Is the Trinity Logically Coherent in Light of Biblical Teachings?

by

 Bassam Zawadi

Christian philosophers and apologists have spent much time trying to make sense of the Trinity. Below are some of the several attempts that Christians have taken while tackling the issue of the Trinity's logical incoherence:

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5909

http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Arlandson/trinity_brief.htm

http://www.dtl.org/trinity/article/contradiction.htm

http://www.bible.ca/trinity/trinity-false-dilemmas.htm

http://www.carm.org/islam/obj_trinity.htm

However, after reading all of the above-mentioned articles, you would realize that these Christians are redefining or putting forth the notion of the Trinity in a way that makes it possible for it to be logically comprehended. They don't come up with the concept of the Trinity in light of the Bible and then see if it is logically coherent. Rather, they do the exact opposite. They try to formulate the Trinity in a way that is logical and then say that this is what the Bible teaches.

However, we should be interested in knowing whether the concept of the Trinity is logically coherent in light of what the Bible teaches.

What do Christians mean when they say that they believe in one God? They will say that they believe that God is one being (not one person), and this one being is manifested in three different persons. They will say that God is one being with three centers of consciousness, souls, personhoods, etc.

So it can be understood as follows:

-  God is one being.

-  This one being is manifested in three different persons.

-  So when we Christians say that God is one, we are not emphasizing his oneness of personhood but his oneness of being.

Furthermore, they will say:

-  The Father is truly God.

-   The Son is truly God.

-   The Holy Spirit is truly God.

-   These are not three Gods, but three different persons who share the essence of that one being who is God.

Do the above statements make any sense? What do they mean when they say that there is one being who is God, but three different persons who share that one being's essence?

That is as illogical as me saying:

-  Ahmed is a human being.

-  Khalid is a human being.

-  Ayman is a human being.

-  These are not three human beings, but three different persons who share ONE essence, which is human.

Obviously, no one says that one essence, "human," is being shared by seven billion people today. Rather, we say there are seven billion human beings on Earth today.

Similarly, we can't say three different persons share one essence of God, but there are three different Gods in light of what the Trinity teaches.

This argument probably won't convince Christians since they would probably go on and reply, "Our logic is too limited to grasp the paradox of the Trinity."

If philosophical objections don't work, let us try to pose a theological objection to the concept of the Trinity by looking at what the Bible says.

According to Christians:

-  The Father is truly God.

-  The Son is truly God.

-  The Holy Spirit is truly God.

There is nothing irrational about the above statement (if we were to assume that it teaches three different Gods). Similarly, the following statement is also logical:

-  Ahmed is a human being.

-  Khalid is a human being.

-  Ayman is a human being.

However, an irrational statement would be:

-  Ahmed is the only human being.

-  Khalid is the only human being.

-  Ayman is the only human being.

Now, this is definitely irrational. How is it possible for Ahmed and Khalid to be the only human beings at the same time? Anyone could clearly see that these two beliefs are mutually exclusive, and it cannot logically be possible for both to be true simultaneously.

What does the Bible say about God the Father (the first person in the Trinitarian Godhead)?

It says this:

John 17:3

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Notice how the Father is being referred to as THE ONLY TRUE GOD. Thus, we are required to restate the formulation of the Trinity as follows:

-   The Father is the only true God.

-   The Son is truly God.

-   The Holy Spirit is truly God.

But this is logically impossible, as we saw with the previous example. How is it possible for the Father to be the ONLY true God, while at the same time, the Son and Holy Spirit are God as well? If the Son and Holy Spirit are God as well, then it is false to say that the Father is the ONLY true God. Similarly, if we say that the Father is the ONLY true God(how clearer can it get for someone to express Unitarianism?), then we can't say that anyone else (i.e., Son and Holy Spirit) is God as well.

It would also be ludicrous for someone to reformulate the Trinity as follows:

-  The Father is the only true God.

-  The Son is the only true God.

-  The Holy Spirit is the only true God.

Since it would be necessary for at least two of the above three statements to be false. No one of the persons (Father, Son or Holy Spirit) can be the ONLY true God at the same time when the other two are God as well.

Thus, in light of John 17:3, we see that the concept of Trinity is logically incoherent.

Sure, Christians can redefine the Trinity in a way that makes sense, but the problem with this is that their understanding of the Trinity is not scripturally based. It would only be the product of their human thoughts. However, in light of the Bible (with it being authoritative to most Christians), we can safely say that the Trinity is logically incoherent. It is not simply a matter of it being beyond our logic but AGAINST our logic. If it is AGAINST our logic, then it is a false belief.

Muslims, thank Allah Almighty that you are blessed to follow a rational religion.

Sam Shamoun responded to this article, and I replied here.

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