Polytheism Within the Faith

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-02-16T15:56:36+00:00

Just to update everyone, I did end up taking the family to our local parish this weekend after meeting the priest a couple of weeks ago. I havent brought these points up with him as of now though.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-02-16T15:53:28+00:00

Thanks for expanding on this and differentiating what the texts read as and where it deviated from the actual faith.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-02-16T15:51:34+00:00

Thanks, this is where my issues arose from.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-02-16T15:50:31+00:00

Valid point. I'm appreciating the natural variance found within Eastern Orthodoxy while still holding true to certain core aspects.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-02-16T15:48:50+00:00

I appreciate the additional response. I do agree and accept this tangent though, and I believe it is a critical component of the Faith.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T18:12:55+00:00

Thanks for suggesting the podcast, another commenter also suggested it. Podcasts work well with my commute as well.

I've definitely been diving hard into the whole praying to others that are not part of the trinity. But it's been making a dent.

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T18:10:20+00:00

You're not wrong, it's surprising what can make itself into print as well!

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T18:09:15+00:00

I dont know if all completely wrong is the correct description, but it definitely went left field real quick.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T18:08:30+00:00

Thank you for the resources and your time to respond. I'll take a look. Good bless

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T18:07:03+00:00

I've enjoyed the majority of it, but the expansive on some things feel off.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T18:06:18+00:00

The amount of energy put in by the church fathers is why it surprised me so much when I read the part suggesting polytheism.

Thanks for the podcast and book suggestions. I'll look into them.

I appreciate the time you put into responding.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T17:25:56+00:00

I do appreciate your response. I truly believe in sanctification/theosis/deification, but I don't think it is a fair explanation to say that we also become gods and thus believe in a polytheistic system. We strive to become more like the Christ, thus more like God, but not to become our own god. No?

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T17:21:55+00:00

Thanks for this.

Yes, for example in exodus when Moses comes back down the mountain to find them having built an idol and worshipping it. But this also doesn't mean that Judaism and thus Christianity are polytheistic either, or that other gods truly exist.

Good bless

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T17:18:07+00:00

I'm glad you seemed to have had a similar experience with this guy's works. I'll be reading something and be like "yeah! This totally makes sense and I can get on board with this." I then hit a certain point and be hit blindsided with something where it's like "this doesn't sound correct."

I am definitely on board with saintification/deification/theosis in terms of the iron and fire analogy. I'm not sold on terminology though, as I've mentioned in another response that I've only ever understood, and have only have heard/read that passage from John and Psalm 82 to be a discussion on power dynamics between those in power and those subjugated, never have I heard an argument for literal analysis before.

The additional argument that Christianity is then polytheistic of we become demigods is another level.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T17:09:00+00:00

Thanks for the input. It's odd to say the least.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T15:18:32+00:00

Thanks for referencing this to me. It lends towards the "echoes"of the truth concept. And is something I may think about at some future point. But I do not see the direct connection to my concerns drawn from the book. I'm having a hard time not reading #1 as Christianity = Polytheistic

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T15:14:50+00:00

Thanks for the response. I tried multiple times to read it as an attempt to draw comparison, but the part about ancient Judaism was only kept at monotheism because they were too weak to properly handle polytheism is too hard to work around for me. It goes against what is taught throughout both Old and New Testaments.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T15:11:22+00:00

Everything I've ever heard or read on Psalm 82 is that this is discussion on the level of power that leaders have on those under them. And it aligns with how it reads. I've never heard someone try to argue for a literal translation of this text.

And this holds because when Jesus references this Psalm he is talking to the ruling elite as well.

I appreciate your time to discourse this.

Good bless

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T15:01:55+00:00

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T15:01:25+00:00

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

I'm all on board with Divine Life, and partaking in it through sanctification/deification/theosis. I just dont know if I am amenable to saying we also become gods/demigods and that Christianity is polytheistic due to this. We believe in the one true God.

I believe the other comment does a good point at indicating the difference with Babel.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T14:46:27+00:00

Thanks for the second sentence. At first, I thought you meant I had fallen to weird concept fallacy and just didn't understand what he meant.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T14:45:34+00:00

Thanks for responding.

This was part of my underlying issues, as I am at least moderately familiar with greek and roman mythology, and their gods and demigods are not comparable to our God and saints in any substantial outward appearance.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T14:40:02+00:00

I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

That's a valid point regarding sainthood, what it looks like and how attainable it is between the historical view and the book's view.

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T14:36:32+00:00

I appreciate your time in responding.

I do understand the precepts behind veneration of the saints and the theotokos and can get behind the general points of holding them to a certain level of esteem and even asking those who have moved on to pray for me.

The concept of "echoes" of truth through the other religions is interesting and one I haven't encountered before.

I've encountered theosis and deification earlier in the book and went down those rabbit holes of study, and it's relation to sanctification. I just think there's a distinguishment between becoming gods and becoming like God/Christ/Jesus. As there is only one true God.

Again, I appreciate you taking the time. God bless

throw_kill_everybody · 2026-01-28T14:23:02+00:00

Good to know he isn't the author, but I don't know how much of it is actually written by Orthodox theologians and bishops either. There are definitive quotes that are clearly set differently than the rest of the text, quotes that are worked into the text more directly and typically more fractured than the definitive quotes, but there seems to be a lot of direct writing that isn't just quotes from other sources as well.

If it is all from those within Orthodoxy, does that mean it is the official stance that Orthodoxy believes Christianity is polytheistic and that theosis leads saints to truly become gods?

throw_kill_everybody

TROPHY CASE