christianity

Originally posted by Nemesio
You are so painfully ignorant of what your own sacred text teaches. It does not teach that only
one God exists, but that there are indeed other gods, but that they are false. The One God
does not deny the existence of other gods, but merely asserts that they are false.

Nemesio

thus, since all other gods are false there are no other gods, as the bible teaches.

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
thus, since all other gods are false there are no other gods, as the bible teaches.

That other gods are false doesn't mean that they don't exist, just that belief in them doesn't
lead to a just reward. Recall that the first commandment reads that one 'shall not have any other
gods other than the One God,' not that 'there exist no other gods other than the One God.'

You are on the one extrapolating (falsely) that 'false gods' equates with 'no gods;' given that a
good part of the Hebrew Scriptures involves these 'false gods' and demonstrating their impotence
and so forth indicates that the writers did, in fact, acknowledge their existence, just not their
supremacy.

Nemesio

Originally posted by Nemesio
That other gods are false doesn't mean that they don't exist, just that belief in them doesn't
lead to a just reward. Recall that the first commandment reads that one 'shall not have any other
gods other than the One God,' not that 'there exist no other gods other than the One God.'

You are on the one extrapolating (falsely) that 'false gods' equates w ...[text shortened]... rs did, in fact, acknowledge their existence, just not their
supremacy.

Nemesio

since there is only one God, anything else that one may consider a god is wrong, thus they are false gods. I'm not sure how that can be confused.

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
since there is only one God, anything else that one may consider a god is wrong, thus they are false gods. I'm not sure how that can be confused.

But there is nothing in the Bible to get you to conclude your first claim 'there is only one God.'

The Bible, in fact, acknowledges the existence of other gods, but merely claims that they are
false.
The first commandment asserts it. You can't 'have other gods' if there aren't other gods to have.

What's confusing about this?

Nemesio

Originally posted by Nemesio
But there is nothing in the Bible to get you to conclude your first claim 'there is only one God.'

The Bible, in fact, acknowledges the existence of other gods, but merely claims that they are
false.
The first commandment asserts it. You can't 'have other gods' if there aren't other gods to have.

What's confusing about this?

Nemesio

it is referring to whatever a person believes, incorrectly, is a god. It is saying that anything other than the 1 true God is a false god because there is no other god. Whether you believe there is one, or ten, god is irrelevant, but the fact that the bible mentions "false gods" in no way means there are other gods.

In what way do you think "false gods" means there is more than one god?

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
it is referring to whatever a person believes, incorrectly, is a god. It is saying that anything other than the 1 true God is a false god because there is no other god. Whether you believe there is one, or ten, god is irrelevant, but the fact that the bible mentions "false gods" in no way means there are other gods.

It doesn't say that. For example, Elijah doesn't say 'Baalim' is not a god. He merely exposes
that Baalim is a false god, incapable of the miraculous task of setting a pyre on fire. It would
have been simpler to say 'There are no other gods' than to say 'You shall have no other gods
but the Lord God.' Yet, the authors of the Bible never do that. How do you explain that?

The Bible never says there exist no other gods. That is the product of your mind. The Bible,
however, contains addresses to other gods, but merely asserts that those gods are false.

You keep applying your non-Biblically centered frame of mind on the Bible.

Nemesio

Originally posted by Nemesio
Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
[b]it is referring to whatever a person believes, incorrectly, is a god. It is saying that anything other than the 1 true God is a false god because there is no other god. Whether you believe there is one, or ten, god is irrelevant, but the fact that the bible mentions "false gods" in no way means there are othe ...[text shortened]... ou keep applying your non-Biblically centered frame of mind on the Bible.

Nemesio

Is a false god a God?

Originally posted by Nemesio
Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
[b]it is referring to whatever a person believes, incorrectly, is a god. It is saying that anything other than the 1 true God is a false god because there is no other god. Whether you believe there is one, or ten, god is irrelevant, but the fact that the bible mentions "false gods" in no way means there are othe ...[text shortened]... ou keep applying your non-Biblically centered frame of mind on the Bible.

Nemesio

Deuteronomy 4:35
You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

1 Kings 8:60
so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.

Isaiah 44:8
Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

Isaiah 45:18
For this is what the LORD says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.

Isaiah 46:9
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.

Joel 2:27
Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.

Mark 12:32
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.

Originally posted by Vernon Falls
Well, I am bit slow here. Can you guys explain to me?

basically, Christianity is the belief in God, the only, the one and only god. if you truly believe in him and accept him to come into your heart, he will give you eternal life in heaven after you die. like John 3:16, maybe the most recognized verse in the bible, says "for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life" and to accept him into your heart, you must admit that u r a sinner, believe that Jesus is God's only son, and confess all of your sins. if you do this truly, when you die, you will go to heaven and meet God. there are no words to describe how great that will be.

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
Deuteronomy 4:35
You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

1 Kings 8:60
so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and th ...[text shortened]... ," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.

All of yours can be explained by saying that the command is to have no other God.
That is, there is no other 'God.' This is maintained by the Bible -- there is no other entity
that has the qualities of 'God.' However, that is not to say that there are no other gods, ones
with inferior qualities, but just as real. Indeed, the commands of the Bible indicate that the
believer ought to carry on his/her life as if there were no other gods, but not to deny the
existence of those other, inferior gods. For example, just 10 chapters later than your Kings
reference, Elijah, who is no wimp when it comes to proclaiming the 'Truth,' never says that the
gods of the pagans don't exist, even though he had motive and opportunity. Instead, he
merely demonstrates that Baal doesn't have the capacities of the One God. How do you explain
this, that in the place where it might have made the most sense, Elijah (who had both the
stones and the reason) did not deny the existence of other gods?

I suspect that I'm asking these questions rhetorically, since you don't seem inclined to answer,
so I'll play the 'Biblical Citation Game,' too, in the event it might wake you up to the contents
of the Book you regard as Holy.

'For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every first-born of the land,
and executing judgement on all the gods of Egypt -- I, the Lord!' (Exodus 12:12)
'Who is like to you among gods, O Lord? Who is like to you magnificent in holiness?' (Exodus 15:11a)
'Now I know that the Lord is a deity great beyond any other...' (Exodus 18:11a).
'Thou shalt not revile the gods.' (Exodus 22:28)
'Therefore, you shall not bow down in worship before their gods, nor shall you make anything
like them; rather, you must demolish them and smash their sacred pillars.' (Exodus 23:24)
'You shall not make a covenant with them or their gods.' (Exodus 23:32)
'God arises in the divine assembly, he judges in the midst of the gods.' (Psalm 82:1)
'There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, and there are no works like yours.' (Psalm 86:8)
'For great is the Lord and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods.' (Psalm 96:4)

Nemesio

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
Is a false god a God?

yes


All gods are objects of human adoration and worship and exist only as such. Whatever is worshiped is therefore a god.

Originally posted by Wulebgr
yes


All gods are objects of human adoration and worship and exist only as such. Whatever is worshiped is therefore a god.

well if that is what you think then you are right...as you say the bible mentions "other gods" about a million times. My point remains that the bible is saying every other god is a false god and that there is only 1 TRUE God. Thus, my answer to my own question would be a false god is not an actual God. The difference is semantics, as the bible is teaching its readers to follow ONE God, and that every other "god" is not the right one to follow---was the point i was trying to make.

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
well if that is what you think then you are right...as you say the bible mentions "other gods" about a million times.

You're confusing me with someone else. I never said such a thing.

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
...as the bible is teaching its readers to follow ONE God, and that every other "god" is not the right one to follow---was the point i was trying to make.

I'm glad you've repented of your earlier claim and now agree with me. Oddly enough, I made
that very point in my first post.

Nemesio

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
Is a false god a God?

The capital letter makes the word a proper noun and thus not only is a false 'God' not 'the God' but your sentence was incorrect in using the phrase 'a God'. Of cause someone who knows the Hebrew might be able to better explain what was meant by 'false God/god' in the original.