"If you are Christian you are definately Trinitarian"

by Sirona 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Sirona

  Hi

  My JW mother thinks that all Christians (non JWs who call themselves Christian) are ALL trinitarian.

  I tried to point out that there are certain groups who are not trinitarian, but she seemed to think that all Christian groups in babylon the great believe in the Trinity.

  Is it true that only fringe groups reject the Trinity?

  Sorry for my ignorance but I don't know much about mainstream Christianity.

  I would like to email her (my mum) a list of religions which reject the trinity but are also Christian. I also heard of groups who believe and preach about Jehovah as gods name.

  Sirona
• 

  minimus

  There are fringe "Christian" groups that reject the Trinity.
• 

  funkyderek

  Wikipedia has a very long and detailed entry on Nontrinitarianism in which Jehovah's Witnesses merit a mere three sentences.
• 

  White Dove

  Interesting.

  There is the Unitarian Universalist church that has lots of different faiths in it, some of which are Christians.

  I'm not sure if UU's are fringe, though. I'm a UU and Wiccan so believe that Jesus is just another of the Lord's names.

  I don't believe in a Christ, though, but some might.
• 

  yknot

  JW myth......

  Ask her about the remaining Bible Students, their Arian too.

  There have always been Arians in various denominations, even if the denomination taught Athanusist view.

  The difference is that to these individuals profession of concept of God isn't intregal to salvation through grace and acceptance of Christ.

  I admit many automatically accept their church's teachings on the matter but as former JWs we all know how easy it is to convert them to Arianism.

  I am out but don't see myself ever not being an Arian......to be 'begat' a entity has to be 'begotten'.

  For the official religions that don't profess Trinity in their doctrines...

  Here is Wiki's list.....but again there are Arian Baptist, Methodist, Presbs, Catholics, Lutherans etc as individuals.

  • American Unitarian Conference
  • Arian Catholicism
  • Arianism
  • Bible Students
  • Christadelphians
  • Christian Conventions a non-denominational group which publishes no dogmatic positions, but which a majority of observers classify as non-Trinitarian
  • Church of Christ, Scientist
  • Church of God General Conference (Abrahamic Faith)
  • Church of the Blessed Hope (also known as the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith, but not part of "General Conference")
  • Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church (Not to be confused with the Seventh-day Adventist Church)
  • Doukhobors
  • Higher Ground Online
  • Jehovah's Witnesses
  • Living Church of God
  • Living Hope International Ministries
  • Molokan
  • Monarchianism
  • New Church
  • Non-Trinitarian churches
  • Oneness Pentecostals
  • Polish Brethren
  • Socinianism
  • Swedenborgianism
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church; see also Mormon)
  • The Way International
  • Unification Church
  • Unitarian Christians
  • Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship*

  * Independent affiliates of the Unitarian Universalist Association

  • Iglesia ni Cristo
  • True Jesus Church
  • Members of the Church of God International
  • United Church of God
• 

  M.J.

  There is a long list of nontrinitarian groups.
  
  Try the Christadelphians for a start.
  
  Also, I know a "lead evangelist" from a Church of Christ who is a non-trinitarian...but doesn't push the issue. He'll respect those from within his same church who are Trinitarians. Although on occasion he has participated in public, friendly debates on this issue with Trinitarians. I will say, however, that his position does not strip Christ of deity in the way the JW's position does.
• 

  NanaR

  As far as I know, these are the specific groups that reject (or have at one time rejected) the Trinity as defined in the Nicene Creed:

  Jehovah's Witnesses and related (such as the various Bible Students groups)

  Christian Scientists (the official Church teaching posits a trinity of the unity of God, the Christ, and divine Science, or: "God the Father-Mother; Christ the spiritual idea of sonship; divine Science or the Holy Comforter" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Science

  Christadelphians (they deny the prehuman existence of Jesus)

  Unitarians (they deny the prehuman existence of Jesus)

  Mormons (they teach that all humans had a pre-human existance, and that all saved humans will become gods).

  Oneness Pentecostals (they teach the Modalist heresy -- that there are three aspects or manifestations of God, not the traditional Trinity which states that there are three Persons that are coequal, coeternal and consubstantial in the Godhead.)

  Seventh Day Adventists (in the 1800s) were divided on the subject of the Trinity, but in the 20th Century their church leaders accepted it. Their baptism, however, is not accepted by the Catholic Church because it is not uniformly done "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

  When I was investigating Catholicism, it seemed very telling to me that the only groups that reject the traditional Trinity doctrine are such "fringe" groups. All mainline Christian Churches, from the Catholic and Orthodox through the Reformers and even some of the Restorationists (Church of Christ, for example) teach the Holy Trinity as defined in the Nicene Creed.

  Pax,

  Ruth
• 

  digderidoo

  Many christians i come across debate this one, some believe and some don't. Not all religions are like the JW's...many actually allow and encourage debate. It's easy to think that all religions have members that have to believe a heirarchy, when the reality is Christians make their own mind up what they believe following thoughtful debate. Bit like Russell really

  Paul
• 

  navytownroger

  I once worshipped at a United Pentecostal church, and they definitely reject the Trinity doctrine. They call themselves 'Oneness' Pentecostals.
• 

  LayingLow

  I remember thinking that most people who were in other churches were trinitarian. Then I found out what the trinity was and I realized that while most of them teach it in their creeds, many of the people have differing views on it.
  
  I have heard explanations by various church goers that sound like modalism. (God putting on three masks or roles of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) Also, that God is tripartate. Neither of these are the trinity.
  
  Others that I've talked to describe Jesus as someone who was created by God and sounds a lot like Arianism. So I don't think there is a consensus even within the churches.
  
  However, most will affirm that Christ has the nature of God, even if they do not think that he exists in the same essence. Maybe a like essence. Like semi-arians.