From: lbarrass@phillip.edu.au
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Polytheism
Date: 17 Aug 92 19:44:22 GMT
Organization: RMIT (Bundoora Campus)

In article <1992Aug11.144339.12417@oclc.org>, jay@oclc.org (Young Jeff) writes:

[stuff deleted] 


> 
> All you are doing here is equivocating on the word god/God.
> It doesn't refute my claim that God is a god and Satan is a god.
>  
> :   Secondly, the Bible refers to gods (little g) as those things (objects,
> : demons etc) that people worship. Nowadays that could be you car or your Cray
> : supercomputer etc. I don't know your scriptural background, but you seem to
> : forget **however innocently :-)** that Satan is a fallen angel, not a god or
> : the God, and elsewhere the Father tells us that there is no other god. I have
> 
> I still claim Satan has all the characteristics of a god (little g) such
> as supernatural power.  Christians like to point out that material objects
> can be objects of worship, and I agree.  However, this has nothing to
> do with my point.  They don't possess supernatural powers while Satan and
> the angels do.  These are the gods (little g) I am referring to.  To
> state that God said he is the only god is to appeal to authority as
> an argument.  Since such a claim is contrary to the evidence, I am unwilling
> to accept it on authority.

   Yes, Satan does have supernatural powers as do all heavenly beings. They are
not bound by the constraints of this world. The only reason we think they are
supernatural is because they go against the natural laws imposed on the earth.
If you like, what we have is a subset of what is normal in the spirit world.
This does not make Satan god. He is a created being, not the creator. 

  The point I made about natural objects was so it could be pointed out that
the Bible calls these false objects of worship gods. It was not in any way
categorising between the supernatural powers of demons or the inanimate lack of
power of objects. The Bible refers to all sorts of false gods because that is
what they are; objects that man puts in the place of God (ie. false)

> : been caught without my Bible so I can't quote  . Satan became the god of this
> : world at the fall of man because man(kind) rejected God and by default accepted
> : the evil one. He is the god of this world only in the sense that the world
> : follows him (that doesn't mean everyone bashes grannies or kicks cats!!) and
> : (as in Rev 20: v2[I think]) will eventually be cast into the lake of fire.
> : 
> :   In being called god of this world, there is no deity assumed or implied or
> : any of the power or authority that goes with it. The devil is not omnipresent,
> : onmipotent or holy. He cannot save people from hell or grant eternal life. He
> : is a liar, a thief, a murderer and is also known as the destroyer. He has no
> 
> I don't think omnipotence, omniscience, holiness, truthfullness, kindness,
> etc. are necessary requirements for a god (little g).  Just look at
> the pagan gods.  Just because God (big g) has all the good characteristics
> doesn't mean he is the only god.

  The pagan gods and their attributes have nothing to do with the one and only
true God! It is because they are false that they don't have the attributes of
the Father, they are a deception of Satan and are designed to draw people away
from Jesus.


> 
> : creative powers and can only imitate. This is not to say he has no power, he is
> : still a spiritual being and was the most beautiful of God's creation and still
> : very powerful. >>BUT<<  Jesus defeated him on the cross and that victory is
> : [Christian propoganda deleted for space]
> 
> I am not arguing that Satan is God, I am arguing that Satan is a god.
> He may be an inferior god, but a god nonetheless.  To restate my
> initial point, Christianity has no legitimate claim to be called
> monotheism.  As someone else pointed out, it is better described as
> henotheism, the worship of one god without denying the existance of
> other gods.

  I am glad you are not arguing that Satan is God!! I can see why you think
that the Bible is polytheistic, but it seems to me that the problem you have
(and me in communicating with you!) is language or semantics. If you look at
the whole range of verses refering to God and gods, you would see that the
Bible is not polytheistic.


   Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts:
   "I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. And who cn
   proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me..."
                                  ISA 44:6-7b

   Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.
                                  ISA 44:8c

> -- 
> Jeff Young
> 
> Opinions expressed are mine alone.
-- 
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                                               []   2Chron 7:14
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lbarrass@phillip.edu.au                     Lindsay     
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Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc