You either have no idea what Arius taught...
He was one of the first and most famous of heretics. Most of his heresies had to do with anti-Trinitarian theology.
or you have no idea what those of us in this thread believe.
Like muslims many protestants believe the Trinity was "invented". It's more accurately a Theophany and if you're familiar with patristics you can see Trinitarian language out the gate. Most of the "words" and "terms" that we use to explain our Triune God didn't just fall out the sky. They developed over time. They have their roots in what came before them. There is historical continuity within the body of Christ, the Church. And the Holy Trinity is part of it.
The so-called "history" of the Trinity posted above reveals not a little ignorance as to how the theology came to be what it is today. Reveals just how out of touch the majority of protestants are with their own roots. What roots? To reject the Trinity is to cease to be Christian.
We've thrown out the baby (Jesus) with the bath-water (Holy Tradition). Any wonder why more and more people are calling themselves non-denominational. By todays standards, to agree with anything other than what seems right in our own mind is blasphemous. And the body of conflicting beliefs are sure to protect Their Way.
Most of the people that see the Trinity as polytheism should understand what they're dismissing before trying to come up with an argument against it. Otherwise you're only arguing against your own constructed stereo-type of whatever it is you don't understand. Might as well shadow-box. Either way you lose despite feeling like a winner.
The majority of posts on here smell and act like Modalism, Docetism, Nestorianism, Monophysitism and all the flavors in between. This is what happens when you ignore the past. In the name of something new, you repeat it.
As for the Waldenesians and the totally bizarre "faithful remnant" Church - if they even existed prior to the 11th century, they were heretics and for good reason. If we see that Jesus had disciples and those disciples instructed disciples and those disciples instructed disciples and they all form an unbreakable chain all the way up to the present and you fall outside that chain, you might as well be living like the fabled "underground remnant" -- on an island.
Lemme guess, Jesus looked like the blonde Fabio, minus the tan....
People can't cope with the likes of St. Polycarp and St. Ignatius, despite having been instructed by St. John, because if
their faith is True then the faith of most people that reject them,
is False. Enter creative and revisionist history, conspiracy theories and a totally bizarre fear of anything Catholic.
If you want to look for traditions of men, teachings of men, false doctrines, unsound teaching, heretics, pluralism (boatloads of it) and false ecumenism that calls itself love but is just Hate at a masquerade party -- do an honest survey of Protestantism. No need to create a boogie man in your neighbor's closet. You've your own skeletons to shine a light on.
But Catholics invented the Trinity and we're all experts on how wrong Catholics are, right?
But my advice is not to try and define your flavor of Christianity based on your understanding of the 1500's (or lack of) because you'll wind up cutting down the trunk of the tree, ripping out the roots and for the sake of 50,000 dead and dying leaves. And why? Because it was Catholic.
The appeal of protestantism is that you get to be your own pope. And the only rule is that anyone or thing that speaks against the body of conflicting individuals is labeled a "hater".
Either way you should know what you are speaking about before you speak at all.
I agree
