Why do Christians refuse to see the facts in Arius' non-trinitarian explanation?

Answer 1

Actually most Christian historians and theologians would not see Arianism as 'factual.

The Arian heresy was grounded in just one main verse of scripture:

"Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I" (Jn 14:28)

Arianism was debated hotly by many of the Church fathers - who were more learned than both you or I, and they came to a very different conclusion from Arianism. They looked not at individual verses taken out of context (as do some Arian sects today like the JWs), but on the general ethos of the Gospel message, where the picture of Jesus' nature was very different. As one example, in the same gospel Arius used, the whole structure of the book leads up to a final climax. Passing through episodes in Jesus' life where he used 'signs' of his divinity, and punctuated by the great 'I am' statements (cf the 'I am' of God's name YHWH) he climaxes with a doubting Thomas stating that Jesus is 'My Lod and My God'.

Moreover, by the time of Arius less than 200 years had passed since the events of the New Testament and tradition, word of mouth and the plethora of writings left through the Fathers back to Irenaeus, Polycarp and, hence John the Apostle who was Jesus' closest disciple, supported the opposing view of Arianism - that Jesus was divine.

What is more, the Early Church Fathers regarded Arianism as not God's will. They looked at the way in which Arians - especially in the Germanic countries - ttreated non-Arians, both passively by regarding theirs the religion of the 'elite' and not of the common man, and also actively by attacking verballly, economically and physically those who opposed them. Of course, the Church later on in its history is guilty of these offences too, but in those days it was as a result this new phenomenon of a faction of the Church declaring almost war on the rest, which gave rise to the accusation of the Church that this sect was not God's will and therefore had to be declared heretical.

Answer 2

From the late third century and throughout most of the fourth century, the major controversy in Christianity was about the nature of God. Trinitarians decided that God was three persons in one - the Holy Trinity, while Arius led an opposing view that Jesus was a separate being to God the Father. At one stage, it appeared that Arianism could win the day, but in 391 CE, Emperor Theodosius declared Arianism to be a heresy.

A heresy may or may not be more factual than accepted doctrine, but whatever belief loses the political wars within the Church is considered a heresy. Once Arianism became a heresy, no person could support that doctrine and remain in communion with the Church.