The Growth of Christianity

[Dragon*of*Heaven]

This is a question that has always haunted my existence when ever I would question what a theist says. "If Christianity is false then why has it Grown to cover the earth?" The Answer though is very simple. If the Egyptians had conquered the known world and had gone down in history as being the larges empire to have ever existed instead of the English. then I can grantee you that we would be talking of Ra, Isis, and Osiris now instead of Jesus and God. In the end will always be the strong who win the day, and it will be their religion as well as language that will be widely known. This is as true as the fact that it is the ones who win the wars that write the text books.

This is as true today as it was with the romans where it all began. Once Constantine took the thrown Christianity took off. Down went Zeus and up went a crucifix. Rome was the most powerful nation at its time and so had large amounts of influence. That is how it was all spread. After all it was the Roman Pope Leo the first that asked Attila the Hun to back off Rome further spreading the message. Yes the man that the Catholic church had deemed a bain to existence had been sent back by the pope. Yeah I bet that did not spread a message.

Then when Rome finally fell, up came other powers such as France, Spain, and England. While it is true that France has never won a war except its own civil wars (this dose not count because you cant loose) it did participate in its share of battles. No one can forget the mass wars made by england on every one else who did not believe as they did in the crusades. And there was always the Spaniards to cut into the empires and belief structures of the unknown world. (ie for any who don't know Cortes was from Spain. You know that guy who destroyed a nation of millions with an army in the hundreds because he convinced them that they were Gods.) In the end no one can say that Christianity is not one of the most prevalent religions on earth. How ever it is also true that no one can say that Christianity's path to the top has been a peace full one. It is actually one of the established religions with the most innocent blood on its hands.

~^!^~ (Not very Christan you guys) ~^!^~

[solidsquid]

Given enough time and resources, any such group can grow to such proportions, look at Mormonism or the Raelian movement. Or how about the JWs whose group was started in the 1800's as a doomsday cult?

[GodsAreUs]

I think Religion is a psychological tool or crutch to fill the mental void that occurs from fear, insecurity, ignorance, and a failure to accept mortality. Often, intelligence is overtaken by these psychological instabilities, including cultural long term brainwashing that is promoted in the early years of a persons development.

The process of "human nature" is still in its infancy. Religion is an easy way to dump or rationalize all of our weaknesses, doubts, and is a mental process to develop false hope and faith that a greater belief and power can overcome life struggles. in a nut-shell, human beings cannot accept life and reality and look for any psychological crutch to fill the void.

Also remember, 99% of the human population are gullible and are like sheep, easily lead, especially when you have the majority already in a state of belief.

Fortunately, for most people, religion falsely works for them, or at least they think it does. It allows them a little more edge to cope.

No one wants to die knowing the will become a fraction of the process of eternal infinity. Life sucks and everyone thinks and desperately wants a place after death that will be a better place with a structure of continuous pain free pleasure. Death is too final, life is too short, and an ongoing painful process of sheer survival. We are brought into this earth against our will and leave disappointed, in pain, sick, and naked.

Eons from now, if humans survive, religion will be replaced by scientific knowledge. However, a form of spirituality will always remain because these are behavioral, emotional, survival mechanisms as part of our genetic make up.

Who was it that said "My mind is my church, I am the captain of my soul, I am the master of my fate". This poet said a lot of our beliefs and was probably not too popular when he wrote this many years ago.

More blood has been spilled from religion under the name of God, than anything else. It is almost incomprehensible how dangerous and destructive radical beliefs can do to humankind, and if you think of it, most of this is driven by a defective emotional process called "power". Those who have the power, drive the religion, and are the worst of the species for the sake of the good of humankind.

And at the end- guess what? there is no God coming around changing the scenario. We are all just a new primitive form of a complex DNA molecule that was gifted and cursed with intelligence, constantly confused and socially a destructive species by the nature of our emotions. We are an accidental advanced mutated evolutionary process of nature, nothing more, nothing less. We think we are special because we are more aware of our environment because we have the process to think and process this information at a higher level than the lower food chain. But at the end, we are still a form of an animal containing a somewhat higher central nervous system that does more harm than good to what we are, or what we make to think we are. It still comes down to birth, life, death, and infinity at the end, no matter what we were given to survive during our life span. So - lets make a religion to try and make this process more meaningful and of a special importance. Yah - right. Lie to me, or let me lie to myself, it makes it easier that way.

(thanks go to a friend of mine that had some input into these thoughts)

[twobirds]

I agree with GodsAreUs. Good job.

[Dragon*of*Heaven]

Yes I agree with Gods are us.

[Filter]

Nice summary GodsAreUs. It doesn't require that religion be true, just an advantage ...and to greater group, not necessarily to the individual. Makes me believe religion will always spread better (and thicker) than logic or any rational line of thought that is supported by generations of advanced accumulated knowledge.

[The Reservoir Dog]

What GodsAreUs said is very true. Most people can't live without religion because it provides them with a sense of understanding about the unknown. The prospect of death scares most people and religion is their comfort blanket to assure them that this world is not the end. Religion is the most commonly used tool to find relief in something you don't understand.