arnoldo

The number of christian martyrs indeed may've been relatively small numbering in the thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands. Yet the archaeological proof of the grave inscriptions of these martyrs or early christians gives us an amazing glimpse into past history. See below;


http://www.arsmar.com/ce_epi.htm

And the parallel to Mormonism is that they also had a few martyrs of their own which may've been exaggerated as well.

mountainman

The article mentions no dates. There are major problems with the actual chronological dating of the "Christian related" Latin and Greek inscriptions in the Vatican controlled catacombs of Rome to the epoch before Constantine. We known that the newly made "Pontifex Maximus" Damasius, Bishop of Rome, who sponsored the "Peter in Rome Party" and all associated tourist industries in the area, seriously renovated many of the catacombs in Rome c.365 CE. There is no doubt that Christians existed in c.365 CE. The question which is not yet answered is what is the earliest chronology for anything "christian" in the catacombs?

Doug Shaver

From the site you linked to:
I'd be more impressed if the site author had told us at least approximately when the families making up that Christian community were professing that belief.

Johnny Skeptic

Do you also find it to be amazing that Christians conquered the largest empire in history under a single religion by means of persecution, murder, and theft of property, and often warred among themselves for the spoils of victory?

What is amazing about claims of Christian martyrs? Martyrs of all religions die for false beliefs, including Christianity. Do you find Japanese Kamikaze pilots and Muslim terrorists who die for their religious beliefs to be amazing? Today, if all Muslims were given a choice between dying for their religious beliefs or renouncing their religious beliefs, you can bet that many millions of them would be willing to die for their religious beliefs.

Did the majority of Christian martyrs die because they were afraid that if they renounced Christianity, they would spend eternity in hell? If so, how admirable is it to give in to a religion based upon fear?

How many grave incriptions of martyrs are you aware of?

If Christianity is a false religion, do you believe that the numbers of Christian martyrs would have been much smaller? If so, why?

Obviously, the most important issue is the validity of the beliefs that martyrs die for, not the fact that some religious people die for their religious beliefs.

mountainman

ZERO CITATIONS - Early Christian "Epigraphic Habit"


01 253 CE - de Rossi's Cornelius Stone [Probable forgery].
02 250 CE - The Marcus son of Alexander inscription. ["I beg of you, kind brothers, by the one God"]
03 217 CE - the Marcus Aurelius Prosenes inscription. [Later hand: "welcomed before god"]
04 250 CE - Basilides Inscription, Ostia, Rome [The phrase "he sleeps" is christian?]
05 3rd CE - "Helix" athlete, Eumenia. [not located]
06 3rd CE - Nicomedia, Bithnya: 3rd CE Phoenician wood carver. [not located]
07 3rd CE - Aurelius Aristeas Inscription, Akmonein. ["reckon with the righteousness of God."]
08 1st CE - Erastus Inscription, mid first century. ["Paul mentions an Erastus"]
09 3rd CE - Fox; Harland; Snyder - Asia Minor and Phrygia ["he will reckon with (the living) God." ].
10 200 CE - The Marcus Demetrianos Inscription ["most holy ones who also had faith in God"].
11 216 CE - Inscription of Abercius [Cannot be unambiguously associated with christianity]
12 253 CE - Inscription of Pectorius. [Cannot be unambiguously associated with christianity]