Rivers Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Since we teach that Jesus is literally the son of the Father in the flesh, does that make him a demi-god?
Calm Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 "Demi" means "half" or "an inferior degree", so I would say "no". If God is an exalted human, Christ is both his spirt child whose other heavenly parent is God the Mother and whose physical body's other parent is another human being who may be now exalted, but most likely will be eventually if not already and since God the Father has become one with Christ, sharing all that he is and has with him, I don't see God the Son being God to an inferior degree....therefore not a demigod. 2
ERayR Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 "Demi" means "half" or "an inferior degree", so I would say "no". If God is an exalted human, Christ is both his spirt child whose other heavenly parent is God the Mother and whose physical body's other parent is another human being who may be now exalted, but most likely will be eventually if not already and since God the Father has become one with Christ, sharing all that he is and has with him, I don't see God the Son being God to an inferior degree....therefore not a demigod. What she said.
Joshua Valentine Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 You said "since we" which seems to indicate that you are asking about LDS theology. But are you asking for answers from the LDS tradition our viewpoint to this LDS teaching and its relation to a demi-god conclusion? Or do you want answers from the Islamic tradition?
Rivers Posted July 14, 2015 Author Posted July 14, 2015 I am asking from a strictly mormon point of view.
Rivers Posted July 14, 2015 Author Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) I have heard Protestants say Jesus was fully God and fully human. Is it safe for mormons to say the same thing? Edited July 14, 2015 by Rivers
ERayR Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 I am asking from a strictly mormon point of view. It depends on how you define Demi. I thought that was all in Greek mythology.
Calm Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) I have heard Protestants say Jesus was fully God and fully human. Is it safe for mormons to say the same thing? We don't need to say that since they are the same thing, just one later in time for most of us. The God nature is human nature, just developed to the ultimate sense it can be developed. Protestants if I understand correctly (am willing to be corrected) mean that Jesus possesses fully the God nature and in addition to his God nature, he also fully possesses the human nature, which are not identical (though perhaps they overlap because of man being made in God's image meaning they have been given some godly attributes...but they can never be creator and are always creature). Edited July 14, 2015 by calmoriah
Joshua Valentine Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 We don't need to say that since they are the same thing, just one later in time for most of us. The God nature is human nature, just developed to the ultimate sense it can be developed. Protestants if I understand correctly (am willing to be corrected) mean that Jesus possesses fully the God nature and in addition to his God nature, he also fully possesses the human nature, which are not identical (though perhaps they overlap because of man being made in God's image meaning they have been given some godly attributes...but they can never be creator and are always creature).From a Mormon point of view, and from an elevated "no ultimate difference between humans and gods" perspective within Mormonism, I would agree with calmoriah. It does seem that Greeks defined demi-god as one who is half (demi) human and half god. If one considers Jesus' pre-existent spirit only, then calmoriah's answer suffices in a general way. For spirit only, and more specifically, if Jesus was already a god- in the LDS sense- before his second estate then characteristics of his body shouldn't "lower" him from god to demi-god.Specifically considering only his body, however, one would seem to have to conclude that Jesus' body was half "god"in some sense that has not been fully explored by LDS leadership teachings, but half human from Mary's contribution.This would all seem correct from a specifically human level distinguished from god level of development within a Mormon viewpoint.So, specifically, concerning just his body, one could say Jesus had a demi-god body but a god-level spirit and, the body not canceling out the spirit, Jesus was a god, in the Mormon sense, and not just a demi-god, in the Greek sense.Islam, of course, would have much to say differently about all of this, starting with the LDS concept of "god".
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