Christianity and the Holy Trinity - the subject of intense debate, including of late in the Suite101 Protestantism discussion forum. How do we tackle it?
How do we handle the doctrine of the Trinity? One God in three persons. It doesn't seem to make any sense. At the least, it seems to violate the law of non-contradiction. Is it possible to have one God in three persons? Is it logical? Here's my attempt at answering this apparent contradiction. Let's look at this step by step:
1. The Apple
If you hold an apple in your hand, it's one piece of fruit. Yet, there are three parts to the apple. (Botanists or other fruit experts may argue there are more). The parts I'm thinking of are the core, the edible fruit, and the skin. Three parts, and yet one apple.
But this is not a perfect illustration, because the Trinity doctrine claims there are three intelligent, conscious persons and yet one God.
2. A Three-Headed Body
What if you have a body with three heads? I admit that this illustration is rather crude, but hear me out.
The head contains the brain, which is the source of our consciousness and intelligence. Could a single body have three heads - and thus three brains? Mythical literature has offered up three-headed beasts or dragons over the centuries, so the concept isn't completely foreign. What's more, we've seen conjoined twins and other such birth anomalies. It shouldn't be such a stretch to at least consider the possibility of a body with three heads - and thus three different persons.
3. Multi-dimensional God
Is God a three-headed creature? Not quite. In a single-dimensional framework, the Trinitarian God WOULD probably be best understood as a three-headed creature. But our universe is not one-dimensional, and God transcends both the spiritual and the physical dimension. The reality of multiple dimensions makes the Trinitarian doctrine more plausible.
What do you think?
