Science Proves It: Chrisitanity is a Social Cancer

[derek]

^Study your history. The Christians we're widley persecuted by the Roman's at this point. They did not even become half-respectable until the 3/4th century when Constantine adopted Christianity as the offical state religion of the Roman empire.

The estimated number of Christians at that time was 0.5% of the entire Roman empire, if my memory serves. Christianity did not begin to "spread" for hundreds of years after the time Speed is referring to. He is ultimately correct in saying Christians avoided general society because of two reasons: firstly, the saw it as evil and decadent and secondly because they would have been stoned, beaten, flogged and used to light the streets of Rome.

 

[speed]

^Study your history. The Christians we're widley persecuted by the Roman's at this point. They did not even become half-respectable until the 3/4th century when Constantine adopted Christianity as the offical state religion of the Roman empire.

The estimated number of Christians at that time was 0.5% of the entire Roman empire, if my memory serves. Christianity did not begin to "spread" for hundreds of years after the time Speed is referring to. He is ultimately correct in saying Christians avoided general society because of two reasons: firstly, the saw it as evil and decadent and secondly because they would have been stoned, beaten, flogged and used to light the streets of Rome.

Thank you. Even more specifically, early first century Christians (including Jesus' brother James) lived in communes, and generally shared everything, from property, to food, etc, as they sold all of their material posessions to prepare for the imminent return of their lord.

Apparently they (unlike those mutated so called Christians who came after them) actually read the New Testament and understood Jesus' teachings. They took him quite seriously.

 

[derek]

Well, they were dedicated to monotheism. Many of them would rather die at the hands of the notoriously brutal Romans than renounce their faith, so I guess you could call that serious.

I have a couple books on the origins of christianity and actually gave lectures on the history of it about two years ago. I find it a fascinating subject, much more so than theology or even modern ecumenical movement.

 

[speed]

Well, they were dedicated to monotheism. Many of them would rather die at the hands of the notoriously brutal Romans than renounce their faith, so I guess you could call that serious.

I have a couple books on the origins of christianity and actually gave lectures on the history of it about two years ago. I find it a fascinating subject, much more so than theology or even modern ecumenical movement.

I've always been fascinated by how essentially communist and anarchist the very, very, first Christians were. Reminds me of Thomas Munster--communism or lack of physical or temporal possessions with a spiritual end. Of course if one reads the New Testament ( apart from John) one comes off with the understanding that Jesus was a revolutionary who wanted to stand the world on its head, and cared little for money, status, pleasure, even sin--only the otherwordly God, and the journey towards him was important. Its amazing his, of all the religions and self proclaimed messiah's that existed in the ancient world, his became the major one.

 

[cog]

Its amazing his, of all the religions and self proclaimed messiah's that existed in the ancient world, his became the major one.

thats probably because christianity makes sense. The bible was written by many different authors over thousands of years, yet it is all remarkably coherent. Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the old testament, and 'abolishes' the old law (the 10 commandments), which was there really to show humans how we are inherently sinful and cant save ourselves. thus, jesus saves us.

christianity itself is not a social cancer in the sense that it has a degenerative effect on society, rather its our sinful nature that is the problem...

i guess you could point to the crusades as evidence that christianity does have negative effects on society, but they came as a result of the tremendous influence of the pope, who actually holds a position that has no doctrinal basis, and so shouldnt have the power he does...

 

[Lord SteveO]

But the fact still remains that a lot goes on in this world which is defended by christians as being the work of god or the word of god. They see something they dislike and want to change it by using their religion as a means to bring about this change.
Whilst this is ok for some things, i still get the feeling that organised relgions are puttting their noses into things they shouldn't be. One only has to look at how politics in the US is swayed by religion to see that there are areas where they shouldn't be allowed to get involved so heavily.