What would history and religion in the west look like without Christianity?

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

I have been wondering recently what the western world would look like without Christianity or without Christianity being the dominant religion? It could be argued that Christianity both divided Europe at times and united it at others. It's possible it was a bit of Christian unity that helped keep Islam out in places like Vienna.

I am unsure if our forefathers would of kept their pagan traditions or what sort of evolution their beliefs may of taken if Christianity never advanced to the level of dominance over the western mind. Would we still have the enlightenment? Would we still have fought over beliefs? What do you think?

 

[fantome profane]

I have been wondering recently what the western world would look like without Christianity or without Christianity being the dominant religion? It could be argued that Christianity both divided Europe at times and united it at others. It's possible it was a bit of Christian unity that helped keep Islam out in places like Vienna.

I am unsure if our forefathers would of kept their pagan traditions or what sort of evolution their beliefs may of taken if Christianity never advanced to the level of dominance over the western mind. Would we still have the enlightenment? Would we still have fought over beliefs? What do you think?

What would Islam look like if it had developed in a world without Christianity? Would it have developed?

Too many variables to consider.

 

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

What would Islam look like if it had developed in a world without Christianity? Would it have developed?

Too many variables to consider.

There is also that. Doesn't stop the topic from being interesting though.

 

[Father Heathen]

 

[Augustus]

I am unsure if our forefathers would of kept their pagan traditions or what sort of evolution their beliefs may of taken if Christianity never advanced to the level of dominance over the western mind. Would we still have the enlightenment? Would we still have fought over beliefs? What do you think?

Would we have fought over beliefs? Yes. That is what we do as a species.

Other than that it is really impossible to say. Over 2000 years a small change can have a massive effect down the line, removing the single biggest influence on European society from the equation just scrambles everything.

Almost certainly Europe would be a very different place. On balance of probabilities it would likely be worse off financially and technologically as another cultural path is more likely not to be the most successful in the world, than it is to be the most successful.

 

[Nakosis]

I have been wondering recently what the western world would look like without Christianity or without Christianity being the dominant religion?

Probably a majority of folks would be atheist. The civilized technically advance world would be atheists without enforcement of Christian belief. I think most other religions in the western world are intertwined with the development of Christianity. Pagans? Probably not so much. Not as science developed and became dominate.

It's hypothetical but I'd bet a majority of folks by now would lack a belief in any God.

 

[VioletVortex]

Islam would be the predominant religion. Muslims enslaved Slavs (hence the name "slave") and used militaristic means to promote their religion in Europe just like the Christians did. The reason Christianity prevails today is because the Christians made compromises with the Europeans, allowing them to retain some aspects of Paganism, in what became Catholicism.

 

[Lucida Sidera]

I believe the main historical issues aren't exactly related to religion, but to more secular facts.

I see the rise of Christianism and later Islamism having a strong meaning of social revolt against the greek empire of Alexander that Rome herited, specially by the part of many traditional - and with a large population - of mediterranean cultures which had usually "semitic" languages as an identifier.
Greeks resisted to the revolt converting to a "Syrian" religion, but there was still tension until the sacred language itself finally changed to a language more close to the lands traditional cultures.

Hellenistic texts talk about "Syrians" all the time, what seems to relate to large semitic-language populations on Egypt, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, which might probably be more numerous than greek people under their kingdoms.

The more important thing of Christianism in history I see as it's harsh clash against the ancient culture. But this harshness seems to be much more a consequence of revolt against political acts than something inerent to beliefs, thoughts, religion.
So, I would put the way Hellenistic kingdoms were setted and their domination, and the later domination of the Roman empire as something way more relevant than religion - the political tensions only disguised them under a religion veil. Nothing new under the Sun.

If there was not Alexander and not Rome? If any Empire that rised have been more plural, democratic, moral? Than I think the world would having been another.