Posted on 07/17/2011 9:32:13 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The left-leaning United Church of Christ now wants to be even more politically correct, and to do so its deliberative body has replaced the reference to “Heavenly Father” with the gender neutral term, “triune God,” in the denomination’s constitution.
“In the process of revamping its decades-old constitution, the Protestant denomination’s General Synod endorsed an eye-catching change: It deleted the term ‘Heavenly Father,’ replacing it with ‘triune God,’” Courier Journal reported Saturday.
Though a largely liberal denomination, the United Church of Christ has conservative sections which have objected to the amendment.
“Rejecting God as Father in an age of fatherlessness is unthinkable,” David Runnion-Bareford, executive director of Biblical Witness Fellowship, an evangelical renewal movement within the denomination, told the Journal.
“Inclusive language has been a long-term project in the UCC for at least three decades,” the Journal quoted the Rev. Greg Bain, pastor of Grace-Immanuel United Church of Christ in Louisville, as saying. It was a decision to use “a broader definition” of God, said Bain, who was part of the denomination’s national executive council until recently.
The constitutional revision by the General Synod, which meets biannually, is yet to be ratified by the regional bodies. The UCC has over 5,200 congregations and around 1.08 million members, mostly in the United States – a significant drop from 2.1 million in 1967.
Interestingly, the same synod voted separately to reaffirm the traditional language used in baptizing new Christians in the name of the “Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” the Journal said, adding that the UCC’s research shows that nearly 20 percent of its congregations were using alternative language for “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” for baptism. UCC’s Bain explained that the new agreement intended that such terms only be used in addition to, not instead of, the traditional formula.
In contrast, the Southern Baptist Convention in a 1992 resolution stated, “We state clearly the scriptural witness that God is Spirit, beyond any human gender, and that He is transcendent, beyond the limitations of any human word; but confess that He has uniquely and explicitly revealed Himself to us as Father, by His sovereign and perfect will,” the resolution read.”
The UCC, considered more liberal than most other Christian denominations, also allow ceremonies to sanctify same-sex unions. The General Synod in 2005 passed a resolution making the United Church of Christ the first major Christian legislative body in America to support “equal marriage rights for all people, regardless of gender.” However, some congregations did not support the resolution.
“The General Synod, through sound biblical and theological reflection over many years, has affirmed the full dignity, humanity, and worth of all persons regardless of sexual orientation, an affirmation grounded in our creation in the image of God,” read the Synod’s statement. “We have called for the removal of one’s sexual orientation as a barrier to ordination and to all other forms of service in the church. We understand baptism to be the foundation of one’s incorporation into the body of Christ, affirming the primacy of grace over every other category of human accomplishment or failure or human status, including sexual orientation,” it added.
A 2001 study, “Faith Communities Today,” by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research showed that a majority of the United Church of Christ congregations described their members as “moderate.” It also noted that smaller percentages of self-described liberal and conservative congregations were in almost equal balance, suggesting that the UCC continued to be a theologically-centrist denomination. “However, almost half of liberal churches in the UCC are growing while most moderate and conservative churches are losing members,” noted United Church News.
Hartford Institute Director David Roozen commented that the national church’s pronouncements were often more liberal than the local churches and congregations but its governing structure was formed to allow such disagreements.
I drove a Triune once, but I won’t buy another English car!
Please review this thread.
Our Triune God,
Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name....
Radio Replies Second Volume - The Holy Trinity
The Blessed Trinity {Ecumenical}
A Mystery for Eternity (Reflection on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity)
On the Trinity (Angelus Address from 5/30/2010)
Mystery of the Trinity
The Trinity: More Than Just Doctrine
Origen on the Trinity: A Man Ahead of His Time
Why Mormon Baptism Is Invalid: Sect´s Concept of the Trinity Differs from Christian Notion
Radio Replies First Volume - The Holy Trinity
‘We live to love and be loved,’ teaches Pope while reflecting on Trinity (absolutely beautiful!)
Deathbed Request: 'Tell me About the Trinity’
Catholic Doctrine on the Holy Trinity
The Most Holy Trinity
What You [Catholics] Need to Know: Trinity [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Holy Trinity (excerpt from the Light of Faith by St. Thomas Aquinas)
The Concept of the Most Holy Trinity - The Relationship between the Three Persons in One God
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 3: God and the Holy Trinity
Sheed on the Trinity (Catholic Caucus)
The Father as the Source of the Whole Trinity - Greek and Latin Traditions About the Filioque
Trinity Facts
The Real Trinity
We believe in one only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Brief Reflections on the Trinity, the Canon of Scripture, and the Protestant idea of Sola Scriptura
Why Do We Believe in the Trinity?
The Holy Trinity
Trinity Sunday (and the Trinity season)
Trinitarian Mystery
HaSheeloosh HaKadosh: The Holy Trinity
MARY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRINITY
The Divine Trinity
And Christ said (to the Apostles). “Go forth to all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
RE: Is “Chinese” a religion?
Regards,
By “The Chinese”, I refer to what their historical religion is (e.g. Taoism ). Back to my original question -— DO THEY HAVE IN THEIR RELIGIONBS, A CONCEPT OF THE TRINITY SIMILAR TO THE CHRISTIAN ONE?
Regards,
Mark, as a Catholic, you have to believe in the doctrine of the Trinity to be a member of the church/religion of the Magisterium.
How can I make such a statement? Men, AKA the Church Fathers, had a council, 300+ years after the death of the savior of the world and decided, with a majority vote, the Doctrine of the Trinity. They also determined that all who do not agree with them can not be a member of their universal, one size fits all, church and be called a heretic or a name of someone they disagreed with.
They only time something was decided with a vote is when they picked a replacement for Judas. That was before being filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is the way they choose your source of truth, the Pope. So much for being led by the Spirit of God
All of the doctrine of your religion is based on what men claimed was taught by men who may or may not have known an apostle. That is why 'Apostolic' is included in your church's name. Holy Apostolic Catholic Church
Christians base their beliefs on what Christ taught. That is why we are called Christians.
I prey to God the Father, in Jesus' name, that He will awaken your spirit to these truths. BVB
I believe this was a very wise statement to make.
Egyptian trinity: Osiris, Isis, Horus
Christianity is the only place where a triune (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) God exists
That's actually commanded in Matthew 28:19 for baptism, and that's the only time that phrase is used in the Bible. It's not indicative of a "trinity" (a phrase never used in the Bible in any language).
That they have gone back to using the term "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" in baptisms suggests that maybe there are people praying that this Synod will move back towards conservative roots
I have been saying that for quite some time. However, that still does not excuse the non Trinitarian beliefs that such as yourself mistakenly parade around.
That is not Christianity. Nice of you to weigh in. You wouldn't be Mormon or something even less palatable, would you?
Egyptian "trinity": Aah - Old Moon God Aker - God of Earth and guardian of the Gateway of Death Amenhotep - God of Architecture, Buildings and Construction Work Ament - Goddess of the Underworld Hospitality. Daughter of Horus and Hathor Ammit - Demonic Goddess 'The Devourer of Souls' Amn - The invisible Goddess who welcome the good to the underworld Amun - Great Sun God in charge of everything. King of the Gods Andjety - Underworld God of Rebirth Ani-lbo - Goddess of Birth, Death, Happiness and Love Anouke - War Goddess Anti - God of Ferrymen Anubis - God of the Dead Atum (Ra, Re) - Creator of the Universe, First God, God of Perfection. He created Shu and Tefunt (air and moisture). Ba - Ram God of Fertility Ba-pef - God of Woe and Dread Babi - Underworld God of Aggression Banebdjetet - Ram God of Arbitration Bast - Goddess of Fertility, Sensuality and Fire Prevention. Bes - God of Domestic Protection, Childbirth and Family; Protection for Children, Pregnant Women and Families Beset - Goddess of Domestic Protection and Home Security Chontamenti - God of the Dead Dedun - God of Wealth and Incense Dua - Eqyptian God of Toilets (yes really!) Geb - God of the Earth Hapi - God of the Nile Harmakhis - Sun God Hatmehit - Fish Goddess Hathor - Goddess of Love and Joy Heket - Goddess of Childbirth. Heptet - Goddess of Resting in Peace and Resurrection Hesa - Milk Goddess (another one!) Hike - God of Medicine and Magic. Horus (Haroeris) - God of the Sky, Ruler of Egypt Huh - God of Sky and Infinity. Iat - Goddess of Milk Ihy - God of Music and Dancing Imhotep - God of Medicine and Knowledge Imiut - God of Underworld Protection Isis - Goddess of Motherhood, Protection and Magic. Mother of Horus. Kauket - Goddess of Dark Chaos Khem - God of Fertility Khepri - God of Renewal and Rebirth Khnum - God of Creative Pottery Khonsu - God of the Moon and Time Kuk - God of Primal chaos Ma'at - Goddess of Truth, Justice, Law and Order. Mafdet - Goddess of Protection from venomous creatures Mahes - God of Summer Heat Mehturt - Sky Goddess and Foddess of Primeval Waters and great flood Mendes - Nature God Menhit - War Goddess Menthu - War God Meret - Goddess of Song, Dance and Rejoicing Meskhent - Goddess of childbirth and Midwifery Min - Male fertility god. Mut - Mother Goddess of Mothers and Mothering Naunet - Goddess of the Ocean Nef - Serpent God Nehebkau - Scorpion God and Guardian of the Underworld Gates. Neith - The Great Weaver Goddess, upset her and she threatens tounpick the woven universe. Nekhabed - Royal Protection Goddess Neper - God of Grain Nephthys - Goddess of the Dead. Mother of Anubis. Nun - God of Water and Chaos Nut - Goddess of the Sky who Covers the Earth. Wife of Geb, daughter of Shu and Tefnut, mother of Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, Seth and Horus. Osiris - God of the Dead, Ruler of the Underworld Petbe - God of Retaliation Ptah - Creator God Qadesh - Goddess of Love and Sexual ecstacy. Ra (Atum, Re) - Sun God Raluvhimba - God of the Heavens, Creator Renenet - Goddess of fortune and Prosperity Renpet - Goddess of Spring and Youth Reshep - God of War, Battle and military Operations Sakhmet - Goddess of War and Vengeance Satet - Goddess of Floods Sebek - Crocodile Gold of Might and Power. Seker - God of Morbidity and Death Rites Sepa - Centipede God of Fertility and Protection Septu - Warrior God of Protection and Defence Serquet - Goddess of Bandages and Curing Scorpion Bites (Florence Nightingale of the Nile) Seshat - Goddess of Writing and Measurement Sesmu - God of Pressing Oil and Wine Set - God of Chaos, war, storms and deserts. Shai - Goddess of goodly Fate Shed - Youngster God of Protection and Safety Shu - God of Air and Light. Husband of Tefunt, father of Geb, grandfather of Osiris. Tatenen - God of Vegetation Taweret - Goddess of Maternity and childbirth Tefnut - Goddess of moisture. Daughter of Atum, wife of Shu. Thoeris - Mother Goddess of Heavy Protection Thoth - God of Writing and Knowledge Tutu - Keeps demons at bay Wadj-wer - Fertility God, known as the God of the Great Green Wadjet - Cobra Goddess, Protector of the King Wosyet - Goddess Protector of the Young.
Babylonian/Assyrian trinity:
The following is a list of some Assyrian deities: Ashur/Assur (Aramaic: ܐܵܫܿܘܪ) / Anshar, patron of Assur Ishtar, (Astarte/Eshtar), the goddess of love and war, patroness of Nineveh (Aramaic: ܥܸܫܬܵܪ) Nabu Nergal - God of the Underworld Tiamat - Sea Goddess Samnuha [1] Kubaba [2] Marduk Ellil Ninlil Nisroch Anu Ea, Sumerian Enki Kishar Sin / Suen, sumerian Nanna - Moon God Ishara Shamash - Sun God Adad/Hadad [3] Dagan/Dagon Bel Tammuz
Hindu trinity:
A Aakash, god of the sky. Acyutah, another name of Vishnu or God. Adimurti is one of Vishnu's avatars. Aditi is Devamatri. Aditya, are the offspring of Aditi. Agni is the god of fire, and acceptor of sacrifices. Ammavaru is an ancient goddess who laid the egg that hatched Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Anala Anila Anumati Anuradha Ap Apam Napat Aranyani Aravan Ardhanari Ardra Arjuna Aruna Arundhati Aryaman Aslesa Asura Asvayujau Aswini Ayyappan Ayyanar Ayya Vaikundar [edit]B Bagala Bagalamukhi Bahuchara Mata Balarama Banka-Mundi Bhadra Bhadrakali Bhaga Bhairava Bhairavi Bharani Bharati Bhavani Bhishma Bhumidevi Bhumiya Bhutamata Bhuvaneshvari Brahma Brahman Brahmani Brihaspati Budha Buddha Buddhi Budhi Pallien Balaji Beeralingeswara [edit]C Chamunda Chamundi Chandra Chathan Chhinnamasta Chitragupta [edit]D Daksha Dakshayani Danu Dattatreya Deva Devi Devnarayan Dhanvantari Dhara Dharma Dharma Shasta Dhatri Dhumavati Diti Durga Draupadi [edit]E Esakki [edit]G Ganesha (see also Ashtavinayaka) Ganga Garuda Gayatri Ghanshyam Guardians of the directions Gusainji [edit]H Hanuman Hari Hrishikesh [edit]I Indra Indrani Indilayappan Īśāna Ishvara [edit]J Jagaddhatri Jyotiba Jagannath Jumadi Jasnathji Jai [edit]K Kadutha Swami Kaival Kala Kali Kama Kamalatmika Kartikeya Karuppa Swami Kashyapa Khatushyamji Kirata Moorti Krishna Kubera Khandoba Kathyayini Kannaki Kamakshi [edit]L Lakshmi (see also Ashta Lakshmi) Lalitha Lakshman [edit]M Madurai Veeran Mahavidya Mahavishnu Mariamman Markandeya Matrikas Meenakshi Manasa Maruts Matangi Manikanta Meenush Mhasoba Veer Mhaskoba Mitra Mohini Muthyalamma Murugan Mariamman Muniandi Muthappan Mahalasa Mukyaprana Mookambika [edit]N Naga Devata Naga Raja Naga Yakshi Naina Devi Nallacchan Nandni Nandi Narada Narasimha Narayana Nataraja Nirrith Nirrta Nookambika [edit]P Parashurama Parasiva Parjanya Parvati Pashupati Prajapati Prithvi Pushan Purusha [edit]R Radha Rama Ramnathi Ranganatha Rati Ratri Ravi Rbhus Renuka Revanta Rohini Nakshatram Rudra Ramdev [edit]S Samaleswari Saraswati Saranyu Sati Savitr Savitri Sesha Shakti Shakti Peethas Shantadurga Shiva (see also Astamurti) Sita Skanda Soma Subrahmanya Surya Svaha Swaminarayan [edit]T Tara Tejaji Tirupati Thimmappa Tripura Sundari Tvashtri [edit]U Uma (goddess) Ushas Ugratara =* Varaha Varuna Vasu Vayu Veerabhadra Veer Mhaskoba Venkateshwara Vettakkoru Makan Vishnu Vishvaksena Vithoba Vishwakarma Vivasvat [edit]Y Yaksha Yakshi Yama Yami Yellamma Yudhisthira
Daoist trinity:
Ao Description: The 4 dragon kings named Ao Ch'in, Ao Kuang, Ao Jun and Ao Shun. Each was responsible for a part of Earth and an area of sea. During droughts, teh dragon kings were worshipped with noisy parades of music and dance which followed a cloth effigy of a dragon. Every stream and river had its own Ao. Ch'ang-o Other Names: Heng-o. Description: Goddess of the Moon and wife of I. Ch'eng-Huang Description: God of walls and ditches. Each town/village had its own local Ch'eng-Huang. Rules Over: Protection, justice. Chih-Nii Other Names: Chih Nu Description: Goddess of spinners, weavers and clouds. Rules Over: Handcrafts, rain. Ch'in-Shu-Pao Description: Guardian God. T'ang dynasty military hero elevated to the job of guarding doors. Rules Over: Protection, privacy. Chuang-Mu Description: Goddess of the bedroom and sexual delights. Rules Over: Sex. Chu-Jung Description: God of fire and executions. Rules Over: Justice, revenge, death. Erh-Lang Description: God who chases away evil spirits and shape-shifter who had up to 72 different bodily forms. Widely worshipped. Rules Over: Protection from evil. Feng-Po-Po Description: Goddess of winds. Rules Over: Storms, moisture. Fu-Hsi Other Names: Fu-Hsing. Description: God of happiness, symbolized by the bat. Rules Over: Destiny, love, success. Hou-Chi Description: Ancient harvest God. Depicted as a kindly old man with millet stalks growing on his head. Rules Over: Harvest, crops. Hsi Wang Mu Other Names: Wang-Mu Niang-Niang, Weiwobo. Description: Highest Goddess of ancient China. Her palace iss in the Khun-lun mountain where she protects the herb of immortality. Rules Over: Curing disease. Hsuan-T'ien-Shang-Ti Description: Ruler of Water, God who removes evil spirits and demons. Rules Over: Exorcism. Hu-Tu Other Names: Hou-T'u Description: Female deity Earth. The Emperor offered sacrifices to her on a square marble altar in the Forbidden City each summer solstice. Rules Over: Earth magick, fertility. I-Ti Description: God of wine who invented winemaking. Rules Over: Wine. Kuan Ti Description: God of war and fortunetelling. Shown dressed in green and had a red face. Rules Over: Protection, valor, justice, divination, revenge, death, dark magick, prophecy. Kuan Yin Other Names: Kwan Yin, Kwannon. Description: Great Mother, patroness of priestesses. Sometime depicted holding a child. It is thought this Goddess sits on her paradise island of P'u T'o and answers every prayer to her. Rules Over: Success, mercy, purification, fertility, children, motherhood, childbirth, healing, enlightenment. K'uei-Hsing Other Names: Chung-Kuei. Description: Protector of travelers. God of tests and examinations, literature and students. Rules Over: Protection during travel, tests, literature, students. Lan Ts'ai-Ho Description: One of the 8 Immortals of ancient China, this Goddess dressed as a woman but had a male voice. Carried a flute and basket of fruit. Rules Over: Music, fertility. Lao-Tien-Yeh Description: The Jade Emperor. "Father Heaven." Lei-King Other Names: Lei-Kung. Description: God of thunder and retribution, he had few shrines. Shown as an ugly man with blue skin, wings and claws, clad in a loincloth. He punished the guilty that human law did not touch. Rules Over: Justice, punishment. Lo Shen Description: Goddess of rivers. Rules Over: Water magick. Lu-Hsing Description: God of pay and employees. Symbol was a deer which he rode on. Rules Over: Prosperity, success, law, employment. Lu-Pan Other Names: Lupan. Description: God of carpenters and masons. Rules Over: Artistic abilities, fame. Ma-Ku Description: Goddess of springtime. Rules Over: Spring rites. Men Shen Description: Two deities who warded the door against evil spirits and hostile influences. One had a red or black face, the other a white face. They both wore military dress, holding a long-handled mace. Rules Over: Protection. Meng-Po Niang Niang Description: Goddess who lived just inside the door to hell where those reincarnating would depart. Her sacred potion, of which she gave a few drops to each departing person, made all humans forget previous lives. Rules Over: Passing over rites, past-lives. Nu Kua Description: Creator Goddess who made humankind. Rules Over: Creation. Pa Description: Goddess of droughts. Rules Over: Droughts. P'an-Chin-Lien Description: Goddess of prostitutes. Rules Over: Prostitution. Pi-Hsia Yuan Chin Description: Goddess of childbirth and labor, she brings health and good fortune to the newborn and protection to the mother. Rules Over: Protection, good fortune, health, childbirth, labor. Sao-Ts'ing Niang Description: Goddess of the clouds. Rules Over: Ending droughts. Shaka-Nyorai Other Names: Sakyamuni. Description: Historical Buddha. Rules Over: Virtue, enlightenment, self-realization. Shang-Ti Description: The Supreme God. Shen Nung Description: God of medicine, pharmacy, agriculture. Rules Over: Medicine, pharmacy, agriculture. Shou-Hsing Other Names: Shou, Lao. Description: God of longevity and old people, keeper of the book of the life-span of men. Shown with a prominent bald head with white eyebrows and whiskers. A stag beside him, he leaned on a staff and carried a peach, symbol of immortality. Rules Over: Life plan, date of death, reincarnation. Shui-Khan Description: God who defends men against all evil and forgives sins. Rules Over: Averting evil. T'ai-Yueh-Ta-Ti Other Names: Tung-Yueh-Ta-Ti. Description: God of the affairs of men, protector of men and animals. Rules Over: Children, fortune, honors, fate, animals, payment of good and bad karma, prosperity, success. Tien-Hou Other Names: Tien Fei. Description: Protectress of sailors and others in time of danger. Rules Over: Protection. T'ien-Khuan Description: God who bestows happiness. Rules Over: Happiness. Tien-Mu Description: Goddess of lightning. Rules Over: Lightning. Ti-Khuan Description: God who grants remission of sins. Ti-Tsang-Wang-Pu-Sa Description: God of mercy, he visited those in Hell and tried to arrange for a good reincarnation. Depicted as a smiling robed monk with a halo around his body and carried a pearl that gave off light. Rules Over: Knowledge for reincarnation. Tou-Mou Description: Goddess of the polestar and record-keeper; scribe of the Immortals. Judge of all peoples. Rules Over: Stars, records, writing, judgement. Tsai Shen Other Names: Ts'ai-Shen Description: God of wealth, most popular chinese god. Shown dressed in exquisite silks. Rules Over: Abundance, success. Tsao-Wang Other Names: Tsao-Chun. Description: Kitchen god, god of the hearth. Protector of families and recorder of the actions and words of each family. His wife recorded the behavior of women in particular. He gave his report to the Jade Emperor who then determined the family's coming fortunes. Tsi-Ku Other Names: Tsi Ku Niang. Description: Goddess of the outhouse. It is said that when a woman wanted to know the future, she went to the outhouse and asked Tsi-Ku. Rules Over: Outhouses, divination. Twen-Ch'ang Other Names: Wen-Chang-Ta-Ti. Description: God of literature and poetry. Rules Over: Writing, publishing, artistic fame. Yao-Shih Description: "Master of healing." Rules Over: Psychic abilities, healing powers. Yeng-Wang-Yeh Description: FOremost of the ten Yama Kings of Lords of Death. Ruler of hell. He decided the fate of all new arrivals, determining if they went to a special court for trial, were punished or sent straight back to the Wheel of Life. Rules Over: Judgment, punishment, karmic justice.
The thread needs distinctions or it will be running the unlearned into the ground in heresy.
Christianity professes belief in the triune God, the only God.
Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God
The Father is the origin of all
The Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit of God, begotten from the Father through the Son.
All are distinct persons, but they are not separate God’s. They have one essence of divinity and share in identity except for what is incommunicable between persons.
What is incommunicable? That the Father begets the Son is not possible to say the opposite: that the Father is begotten by the Father, or that the Father is Begotten by the Son. The Son only is begotten by the Father, and cannot share that identity with the Father.
But aside from those minor internal distinctions in God, there is only one God. He is a trinity of persons sharing one identity as the supreme being, how this is so is a mystery.
God is both a community and a singularity, and again, how this is so is a mystery.
For reference see Nicene Creed:
We believe in one God the Father All-sovereign, maker of all things. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, only-begotten, that is, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made, things in heaven and things on the earth; who for us men and for our salvation came down and was made flesh, and became man, suffered, and rose on the third day, ascended into the heavens, and is coming to judge living and dead. And in the Holy Spirit. And those that say ‘There was when he was not,’ and, ‘Before he was begotten he was not,’ and that, ‘He came into being from what-is-not,’ or those that allege, that the son of God is ‘Of another substance or essence’ or ‘created,’ or ‘changeable’ or ‘alterable,’ these the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes.
I would appreciate if you would address the points I made in my post instead of name calling as you normally do.
Do you agree there were differing views as to Jesus' nature which brought about the doctrine of the Trinity? Some said He was the Son of God, others said He was God the Son.
At the same time they were trying to decide whether Mary was the mother of the Son of God or the mother of God.
When they had a majority of those who believed Jesus was God the Son., they convened a council. All who disagreed with that decision were excommunicated from the Church and/or called heretics as you and the Catholic Church still does today.
They also agreed that Mary was the mother of God. With this new title she had to be a lot more special than she had been before. She had to have an immaculate conception like our Lord. She had to be sinless, a perpetual virgin, the second Eve and queen of heaven to name a few.
None of this has anything to do with our salvation even thou there are many who would like to make a co-redeemer.
I prey God will open our eyes to His truth, BVB
Ah yes, a free range Christian, creating your own beliefs as you go along?
Do you agree there were differing views as to Jesus' nature which brought about the doctrine of the Trinity? Some said He was the Son of God, others said He was God the Son.
There were 318 bishops at Nicea. Only two did not finally agree and were anathematized.
None of this has anything to do with our salvation even thou there are many who would like to make a co-redeemer.
What makes an individual - yourself or myself - correct and the Church wrong? That is how many many people went astray over the millennia. Nestorius and Marcion come to mind.
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3801.htm has an English translation of the original documents from Nicea.
The Synod at Nice set forth this Creed.
The Ecthesis of the Synod at Nice.
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten (γεννηθέντα), not made, being of one substance (ὁμοούσιον, consubstantialem) with the Father. By whom all things were made, both which be in heaven and in earth. Who for us men and for our salvation came down [from heaven] and was incarnate and was made man. He suffered and the third day he rose again, and ascended into heaven. And he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead. And [we believe] in the Holy Ghost. And whosoever shall say that there was a time when the Son of God was not (ἤν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν), or that before he was begotten he was not, or that he was made of things that were not, or that he is of a different substance or essence [from the Father] or that he is a creature, or subject to change or conversion — all that so say, the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes them.
If you reject the Church's authority on this and other matters, why do you accept the canon of Scripture set in Carthage in 387?
http://www.bible-researcher.com/carthage.html has an excerpt from this Council:
It was also determined that besides the Canonical Scriptures nothing be read in the Church under the title of divine Scriptures. The Canonical Scriptures are these: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua the son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, four books of Kings, 3 two books of Paraleipomena, 4 Job, the Psalter, five books of Solomon, 5 the books of the twelve prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezechiel, Daniel, Tobit, Judith, Esther, two books of Esdras, 6 two books of the Maccabees. Of the New Testament: four books of the Gospels, one book of the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul, one epistle of the same [writer] to the Hebrews, two Epistles of the Apostle Peter, three of John, one of James, one of Jude, one book of the Apocalypse of John. Let this be made known also to our brother and fellow-priest Boniface, or to other bishops of those parts, for the purpose of confirming that Canon. because we have received from our fathers that those books must be read in the Church. Let it also be allowed that the Passions of Martyrs be read when their festivals are kept.
Can you explain how you accept 3rd Carthage, but not Nicea?
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