Why do you believe in the Trinity Doctrine knowing it's origins?

THROUGHOUT the ancient world, as far back as Babylonia, the worship of pagan gods grouped in threes, or triads, was common. That influence was also prevalent in Egypt, Greece, and Rome in the centuries before, during, and after Christ. And after the death of the apostles, such pagan beliefs began to invade Christianity.

Historian Will Durant observed: "Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it. . . . From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity." And in the book Egyptian Religion, Siegfried Morenz notes: "The trinity was a major preoccupation of Egyptian theologians . . . Three gods are combined and treated as a single being, addressed in the singular. In this way the spiritual force of Egyptian religion shows a direct link with Christian theology."

French Triune godhead

France. Trinity, c. 14th century C.E. (1)

Thus, in Alexandria, Egypt, churchmen of the late third and early fourth centuries, such as Athanasius, reflected this influence as they formulated ideas that led to the Trinity. Their own influence spread, so that Morenz considers "Alexandrian theology as the intermediary between the Egyptian religious heritage and Christianity."

In the preface to Edward Gibbon's History of Christianity, we read: "If Paganism was conquered by Christianity, it is equally true that Christianity was corrupted by Paganism. The pure Deism of the first Christians . . . was changed, by the Church of Rome, into the incomprehensible dogma of the trinity. Many of the pagan tenets, invented by the Egyptians and idealized by Plato, were retained as being worthy of belief."

Italian Triune godhead

Italy. Trinity, c. 15th century C.E. (2)

A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge notes that many say that the Trinity "is a corruption borrowed from the heathen religions, and ingrafted on the Christian faith." And The Paganism in Our Christianity declares: "The origin of the [Trinity] is entirely pagan."

That is why, in the Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, James Hastings wrote: "In Indian religion, e.g., we meet with the trinitarian group of Brahma, Siva, and Visnu; and in Egyptian religion with the trinitarian group of Osiris, Isis, and Horus . . . Nor is it only in historical religions that we find God viewed as a Trinity. One recalls in particular the Neo-Platonic view of the Supreme or Ultimate Reality," which is "triadically represented." What does the Greek philosopher Plato have to do with the Trinity?

The story that the ancient pagans originated the concept of the Trinity is false. The Trinity is not an originated concept, it is merely a way to express the three attributes or offices of the one God. The Trinity has been revealed today along with the mystery. We know and can understand the complete concept today which we once thought could never be comprehended.

Incorrect.

The Nazarene sect during the 1st century which latter on became known as the Christians understood that The Son and The Father as being one and the same God. There was no Holy Trinity yet but never the less the early Christians believed that The Son and The Father were one God.

And during the 2nd century Theophilus Bishop of Antioch wrote this:

In like manner also the three days which were before the luminaries, are types of the Trinity, of God, and His Word, and His wisdom. And the fourth is the type of man, who needs light, that so there may be God, the Word, wisdom, man. - Theophilus Bishop of Antioch.

Then during the 3rd century the Latin Theologian Tertullian explained that The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit are of one essence not of one Divine Person.

Then during the 4th century during the First Council of Niceae the majority of the Bishops declared that the doctrine of the Holy Trinity was orthodox (true). The Arians whom was lead by a Priest named Arianus were considered as heretics by the Church.

How fast do you expect news to spread in 33AD? But in Constantine's time, an ex-priest started preaching about Jesus NOT being God, which is NOT what Christianity was teaching at the time. So after it started getting around, the bishops got together to come up with a set of beliefs they should ALL be following because some followed the ex-priest (Arian, I think was his name. Arianism). So they came up with the Nicene Creed.

Early church father's taught the trinity, thought the word "trinity" had not come about yet.

Ignatius of Antioch

"[T]o the Church at Ephesus in Asia . . . chosen through true suffering by the will of the Father in Jesus Christ our God" (Letter to the Ephesians 1 [A.D. 110])

Irenaeus

"For the Church, although dispersed throughout the whole world even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and from their disciples the faith in one God, the Father Almighty . . . and in one Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became flesh for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit" (Against Heresies 1:10:1 [A.D. 189]).

Why do you trust that a religion that only started a hundred years ago has the "truth" that was perverted by "false doctrine" for two thousand years? If Jehovah is Almighty, then why would He allow people to believe in falsehoods and be lost for millennia before establishing the Watchtower Society to tell people the truth? Why would you believe the word of men who set a time for Jesus' return to earth (1914, I believe), when He Himself said that no one knows the day or the time of His return?

You have been misled by the Watchtower. I would like to give as an example the Dead Sea Scrolls. The WT teaches that early Christian doctrines were corrupted. I believe the term is "spurious texts." Yet the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in a cave after 2000 years, were nearly identical to modern translations of the Old Testament. So, if God would preserve the Old Testament so carefully for so many centuries, why would He not also preserve the New Testament writings? Why would one half of the Bible be completely corrupted while the much older part is perfectly preserved?

You got this little bit of false knowledge out of a Watchtower Comic Book didn't you? If you were to see those quotes in their actual context you would see that they say something quite different.

The truth is tht the Council of Nicaea convened to confront the heretical and heterodox teaching of the rogue bishop Arius. Constantine and most of the bishops were supporters of Arius. Only one person was brave enough to go against this power and was a lowly deacon named Athanasius. He gave such a defense of the orthodox teaching of the apostles that he was able to influence the great majority of those in attendance and the orthodox teaching that Jesus is God in the Trinity prevailed. Obviously, Constantine had very little influence. However Constantine remained an Arian his entire life and was indeed baptized as an Arian on his deathbed by two Arian bishops.

At the Council of Nicaea the Arians were found to be in anathema by bishops and their bishops beliefs and followers were condemned to hell for all eternity. Jehovah Witnesses and other non-Trinitarian faiths claiming Christianity are modern incarnations of theis heretical teaching and suffer the same condemnation under the authority of the Church given to the Church by Christ personally. As Christians we must show our love and pray for their conversion by God's grace.

In Christ

Fr. Joseph

And yet the Trinity doctrine would still exist today exactly the way it is today, word for word, even if none of the above were stated as is. Because it is formulated only on parts of scripture combined with the ability of natural reason to determine the existence of one self aware supreme Being.

http://www.bible.ca/trinity/trinity-Britannica.htm

um...sorry.

you are very rude.

quote

JW's love to quote Britannica, but they deliberately practice selective quoting to deceptively project a view opposite to what this excellent source is saying. Britannica is a trusted source that refutes every claim Anti-Trinitarians make to debunk trinity. No wonder the Governing Body has such a dismal reputation.

/quote

Lying for Jehovah huh?

WatchTower cult won't give it up