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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
I didn't say he was a follower.  I said he was a contemporary - as in alive during that time.
different meaning, wordsmith

And the council decided which books to use in order to solidify a Christian framework revolving around ONE God. So there were missing chapters, which you call the earlier "Q" gospel.  So until these books are found, we're left with the four gospels.  I hardly think that four men are proof that Jesus existed.[/quote]

You still don't understand that Christianity was monotheistic from the very beginning, do you? You can wordsmith this till you're blue in the face, and talk about how Nicea "established" monotheism (your earlier post) or how Nicea suppisefly "solidified a framework around one God" (your post above). Unfortunately, it's clear from your obvious confusion, in your post above, about basic historical facts involving the role of the Q gospel and Nicea's role in authenticating gospels, that youre still very confused about these very basic facts of history (without even bringing faith into it).[/quote]

Let me be kind in saying that you're a bit slow.

Of course Christianity was monotheistic - for purposes of control, honey bun.  However, I've said - again and again and again (b/c you and your kind have had difficulty in absorbing this fact) that Christianity stems from a polytheistic culture.  It was a way of picking and choosing a god.  A god was chosen, given powers (all from pagan gods), and no one questioned their new god.

I'm tired of giving evidence to support my claims - only to return to find some ridiculous counterargument that has no strong backing.

Love your god, sweetie.

I will love my husband and kids.  I will work hard to improve humanity.  I will live a happy life. But I will not be controlled by an ancient text about some prophet who was born of a virgin and "sacrificed" to open up the heavens for us.

If that makes me a bad person, so be it.

I'm good!  
[/quote]

The roots of Christianity and Judaism  are in ancient Semitic religions.  These were polytheistic, the belief and worship of many gods.  They progressed at some point to henotheism, the belief in many gods but the worship of only one, often a tribal god. For the ancient Jews, this was Yahweh. Over time, the worship of this one god evolved into a belief in only one God. This is where Judaism was at the time of Christ.  Atheist PP, I think you agree with all this.

According to mainstream views, Jesus and all his followers were monotheistic.  Jesus was simply God come down to earth, not a separate God.

But you seem to see Jesus (or perhaps his followers) as somehow re-establishing the polytheistic roots of ancient Judaism, with Jesus as a separate god to be adored alongside the now established Jewish God.  And somehow, they established a third more elusive god to be worshipped as well, the Holy Spirit.

Your thesis appears to be that the Council of Nicea pronounced Christianity a firmly monotheistic religion with a triune God because it is easier to control people with a monotheistic religion than with a polytheistic religion.  I must say, you completely lose me here--where is the evidence that monotheistic religions are inherently more given to controlling the masses (I think this is your contention) than polytheistic religions?

And not just evidence that we can see today, but evidence Nicea would have had at hand to make such a calculated judgment.  And where is the evidence that there were polytheistic cults devoted to Jesus and other cults devoted to the Holy Spirit that Nicea felt it had to stamp out?

And BTW, I don't think any of the Christian PPs here feel they are "controlled by an ancient text."  [/quote]

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