So why does YHVH require half a dozen or more different names ??Belindi wrote: ↑January 9th, 2019, 7:46 am ktz wrote:
This was at a juncture where Jahweh was in conflict with other gods that were still being actively worshipped at the same time. It was inevitable that Jahweh's people would be jealous for Jahweh's sake. Conflicting ideologies always bring some amount of bother.And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.
There may be other "gods" in the Judeo-Christian tradition under the definition of immortality that the OP has provided, but you better not let that Old Testament God catch you calling them that or describing yourself as "polytheistic" or even henotheistic if you plan to worship him. This concept is reiterated in the New Testament and Q'uran as well.
Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
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Re: Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
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Re: Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
For historical reasons. More precisely answers are provided by historian Karen Armstrong 'A History of God'.h_k_s wrote: ↑January 10th, 2019, 5:43 pmSo why does YHVH require half a dozen or more different names ??Belindi wrote: ↑January 9th, 2019, 7:46 am ktz wrote:
This was at a juncture where Jahweh was in conflict with other gods that were still being actively worshipped at the same time. It was inevitable that Jahweh's people would be jealous for Jahweh's sake. Conflicting ideologies always bring some amount of bother.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_God
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Re: Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
In Christianity there is a mishmash of the God of Jesus and Paul and the pagan gods - a “Son of God” which comes to mean something different than the “sons of God” of the Hebrew Bible, a Trinity, deification/apotheosis.
Although we tend to think in terms of dualities I see no reason why a religion cannot have one God, and there are a variety of ways in which that might be conceived.
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Re: Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
Armstrong is wrong.Belindi wrote: ↑January 11th, 2019, 8:26 amFor historical reasons. More precisely answers are provided by historian Karen Armstrong 'A History of God'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_God
Maybe you don't mind but any more ignorant replies from you and I will not trouble read your posts.
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Re: Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
Actually Hinduism only has one God. The forms of this supreme God are represented by the deities which emanate from the supreme God. Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are executives, they're not the CEO.
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Re: Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
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Re: Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
Pasting the below from Wikipedia's entry on Hindu gods:
All Hindus worship one Supreme Being, though by different names. This is because the peoples of India with different languages and cultures have understood the one God in their own distinct way. Regional and family traditions can play a large part in influencing this choice. Through history four principal Hindu denominations arose —Vaishnavism, Shakthism, Saivism and Smartism. For Vaishnavites, Lord Maha Vishnu is God Of Supreme, For Shaktas, Goddess Shakti is supreme, For Saivites, God Siva is Supreme. For Smartas—who see all Deities as reflections of the One God—the choice of Deity is left to the devotee.
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Re: Are the Semitic religions polytheistic?
... Hinduism is both monotheistic and henotheistic. Hinduism is not polytheistic. Henotheism (literally “one God”) better defines the Hindu view. It means the worship of one God without denying the existence of other Gods.
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