Relating to the trinity cognitively...?

[GrowingSmaller]

As I Muslim I feel I can relate to "God" as unitary but when it comes to the Christian trinity, I become boggled and bewildered not only at the object of thought, but what I am supposed to focus on internally also.

I remember reading some philosophy where it was remarked that we can focus on so many apples etc, but after a certain number we cant grasp them all as on at once, but have to count separately. It is like that with the trinity. I can have an idea of a spirit close to me (holy spirit) or a God Father in the heavens, and even of a human blessed with divine wisdom or more. But all three at once, all become completely 'fuse blown' and my head is more of a tangle than a spiritual experience.

In fact its impossible to become focused or engrossed. Its like there is a "no entry" sign around the whole idea/experience complex, so how does it feel to have actual access to this God in ones heart and soul???

 

[Dave-W]

As I Muslim I feel I can relate to "God" as unitary but when it comes to the Christian trinity, I become boggled and bewildered not only at the object of thought, but what I am supposed to focus on internally also.

And until you become "born again" in the Christian sense, wherein you will be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, you will be unable to comprehend it.

It is not something that can be intellectually comprehended. It can only come by divine revelation.

 

[apogee]

how does it feel to have actual access to this God in ones heart and soul???

Honestly? It feels like waking from a dream, or encountering something more real, than the chair you are sat upon (which suddenly seems illusory by comparison).

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Hey thanks. I meant this thread for "exploring christianity" btw. Not meaning to be combative.

 

[hedrick]

This is going to seem weird, but historically the Trinity exists in order to defend the fact that there’s only one God.

From very early, Christians started regarding Jesus as in some sense divine. Some people saw him as sort of a demi-god, as someone who existed before creation and creation was done through him, but not as God himself. That would result in multiple divine entities. The Trinity rejected that, interpreting the Son as “part” of God, not something separate.

Part isn’t quite the right term, but I’m trying to avoid the complexities of interpretation. The point is that once you start seeing Jesus as divine, you’ve got to incorporate this into the one God, or you’ve got some kind of polytheism.

Was the Trinity the only way to maintain the unity of God? That’s probably not something we can deal with here.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Hey thanks hedrick, I have trouble with mental images of Jesus. What does a divine human look like in the minds eye?