Crookshank said:Christianity obviously spread throughout the world because of the Romans and then on to America - so no argument there then.
But, they did. I doubt that they eventually made Christianity the official State religion on a whim. One thing the Romans were good at, when it came to popular beliefs, assimilating and adapting.Crookshank said:You have got to admit that if the Romans hadn't made it their religion it wouldn't have gotten anywhere - it would have been stamped out .. end of.. is no more.
From the Cybermen, obviously. :lol:Crookshank said:Yer.. makes you wonder where Star Trek got the idea for the Borg doesn't it? ...
Much of the politic involved in Roman conquest utilised local administration, including religious governance. As the average Roman legion consisted of fellas from no-where near where they were marching to, of necessity there was a great deal of religious tolerance. It was considered bad luck to piss off a local deity, so there was always some accommodation. As has been mentioned previously, the expansion of Christianity through Europe at least didn't occur until long after the Romans left. Even Constantine's conversion probably has more to do with political expediency with a pinch of egotism thrown in.
Cochise said:It of course ultimatly backfired because Christianity became so sectarian that they were just as likely to fight each other (e.g. the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders) as to stick together.
Jerry_B said:Chirstianity was already very sectarian way before then. Different factions were arguing and bumping each other off even in the early days. The situation was more like the way Monty Python depicted different radical groups in 'The Life of Brian'. The winning sect just happened to survive long enough to build their power base in the Roman empire and then nail it all down into some sort of working order that was used as a template for wider conversion. And even that wasn't watertight from the get-go.
Analis said:Jerry_B said:Chirstianity was already very sectarian way before then. Different factions were arguing and bumping each other off even in the early days. The situation was more like the way Monty Python depicted different radical groups in 'The Life of Brian'. The winning sect just happened to survive long enough to build their power base in the Roman empire and then nail it all down into some sort of working order that was used as a template for wider conversion. And even that wasn't watertight from the get-go.
It is important to note how the Empire played a crucial role in the foundation of Christian Creed.
The First Council of Nicaea, as early as 325 AD under Constantine's reign, which built the base of the orthodox-catholic church's canon, and the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (381 AD), were held under the patronage of the emperors. The identification and the entanglement of imperial and religious structures became stronger during the 4th and 5th Century. The emperor had become a prominent and religious figure, probably the most important in his time. Christianism, and more specifically the Church was then the ideology of the Empire. Its strict, intolerant monotheism married well with the growing autocraty of the Emperor. During the 5th Century, the Empire, both its Western and Eastern parts, was directly involved in the repression of "heretics", notably Nestorians, Monophysists and Arians.
In the end, Romans were responsible both for Christian domination and sectarism.
edit, I really need to start pressing the preview button
No doubt about it. Christianity is a very popular brand, with easily identifiable symbols and packaging. Being one of the first universal religions off the block, in Europe and the Mediterranean area, certainly helped. Being taken up as the official religion of first the Byzantine and then the Roman Empire, was also a big plus. ...
Dedicated schools of evangelical preachers, sent out to spread the good news, the constant promise of jam tomorrow, or the threat of eternal punishment and the constant imminence of a final reckoning, all played their part. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.livescience.com/the-apostlesThe apostles: How Jesus' followers founded Christianity
The apostles were 12 of the disciples of Jesus who went on to spread his message and found the early Christian church. After the crucifixion of Jesus in the 1st century, they split up and began to proselytize both the message of Jesus and the concept that he was the son of God. In so doing they expanded the following of this offshoot of Judaism and set out the early tenets of what Christianity would become.
The apostles typically refers to those who were among the original followers of Jesus, although the term apostle, which means "one sent on a mission," according to Merriam-Webster, is sometimes applied to later figures such as St. Paul who also had a big impact as a missionary. Their efforts helped to forge the religious movement that has shaped history and is today followed by around 2.6 billion people today. ...
Ostensibly, Britain is Church of England...
People have now got more complex lives.I try to stay away from discussions on religion, money, and politics, but the southern states in the U.S. are the “religious belt” of the U.S.
Christian evangelists are always leaving pamphlets promising eternal life and living forever.
Living forever is a big selling point.
But according to the Pew Research Organization that studies people, religious attendance for services is down for all religions, so is religion losing its hold ?
I am sure disease, war, and death puts a damper on belief in religion.
Does anyone actually know the right term for Henry VIII's brand of Christianity? Here it's the Church of Wales - but I'd still call it CofE. You can't call it just Protestant because there must be a hundred or more other brands of Protestantity.Not, for example, in Scotland.
"Established Church," probably covers it, if there are Bishops etc. in the House of Lords.Here it's the Church of Wales - but I'd still call it CofE.
Henry VIII would have said he was a Catholic. Just without the Pope stuff. CofE flavour of Prod is Anglican i supposeDoes anyone actually know the right term for Henry VIII's brand of Christianity? Here it's the Church of Wales - but I'd still call it CofE. You can't call it just Protestant because there must be a hundred or more other brands of Protestantity.
It's also a bit odd in Western Europe where Catholic is taken to mean Roman Catholic as if there wasn't other Catholic churches of equal eld - and without quite the same degree of corruption and violence in their past.
Anglican. Whatever the smiley is for thumbs up.Henry VIII would have said he was a Catholic. Just without the Pope stuff. CofE flavour of Prod is Anglican i suppose
Does anyone actually know the right term for Henry VIII's brand of Christianity?
I've always described C of E 'High Church' as Anglo-Catholic, as opposed to Roman Catholic. I believe Henry reverted back to proper Catholicism (as so many do) on his death bed.Henry VIII would have said he was a Catholic. Just without the Pope stuff. CofE flavour of Prod is Anglican i suppose