Iwas born and brought up under strict Christian principles within the umbrella of the largest denominational church in the country. Most of my childhood and early adulthood was spent at a number of missionary schools where both my school teacher parents worked. It was my mother’s strict rule that we attend a church service, Mass, every Sunday without fail. I was enrolled into a catechism class at around 10 years of age, I still remember vividly my struggle to recite the Ten Commandments at that very young age as a basic knowledge requirement by the catechist. I had to memorise them before I could be allowed to qualify to receive and eat of the Holy Communion, the cherished small white bread representing the body of Christ. The first commandment especially was thus imprinted into my mind because I had to recite it aloud countless times, and the others that followed, time and time again. I graduated from my catechism class and enrolled into a senior sacramental class where I was introduced to the Holy Trinity doctrine.

A confusion started to stir up within me soon after, because the first commandment was very explicit in stating that the Lord our God was one, with no other, yet the Holy Trinity implies the three persons of the Godhead. My efforts to seek clarity on this matter from the religious tutors, clergy and students of the theology were met with conflicting responses. From the various explanations gathered, I was still left unconvinced. It was obvious that people were just trying to arm-twist some particular verses in the Bible to force an alignment with this doctrine. I searched the scriptures on my own, but nowhere is it found. Few people know of its origin. It became clear to me that this belief is based purely on a sustained indoctrination which started at some point. I then searched the history archives and it was then revealed to me, in black and white, how and when this doctrine came into being. It clearly has its roots sunk into the pagan worship of multiple gods, a religious practice known as polytheism.

Jesus Christ was born during the reign of the Roman Empire dynasty, as per many histories of religion. After the death of Christ, the apostles were inspired to spread Christianity around the world and their efforts yielded a lot of fruits. The first Roman Emperor to be converted into Christianity was Constantine, whose mother Helen was instrumental in sowing the seeds for his childhood conversion. Upon assuming power in 306AD, Emperor Constantine ordered a ban on the then prevailing persecution of Christian followers, a practice that had sought to exterminate Christianity. The religions of the Roman Empire subscribed to the worship of many gods, too numerous to mention. In that vein, it was natural that Constantine would view Jesus Christ as another god. So strong was this belief in him that he then sought to implant it not only across the world but within Christianity itself, even if it meant by the use of force.

He thus embarked on religious wars known as the Christian Crusades, in an effort to enforce Christianity everywhere within his reach. These Christian Crusades were so successful militarily, so much that Constantine indeed believed Jesus Christ was behind most of the victories. In one of the battles in 312AD, the odds were heavily stacked against him, but against all odds, he prevailed. It is believed and written that during this critical battle, he and a group of his soldiers witness a phenomenal inscription in the skies reflecting a resemblance of a cross, and Roman language words written, “With this sing you shall conquer”. Thereafter he conquered and won that battle decisively. This sealed his belief that Jesus Christ was without question, “God”. Most Christian leaders of time rightly believed that Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God. This level of belief was not good enough for Constantine. In an effort to persuade the Christian leaders to elevate the status Jesus Christ to “God”, he assembled the ‘Christian Church Fathers’ in the city of Nicaca (Nice) for a huge meeting referred to as the Council of Nicaca, in 325AD. He presented to the church elders the idea of the divinity of Christ, that Jesus Christ was ‘God’. The church leaders were vehemently opposed to that proposal and it failed to be decreed. Regrettably for him, his wish was crushed; until after his death. Its roots had however been implanted.

To his credit, Emperor Constantine had managed to marry some pagan beliefs with new versions of Christianity, divorced from its Jewish ancestry. He changed the religious calendars and infused some heathen elements into them, as a balance, to pacify both the worshippers of multiple gods and followers of the Christian faith. He named most days of the week and the months in honour many pagan gods worshipped within the Roman Empire; names which are still in use to this very day. Even some Christian festivals were renamed to take cognisance of polytheism, as an accommodation for the worship of multiple gods. He even started the assimilation of Christian Church leaders into the corridors of political power, a trait which subsequent Roman Emperors used, to influence and control the Church’s beliefs. It would eventually culminate in the adoption of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

Almost 50 years after Emperor Constantine’s death, another Christian Emperor named Flavius vigorously pursued the same idea of elevating Jesus to be ‘God’. He took the mantle and organized another big meeting of Church leaders in 381AD, in the then city of Constantinople, now modern day city of Istanbul in Turkey. That meeting is referred to as the Council of Constantinople. Due to the fact the Church was now part of the political dynamics of the Roman Empire, the doctrine of the holy trinity was adapted easily. God thereafter was viewed as a 3-in-1 Being, encompassing God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Trinity doctrine is wholly a creation of mankind, based on a culture of multiple gods. Its adoption has led to some grave consequences within the religious teachings. The God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy

Spirit 3-in-1 principle is damning in formula. It goes against the very clear teachings of the one God, the Heavenly Father, and those of His son Jesus Christ. It flies in the face of the teachings of Apostles, “which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures,” according to the warnings of St. Peter (II Peter 3:16-18).

When Moses came down from Mt Sinai the second time with the commandments, he repeated and taught what the Lord our God had asked him to preach to the people. He spoke; “Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God is one . . . (Deuter

onomy 6:4)”. In Mark 12:28-31 and Mathew 22:34-40, Jesus Christ was asked the same question at different intervals, “which commandment is the first and greatest of all?” In a similar fashion, he replied, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one . . . (Mark

12:29)”. The first commandment of them all clearly states, “You shall have no other Gods besides me

(Exodus 20:3)”. The One and Only spoke to his servant Isaiah (Isaiah

43:10); “You are my witness, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”

Indeed Jesus Christ is truly the Son of the One God, whose main purpose was to be the sacrificial lamb for the atonement of our sins. His life and his blood is the sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. That is his most important role for mankind.