yes, being good and altruistic is easier than being selfish and greedy
There are many of those who find being selfish and greedy to be very easy. And those who follow Christianity are not immune to those.
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
yes, being good and altruistic is easier than being selfish and greedy
I had several graduate courses in ancient Mediterranean and Near East culture, as well as several in history of world religions.Your diffidence is the result of how lacking the education system of Anglo-Saxon countries is. That is, in high school (but neither in the previous grades) they don't teach Ancient History, that is Greek History and Roman History.
It takes two years (at least) for us to study Greek and Roman history thoroughly, and we are supposed to know any thing about economy, religion, social-cultural development, migrations of the Ancient age (Prehistory- ad 476).
I assure you that Pagans converted to Christianity spontaneously: that's why they were persecuted. How could the Romans force them to convert to Christianity and persecute them because they were Christians at the same time?
There are several, actually. Mithraism is one of them.Show me that there is a Pagan religion of the Ancient age that promises divine justice, and I will believe you
There are many of those who find being selfish and greedy to be very easy. And those who follow Christianity are not immune to those.
precisely. Most Christians do not put Christianity into practice.
That implies they will not be saved just because they consider themselves Christians
There are many of those who find being selfish and greedy to be very easy. And those who follow Christianity are not immune to those.
Correct. Resurrection was largely believed to be physical.You do realize that the English word heaven translates into Hebrew as sky, as in the sky with clouds? The word heaven as most modern Christians know it as a trans-dimensional place where spirits go ect. did not exist at that time ( the concept of which). I think they thought they would be literally resurrected.
Many people converted to Christianity because they believed in the person of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh who bore their sins and the condemnation they rightly deserved. They believed in His resurrection and the eternal justification through grace that it provided them.I admit it. I was pagan when I was 20. Why have I become Christian?
Because Christ promised me justice, that is,
So I am the living proof that lots of Pagans converted to Christianity spontaneously, and naturally.
Sorry, I should have been more clear. It is the incorporation of pagan traditions like pagan festivals that made it easy. Those who say this also say that even the Christian concept of sacrifice of a God, especially the Son of God, for the salvation of humankind belongs to many pagan faiths like Mithraism.
There was more than one Roman religion, and yes, many other did promise justice.All right, I was talking about the Roman context. The religion of the Romans didn't promise divine justice. That's the reason of Christianity success in the Roman empire.
I don't doubt that lots of Soteric religions promised Heaven for the good.
besides...my thread is about reflecting upon a very simple concept. Christianity was successful because of people's wickedness.
So it was necessary a religion about Universal Love. That's how Paganism decayed
Well, I had a classical education and I know what I'm talking about.Your diffidence is the result of how lacking the education system of Anglo-Saxon countries is. That is, in high school (but neither in the previous grades) they don't teach Ancient History, that is Greek History and Roman History.
It takes two years (at least) for us to study Greek and Roman history thoroughly, and we are supposed to know any thing about economy, religion, social-cultural development, migrations of the Ancient age (Prehistory- ad 476).
Probably Christianity offered equality and fraternity in a way that appealed to people and undermined the emperor's authority. Perhaps some wealthy people sponsored it as a way to go back to life the way Rome was when it was a republic, and if not perhaps the emperors suspected that they did. Its all up in the air though, why exactly so many converted. I can understand the popularity of Christianity, however. There are many things that would have appealed to Romans of various backgrounds.
Don't be so sure that it was so pie-in-the-sky and fairy-tale happy as all that. Many came to Xy as part of their total religious experience, and as a way to gain more Divine favor. Many of them didn't care who they prayed to. Xy was advertised as "the most powerful god," so people converted, wanting to gain the most benefits from the most powerful god, while continuing to pray to the old gods.Many people converted to Christianity because they believed in the person of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh who bore their sins and the condemnation they rightly deserved. They believed in His resurrection and the eternal justification through grace that it provided them.
Well, I had a classical education and I know what I'm talking about.
Once Christianity became official, Hellenes were increasingly subject to discrimination. Is it any wonder that they converted? just as many Christians in the Near East later converted to Islam. As well as the official discrimination, there was the activity of the monks: burning temples or breaking into houses to destroy private shrines. You can read memoirs of some of them, chiefly from Egypt, and they sound like the Islamists of today.
This^^^Well, I had a classical education and I know what I'm talking about.
Christianity was a small scale religion until Constantine adopted it: archeological evidence shows that. But Christianity was a cult, like the Mormons today: closed, inward-looking, and indoctrinating: marry a Christian, and your children would be Christian. And secret: a bit like the freemasons, some might say.
Once Christianity became official, Hellenes were increasingly subject to discrimination. Is it any wonder that they converted? just as many Christians in the Near East later converted to Islam. As well as the official discrimination, there was the activity of the monks: burning temples or breaking into houses to destroy private shrines. You can read memoirs of some of them, chiefly from Egypt, and they sound like the Islamists of today.
Don't be so sure that it was so pie-in-the-sky and fairy-tale happy as all that. Many came to Xy as part of their total religious experience, and as a way to gain more Divine favor. Many of them didn't care who they prayed to. Xy was advertised as "the most powerful god," so people converted, wanting to gain the most benefits from the most powerful god, while continuing to pray to the old gods.
I think a question I would be more concerned with if I was Christian, is why so many are leaving the faith today?
What's clear is that you're not clear on the subject.Dear friend, the success of Christianity is due to Economic reasons, mainly.
It is clear that the poor love a religion that says that the rich will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.