New, and stuff

[Violet]

I think it's a matter of definitions. God is usually described as the creator of everything in theism, and it's surrounded by some really weird set of properties ( such as omnipotence, and stuff ). I don't know if demons, angels, etc fit that description, but I think they currently don't.

I think it's more a matter of special pleading... what then are demons and angels, if they are not 'lesser' deities?

Athena, Zeus, Odin, Thor... these are usually considered beings in polytheistic religions, using 'god' as a (usually) powerful being (often a spirit of some sort) believed to have some form of control over nature, the fortunes of men, or some other element of existence. A pantheon is what you have when you group all of the gods of a people or religion collectively. Given that angels and demons are gods under this understanding of the term (though one might declare them a demigod, as compared to the God proper: they're 'half-sized'... inferior), I feel comfortable considering Christianity polytheistic insofar as they believe in many gods... although they might worship but a handful (Jesus, Holy Ghost, YWHW... you might get away with Mary or Satan, but those are usually viewed as splinter groups (Catholicism, Satanism)).

If you take angels/demons as Gods however, you can call Christianity a polytheist ( or pantheist ) view if you wish so, I guess. It's only a way to describe that a worldview contain supernatural beings, as I see it, so I really don't mind much about that definition issue .

I'd prefer to have my understanding of a person's beliefs at least partially influenced by their beliefs I somehow only run into problems when I attempt to understand, though... people generally don't know why they believe what they believe, and it's been a point of fascination to me for quite some time now. I'm strongly considering going to school properly to see if I might manage to become a sociologist what others refer to for some odd centuries to come. </ends random ramblings>

To clarify... I do not consider Christianity to be pantheistic in its principles, given material such as 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' and examples such as contests between YWHW and other gods so as to demonstrate the other's inferiority. Infact, to accept all gods would seem to be absolutely against the principles suggested by the jealousy and narcissism of the central god of Christianity. But don't worry, Dazzn's taught me well: people contradict

I believe that most Christian worship is intended monotheistically towards the central god (the trinity, if we don't consider that a form of polytheism in itself), but that the religion itself has many gods and demigods within.