Search — Theology Explorer

eternal progression Mormon Christology Jesus became a god

In Mormon theology, Jesus became incarnate partly to become a god — Jesus has only been a god for ~2,000 years and is one of three gods in the Mormon Trinity.

Extension of Mormon Christology — Jesus's divinity is recent and earned, not eternal.

LDS.org tritheism Mormon Trinity / Godhead

Mormon definition of the Trinity: three separate, distinct beings who are one only in purpose and doctrine — effectively polytheism.

Contrast between the Christian Trinity and the Mormon 'Godhead' — the Mormon version is tritheism, not Trinitarianism.

Christian-Mormon dialogue monotheism Mormon polytheism

Christian monotheism: 'there is only one God' — meant literally. Mormon missionaries and teachers claim to affirm this, but use a different definition.

Fourth vocabulary comparison: the phrase 'only one God.' Mike recounts personal conversations with Mormon missionaries and seminary teachers in Utah.

eternal progression Mormon polytheism infinite regression of gods

Mormon theology contains more gods than any other religion in history — an infinite, eternal regression of gods with no beginning.

Mike stresses the full scope of Mormon polytheism: not just three gods but an infinite cosmological chain of deities.

infinite regression of gods If You Could Hie to Kolob Kolob

Mormon hymn 'If You Could Hie to Kolob' (hymn #284) teaches the doctrine of infinite regression of gods.

Mike cites an official Mormon hymn as further evidence for the polytheistic infinite regression doctrine, making it liturgically embedded in the faith.

Joseph Smith Book of Abraham Pearl of Great Price

Book of Abraham (Pearl of Great Price), chapter 4: creation is described as 'the gods' organizing matter — explicitly polytheistic and not ex nihilo.

Mike reads from official Mormon scripture to demonstrate the polytheistic view of creation embedded in LDS canonical texts.

polytheism McConkie Mormon worship practices

Recent LDS leader McConkie argued Mormons should not worship Jesus, only the Father — revealing internal tension over polytheistic implications.

Mike notes an internal LDS controversy where a leader tried to resolve the polytheism problem by restricting worship to the Father alone.

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Using scripture against scripture is bad methodology — it appears to create contradictions and 'the atheist wins'

Mike's methodological critique of how both sides typically argue

hermeneutics proof-texting apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Q&A: Non-Christian friends interested in understanding worldview — all worldviews must be consistent and accurate

Viewer's observation about non-Christian friends being open to worldview discussion

apologetics atheism worldview

atheism Matt Dillahunty David Hume

Named skeptics to be examined: Matt Dillahunty, David Hume, Sam Harris, Dan Barker, Richard Carrier, Bart Ehrman

Roster of specific atheist/skeptic thinkers Mike will analyze

resurrection miracles David Hume

David Hume's argument: miracles are impossible, therefore no testimony can ever establish a miracle

Beginning of the skeptics section; examination of David Hume's philosophical objection

miracles David Hume methodological naturalism

Hume's single exception: he would only accept a miracle if it was the lesser of two competing miracle claims

Further detail on Hume's position from 'An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding'

resurrection miracles Bart Ehrman

Bart Ehrman's position: even if miracles happened, historians should not believe them

Examination of Bart Ehrman's approach to the resurrection

Dan Barker Freedom From Religion Foundation deconversion

Dan Barker: former Christian musician now affiliated with Freedom From Religion Foundation, who debates and speaks against Christianity

Introduction of Dan Barker

resurrection Matt Dillahunty mythicism

Matt Dillahunty's debate strategy: avoid taking a position, only attack others' positions; leans toward mythicism

Introduction and analysis of Matt Dillahunty's approach

resurrection apologetics Richard Carrier

Apologetics is not 'hijacking history' — the historical facts preexist apologetic use; it is skeptics who abuse historical disciplines

Response to the charge that Christian apologists are inappropriately co-opting history

resurrection Harry Potter comparison category error

Comparing Jesus's resurrection to Harry Potter is intellectually incoherent — a category error that reveals the accuser as a caricature

Response to an atheist who told Mike he should believe in Harry Potter if he believes the Bible

Hebrews authorship New Testament Paul the Apostle Pauline authorship

Question from 'Pine Creek Doug': do you accept the scholarly consensus that six of Paul's letters are forgeries? — Mike does not accept this

Q&A — atheist YouTuber Doug from 'Pine Creek' asks about Pauline authorship

Aaron Ra Bible prophecy Fulfilled prophecy

Introduction: Aaron Ra's video claiming the Bible has zero fulfilled prophecy

Mike opens the livestream by introducing the video he will critique: 'Unfulfilled Proof Run Fulfilling Prophecy' by Aaron Ra, Regional Director of American Atheists with 185,000 YouTube subscribers

Ezekiel 26 Ezekiel 26 Tyre prophecy Evidence for God

Backstory: Mike's Ezekiel 26 video was given to Aaron Ra as a fulfilled prophecy example

A Twitter user named Ichabod linked Mike's Ezekiel 26 video in response to Aaron Ra's request for fulfilled prophecy examples

Apologetics methodology Debate tactics Rhetorical dumping

The 'dumping' rhetorical tactic: rapid-fire accusations without allowing responses

Mike identifies a debate tactic Aaron Ra uses in the opening of his video — making many rapid accusations before ever reaching substantive arguments

Genesis 3 Numbers 22:28 Genesis 3 Numbers 22:28 Serpent in Eden

Aaron Ra's claim: snakes and donkeys cannot talk — Mike's rebuttal

Ra claims the Bible is factually wrong because snakes and donkeys cannot talk, citing Genesis 3 and Numbers 22

Jonah 1:17 Matthew 12:40 Jonah 1:17 Matthew 12:40 Biblical Hebrew - dag

Objection: the Bible incorrectly classifies whales as fish (Jonah 1:17; Matthew 12:40)

Ra claims the Bible is scientifically wrong for calling the creature that swallowed Jonah a fish when whales are not fish

Leviticus 11 Taxonomy anachronism Bible and science Translation issues

Objection: bats are classified as birds in Leviticus 11 — Mike's rebuttal using Hebrew 'oph'

Ra claims the Bible incorrectly puts bats in the same category as birds in Leviticus 11

Translation issues Biblical languages Semantic range

Translation limitations: English lacks words that exist in Hebrew/Greek (e.g., 'hand/wrist/arm')

In explaining the taxonomy issue, Mike illustrates how original-language words sometimes have no single English equivalent

Leviticus 14 Leviticus 14 Purification rituals Quarantine laws

Leviticus purification rituals were quarantine protocols, not magic healing spells

Ra claims the Bible teaches that ritual spells can purify and cure illness, when diseases are actually caused by pathogens

Deuteronomy 23:12-13 Bible and science Mosaic law Bible and medicine

Mosaic sanitation laws anticipated modern hygiene knowledge (fecal disposal, contamination)

Continuing the response to Ra's charge that rituals don't cure illness

Genesis 30:38-40 Genesis 31:1 Miracles Misrepresentation of Scripture Genesis 30:38-40

Genesis 30 striped sticks — the Bible doesn't claim the sticks caused the spotted offspring

Ra claims the Bible teaches that looking at striped sticks will cause a cow to conceive spotted calves, proving biblical scientific ignorance

Genesis 1 Job - water cycle Hebrews 11 Genesis 1 Bible and science Job - water cycle

Aaron Ra's bold claim: 'Everything the Bible says about any field of science is laughably wrong'

Ra makes a sweeping claim that nothing in the Bible is scientifically accurate

Isaiah 53 Origen Messianic prophecy Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53: modern claim that it refers to Israel, not Messiah, is historically novel

Ra claims Isaiah 53 (the Suffering Servant) is about Israel personified, not Jesus, and that Jews have always understood it this way

Isaiah 53 Isaiah 53 Rabbinic Judaism Biblical Judaism

Rabbinic Judaism is not biblical Judaism — it postdates Christianity and is a response to Messiah's coming

Ra implies that because modern Jews don't accept Jesus, Christians are misappropriating the Hebrew Bible

Matthew genealogy Luke genealogy Messianic prophecy Genealogy of Jesus Matthew genealogy

Aaron Ra's list of unmet messianic prophecies — Jesus was not Jewish? He was not of tribe of Judah?

Ra presents a list of six messianic prophecies he claims Jesus failed to fulfill

Daniel 9 Malachi 3:1 Daniel 9 Messianic prophecy Malachi 3:1

Messianic prophecy: Messiah must 'come to the temple,' not rebuild it — Malachi 3:1

Ra claims Messiah must rebuild the Jewish Temple and Jesus did not

Messianic prophecy Universal worship of God Mission to the Gentiles

Jesus has influenced the entire world to worship the God of Israel — messianic prophecy fulfilled

Ra's list includes: Messiah must influence the entire world to acknowledge and serve one God

Isaiah 53:5 Suffering Servant Isaiah 53:5 Substitutionary atonement

Isaiah 53:5 — 'crushed for our iniquities': what does 'crushed' mean in context?

Ra claims Jesus was never 'crushed' as described in Isaiah 53

Isaiah 52:15 Isaiah 52:15 Kings shutting mouths Sprinkling many nations

Isaiah 52:15 — kings shutting their mouths: shocked silence at the Messiah's work

Ra claims kings were never 'shut up' by Jesus, fulfilling Isaiah 52:15

Isaiah 53 - seed/offspring Suffering Servant Isaiah 53 - seed/offspring New birth / born again

Isaiah 53 'seed/offspring': Ra's internal contradiction — he can't use Israel as both subject and the seed

Ra claims Jesus had no descendants ('seed') as required, and that 'seed' in Isaiah refers to physical offspring of Israel, not Jesus's followers