Examples of what the trinity...In the Old Testament.Thanks for the effort, but I do not need to be convinced.
I am trying to say that history is written by the winners.
If you did not know better, from the way people talk, you would think that Arius did not believe in the trinity.
That may seem odd, didn't he question the trinity?
No, he was just going about his business of being the Teacher to the Christians of Alexandria. What happened was these people from other places came over and decided it did not go, word for word, with what they were teaching. They did not like that someone could be allowed to say something that disagreed with them.
The real trouble makers were outsiders. Well once it came out, that these foreigners were trying to get rid of Arius, it became a public debate and the powers that be had to stomp it out, since according to them, only the clergy should be allowed to discuss such things.
What started it was the mistake of teaching from the Bible, instead of a book from an approved author. The Bible says Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. Oops, should not have said that!
The outcome of the whole Nicea thing was proof, or in the absence of proof, authority to enforce it as truth, a very scientific sounding explanation of how Jesus could never have been begotten. To say so is blasphemy, according to this.
You may be completely unaware of this because they give you a nice Athanasian creed to subscribe to that has the word begotten in it, but it is qualified to the point of being completely meaningless. The Father and the Son are co-eternal, meaning one never existed without the other. They are coequal, meaning one is not inferior to the other. They are of the same substance.
Anyway, not really trying to make a debate about all that, right now, but pointing out how it happened. Wouldn't it be nice if you could believe in the trinity the way you want. Not to the control freaks. Just say the words we give you to say and never question anything.
[edit on 4-6-2009 by jmdewey60]


