Why did christianity win out (from a secular / historical perspective)?

[LuisDantas]

I am sorry, you're wrong.
Christianity says justice is God's only. So it's unchristian to do justice by yourself.
So violent means are unchristian.
Crusades were unchristian.

A populous groups of holy people who repel wicked people.


Wicked people can't be wise.
Only good people are.

Suuure.

Christianity says that there are no winners or losers in the worldly dimension.
Only when we die, in the otherworldly dimension, there are the blessed and the damned.

I think many missed that memo.

 

[John D. Brey]

I find the religion of Cristiano Ronaldo far surpasses 31% . . ..

Christiano Ronaldo is one of the 31% of the religious world who are Christian. Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last. I'm sure Christiano would second that emotion.



John

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

And you apparently don't see that as a string attached in my view.

ETA Think about the indoctrination given at Catholic schools in an age before public schools

No, it's not. If you go over someone's home for a meal and they ask you to bow your head to say grace before you eat, is that a string attached?

It's a Catholic school. Of course they're going to teach their faith. That's not "indoctrination". You're being a bit dramatic.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Depends on the type of Christianity. In America, it didn't quite take in the way you mention.

I was talking about ancient Christianity.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Christianity is the majority religion today, and has been for 1700 years (or so).

Something has to be special about it... or not?

From the christian perspective, the answer is easy - it was god's plan all along, so of course christianity is the winner.

If you don't believe in it, then there must be other explanations. What are they?

I'm sure this is not the only reason, but there was a big difference in how Christians treated victims of plague from how pagan treated them.

"Bishop Dionysius described events in Alexandria: “At the first onset of the disease, they [pagans] pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest, throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treated unburied corpses as dirt, hoping thereby to avert the spread and contagion of the fatal disease"

How Did Early Christians Respond to Plagues?

COVID-19 is spreading across the globe as I write these words. In my section of the world, people are stockpiling hand sanitizers, facemasks, toilet paper and bottled water, and some have already self-quarantined. The focus of these efforts, naturally, is protection of self and others from the...

www.biola.edu

"Christians risked their lives caring for their brethren and neighbors, frequently contracting the disease they were attempting to cure in others."

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I would think that this gave the Christians a huge amount of good press.

 

[idea]

Religious groups are political groups. Religion exists for the same reason political groups exist. Social, communal, herd rules.

 

[McBell]

Christianity is the majority religion today, and has been for 1700 years (or so).

Something has to be special about it... or not?

From the christian perspective, the answer is easy - it was god's plan all along, so of course christianity is the winner.

If you don't believe in it, then there must be other explanations. What are they?

What is it exactly that Christianity won?

 

[idea]

Religious groups are political groups. Religion exists for the same reason political groups exist. Social, communal, herd rules.

 

[danieldemol]

No, it's not. If you go over someone's home for a meal and they ask you to bow your head to say grace before you eat, is that a string attached?

It is in my view

It's a Catholic school. Of course they're going to teach their faith. That's not "indoctrination". You're being a bit dramatic.

Teaching your faith to children as fact when they are too young to think critically is not indoctrination? What exactly is indoctrination if not that?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

It is in my view

Teaching your faith to children as fact when they are too young to think critically is not indoctrination? What exactly is indoctrination if not that?

Sounds like asking you to pass the gravy would be a string attached in your mind.

No, it's passing on what their family holds as true, passing down culture and tradition, etc.

 

[danieldemol]

Sounds like asking you to pass the gravy would be a string attached in your mind.

No, asking you to pass the gravy is a practical necessity of the length of the table, prayer is putting your faith in someone else's ears, and if you invited them for a meal but not for a prayer session then I would say it puts them on the spot if they have other options and puts them on the spot even if you invite them for a meal and a prayer if they have no other options in my view.

No, it's passing on what their family holds as true, passing down culture and tradition, etc.

So it's indoctrination if a family does it but not if a school does it? What an arbitrary way of deciding upon whether something constitutes indoctrination in my view.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

No, asking you to pass the gravy is a practical necessity of the length of the table, prayer is putting your faith in someone else's ears, and if you invited them for a meal but not for a prayer session then I would say it puts them on the spot if they have other options and puts them on the spot even if you invite them for a meal and a prayer if they have no other options in my view.

So it's indoctrination if a family does it but not if a school does it? What an arbitrary way of deciding upon whether something constitutes indoctrination in my view.

Being quiet for a minute and putting your head down is being put on the spot? You're not being asked to say anything at all. It's usually a minister present that says a quick prayer and that's it.

Families have a right to raise their children in their culture and pass it on, which includes religion and sending their children to parochial schools.

 

[danieldemol]

Being quiet for a minute and putting your head down is being put on the spot? You're not being asked to say anything at all. It's usually a minister present that says a quick prayer and that's it.

Yes if you have no other meal options you are being forced to listen to the preaching of another through prayer as I see it.

Families have a right to raise their children in their culture and pass it on, which includes religion and sending their children to parochial schools.

I'm not saying families have no right (up to a point) to raise children in their culture.
I'm saying if you are poor and have no other means of getting your children educated than sending them to a Christian school its not much of a choice in having your children indoctrinated unless you wish them to be almost completely ignorant.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Yes if you have no other meal options you are being forced to listen to the preaching of another through prayer as I see it.

I'm not saying families have no right (up to a point) to raise children in their culture.
I'm saying if you are poor and have no other means of getting your children educated than sending them to a Christian school its not much of a choice in having your children indoctrinated unless you wish them to be almost completely ignorant.

Asking for God's blessing isn't preaching.

What poor people are going to religious schools? In America, religious schools are expensive to go to and provide a far better education (the Catholic ones, anyway) than the violent, failing public schools which are hellish in the cities.

 

[danieldemol]

Asking for God's blessing isn't preaching.

It is if you are asking Jesus blessing for a person that doesn't believe in Jesus in my opinion.

What poor people are going to religious schools? In America, religious schools are expensive to go to and provide a far better education (the Catholic ones, anyway) than the violent, failing public schools which are hellish in the cities.

Yes America is capitalistic. Where first century Christians a bunch of capitalists?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Christiano Ronaldo is one of the 31% of the religious world who are Christian. Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last. I'm sure Christiano would second that emotion.



John

I never knew European football was so religious!

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

It is if you are asking Jesus blessing for a person that doesn't believe in Jesus in my opinion.

Yes America is capitalistic. Where first century Christians a bunch of capitalists?

Well, if you truly had nothing and had to rely on charity to eat, you mostly likely wouldn't really care, anyway. You would probably enjoy the uplifting message, as well.

How are you defining "capitalists"?

 

[Sand Dancer]

I was talking about ancient Christianity.

It changed from following Jesus to worshiping him early on, so I am not sure it was ever implemented the way he wanted it. Makes me sad.

 

[danieldemol]

Well, if you truly had nothing and had to rely on charity to eat, you mostly likely wouldn't really care, anyway. You would probably enjoy the uplifting message, as well.

That's the way it was before socialism in my view, the poor had no other options and hence beggars couldn't be choosers. Hence the spread of Christianity.

How are you defining "capitalists"?

I guess as supporters of capitalism.

Do I need to define capitalism as well?

 

[Bear Wild]

Christianity is the majority religion today, and has been for 1700 years (or so).

Something has to be special about it... or not?

From the christian perspective, the answer is easy - it was god's plan all along, so of course christianity is the winner.

If you don't believe in it, then there must be other explanations. What are they?

It was the marriage of monotheistic religion with the most powerful colonizing society of its time - Rome. When Rome moved over to Christianity it wiped out all other Christian sects of the area to gain full control over the Christian religion. The hierarchy of the Roman power worked well with a hierarchical god which would be the pattern adopted by the developing King ruled European societies. A single god who divinely ordains a king is hard to beat for control of the people compared to the multiple god and goddesses of the pagans. Christianity also had the advantage of being a religion of the cities were the power resided. There is much more but this was the start of its success.