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To: nowandlater
I was Greek Orthodox, still attend from time to time despite being a member of a Methodist Church for personal reason. One never became the equal of God in the Orthodox Tradition, most plainly as evidenced by its adherence to the true and factual truine nature of our Lord. Exaltation is only something used in the strictest definition in it means to hold something holy, not to become God. The Orthodox Exalt the Cross during the feast of the cross for example.

The relationship of exaltation as becoming god belongs solely to the LDS.

As far as the rest, God stated he was the one and only.

The fact that people wanted to drag their old pagan and other gods along for the ride into Christianity was dismissed early on. Indeed such erroneous teachings was what inspired Constantine to bring together the Christian leadership at Nicea.

The Jews also dismissed such cultural and primitive artifacts of their religion thousands of years ago as the nature of God and his laws were better understood.

Furthermore those who use henotheism to explain the concept of God and Christ being different persons have been forced to ignore the very plain relationship made evident in the the OT and NT that in the beginning was the Word and the word WAS God and that when Christ came he was the Word made flesh. No indication of any separation there. The Word did not make Christ, the word WAS Christ.

However I do appreciate your honesty, you have been the first to not avoid the issue.

853 posted on 10/30/2009 10:12:26 AM PDT by ejonesie22
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To: ejonesie22

I agree that LDS make a larger emphasis on Exaltation/Theosis by making it more universal, but it is not unique to them. I maybe mistaken about Greek Orthodox, but in terms of Theosis and Eastern Christology, it is a doctrine and it was touched on by some of the founding fathers of Christianity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosis

Don’t want to overload the discussion, but here is such an example.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria wrote, “God became man so that man might become god.” [the second god is always lowercase] (On the Incarnation 54:3, PG 25:192B). His statement is an apt description of the doctrine. What would otherwise seem absurd—that fallen, sinful man may become holy as God is holy—has been made possible through Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate. Naturally, the crucial Christian assertion, that God is One, sets an absolute limit on the meaning of theosis: it is not possible for any created being to become (ontologically) God, or even part of God (the henosis of Greek Neoplatonic philosophy).[1]


854 posted on 10/30/2009 10:25:21 AM PDT by nowandlater
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To: ejonesie22; Scythian; SZonian; Godzilla

John 1 reads: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.
1John 14:10 “and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 14:14 the Father sent the Son to be The Saviour of the world. The oneness of The Father and Son is spiritual, Jesus is a separate being “The Son Of God”, and was so named by too many to mention.


944 posted on 11/10/2009 12:23:08 PM PST by lawsone (Defending Mormons)
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To: ejonesie22; Scythian; SZonian; Godzilla

John 1 reads: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.
1John 14:10 “and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 14:14 the Father sent the Son to be The Saviour of the world. The oneness of The Father and Son is spiritual, Jesus is a separate being “The Son Of God”, and was so named by too many to mention.


945 posted on 11/10/2009 12:23:23 PM PST by lawsone (Defending Mormons)
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