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pizzahut451 on 08 February 2011
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Kasz216 said:
The_vagabond7 said:

I know what the links say, I've read all about the history of christianity. It isn't flattering. Constantine didn't need a deity to worship, he had plenty. It was just chance that he ended up going with Yahweh. If he had decided to go with visions of Mars we'd all be martians now, and christianity would be an odd historical footnote. 

 And trying to claim that the christian god was a part of rome becoming a christian empire isn't at all flattering to yahweh, or Jesus. It would imply that he installed a pagan emperor to spearhead his proselytizing initiative  by assisting him in a violent war, convincing him of his power, then he installed the most vile and traitorous of the christians to seats of power, having them violently act out against those that called them out on being traitors to god, then lead to a period of integrating paganism into christianity before installing one of the most powerful, violent and racist organizations in history to have them spend centuries waging brutally violent torturous wars to spread teachings of his grace and love, and also his intense hatred of various groups. I'm failing to see where this is a PR win for the judeo-christian god or jesus.

It was chance he went with one of the few gods who you actually couldn't worship freely without being punished for?

As far as I know the whole "paint crosses on the shield" thing is generally seen as mostly Apochyrphl.   I don't even think crosses were used by the Christians at that time.  I think his "crosses" actually were different from the Christian sign which was much more ankh like or something.  The whole story comes from him or so it's said, but not until like decades afterwords... and nobody was like  "Hey what's with the Christian symbolism" in all that time?

His Mother was a Christian.   Despite all the hardships placed on christians, the religion was spreading... espeically among those important enough to avoid the penalties.

Despite all the penalties there were enough groups that they were well split... and big enough that he felt the need to combine chrisitianity into one group... that he controlled.

Constantine, saw the political usefulness of Christianity, and he saw the reality that it was taking over, despite all attempts to stop it. 

So he decided to control it.  I mean hell even well past where people place his "conversion" he practiced other religions as well... up until his death.  Using their rituals as well.  In reality, i'd guess he didn't believe any of it.

Rome was conquered before Constantine.  Constantine in turn twisted Christianity into what he wanted realizing that he couldn't fight the oncoming water head on but could divert it... and Christianity went off the path of peace and pacisfism, in such a way that it still tries to put itself back on.


That is an excellent point there, than you for sharing that. I learned something today