[gumbo]

Aren't there non-trinitarian Christians, e.g., Jehovah's Witnesses (I don't know, that's why I'm asking)?

[GuillermoX]

Well, there are non-trinitarian Christians (Oneness). But, one cannot deny that Jesus is God and be a Christian, thus JW's are not Christian.

Oneness says there is but only One God, who manifested Himself to humanity in 3 ways.

[Star Traveler]

Aren't there non-trinitarian Christians, e.g., Jehovah's Witnesses (I don't know, that's why I'm asking)?

No, they're a cult -- by definition. See Walter Martin's Kingdom of the Cults (a good reference book which I believe has been updated by a current author). Walter Martin is dead now, but his work is still valid.

Look at various "cult material" from authoritative Christian groups, which analyze this very thoroughly. It pays to know what constitutes Christianity from a Biblical perspective. And it's not everyone who says "I believe in God", or even "I believe in Christ." Even Christ Himself makes that very clear.

The two largest CULT GROUPS in this country are the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons (Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints).

[Mahone]

Gumbo, while it may upset some as not being politically correct, the groups you cite are NOT Christian. In our day of politcal correctness people have stopped labeling cults cults, but that is exactly what they are.

[Conservative til I die]

Yep, all the major Christian cults are non-trinitarian in some way or another. Basically, they are all rehashing some early heresy that was eradicated over a millennium ago.

The Mormons say they believe in the traditional divine Trinity, but they don't. They believe God was a mortal being who attained Godhood. Of course, that means that at some point there had to be an eternal, first being, which of course the Mormons don't deal with.

The Jehovah's Witnesses believe in a monotheistic God, with Jesus being an incarnation of Michael the Archangel, and the Holy Spirit as an imanimate "force." That's just rehashed Arianism.

The Moonies believe Christ was a failure as a Messiah.

The Christian Scientists belive Jesus and the Christ were two separate beings.

Quite honestly, none of these sects are really considered Christian.

[BibChr]

Aren't there non-trinitarian Christians, e.g., Jehovah's Witnesses (I don't know, that's why I'm asking)?

Only if you use the term "Christian" sociologically, so as to include anything even vaguely so, from Baptists and indpendant Fundamentalist churches to Christian Scientists and Mormons.

If you use the term in any sense Biblically, so that a "Christian" is one who affirms the fundamental teachings of the Bible, then by definition any individual or group that denies the Trinity, whatever it might be, is not a Christian group.

Dan
Statement of Faith

[BibChr]

PS -- what is called "Oneness" teaching is a heresy, long-refuted, which denies the Biblical teaching that God is immutable (unchanging), and so is eternally one in essence and distinctly three in Persons. (I.e. John 1:1 really does mean Jesus is God, and when He prayed to His Father He really was talking to a Person, not Himself.) It is not a Christian teaching — Biblically defined — any more than the teaching that man is God.

Dan

[Matchett-PI]

#20: Aren't there non-trinitarian Christians ..."

"Non-Trinitarian Christian" is an oxymoron. There ain't no such animal.

But, yes, there are plenty of "professing Christians" who are non-Trinitarian. Ironically, you can find lots of them on the "Trinity Broadcasting Network" (TBN).

In fact, you will probably find them on the "Christian Broadcasting Network" (CBN), also.

The Scriptural "Christian" religion is comprised of certain CORE (cardinal/essential) doctrines. The FIRST of those doctrines is the Scriptural description of the Godhead, which is "One What and Three Whos"; "ONE GOD in THREE PERSONS". Any other definition of the Godhead is NOT a doctrine of the historical, Scriptural Christian religion.