaking. IF God is powerful enough to create everything. Then He must have created the other Gods. And thus those other Gods would be devoid of being the ultimate creator. And not be thus as powerful. At that point I would ask them to step down from the title of God because of their subservience to the ultimate creator.
 
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Gene2memE

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The very definition of God, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once.....refutes it.

That's a definition of a god, not the sole definition of a god.

The 'god of the omnis' - omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and (sometimes) omnibenevolent - is just one of many human conceptualisations of deities.

Modern monotheistic philosophers/theologians don't even use the concept of the "all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once" deity - as it is logically incoherent. Rather, they set up the dodge of "maximally great/excellent/conceivable being" - one that has as much power, knowledge, presence, love, morality as is logically possible - in an attempt to define a deity into being via a fallacy of equivocation (see A. Plantinga and W.L Craig for exposition of this, flawed as the concept may still be).

Polytheistic traditions don't hold that a god or gods necessarily have to possess these 'omni' characteristics.
 
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ananda

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well then that God would not be powerful enough to create the universe. And thus would not be God. Correct?
It depends on your definition of "god". There are deities in Buddhist cosmology that can mentally create anything they wish.
 
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Ana the Ist

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The very definition of God, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once.....refutes it. If there was more than one God they would neither be everywhere at once, as they would share their real estate. They would also share knowledge and neither would have all knowledge of all actions because some actions would be unique to both and without knowledge of each other. By the very definition of God...there is only one God. The great shema, Jews had it right. If there was more than one God, none of them would truly by definition, be God.

A definition of god that doesn't allow for the existence of other gods isn't proof of anything. All it proves is that those who came up with the definition believed in one god.
 
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withwonderingawe

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withwonderingawe

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The very definition of God, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once.....refutes it.

I'm not sure that every one would define God in the way you have. Omnipresent, this idea came out of Greek philosophy. They could not see into the next room let along the other side of the planet because their physical bodies prohibited them. They reasoned that God can see into the next room and so he must not have a body, a body is limiting. Seemed reasonable to the new converted Christians so they added that to their definition of God.

Today I have in my hand a device by which I can watch the Rose Parade in Pasadena California, I can see past parades, I can watch future floats being prepared. I don't have to be physically present in order to see into the next room as my baby grand daughter sleeps. I can see to the bottom of the ocean or the other side of the galaxy without physically being there.

If mankind can do this with the limited knowledge which God has granted him then God can do much more with his perfect or complete knowledge of the laws of physic.

'God is spirit' is no more a defining statement on the physical nature of God than "God is a consuming fire" is. Deut. 4:24.

David wrote in Ps 91
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:

Does this mean I should assume that God is a bird?
 
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