Clivedurdle

Pagans and monotheists seem to have had a fascinating relationship for a long time - Greeks and Persians, Marathon for example. In many ways this is a political distinction - am I free to choose my own gods or does someone tell me how to worship?

The Romans, mixed pagan democrats and imperialists meet the Jews - a fascinating people with clear imperialist ideas from Babylon - and get stuck in a series of wars requiring the interventions of several emperors.

All good strategists would know it is not only about bashing heads but winning hearts and minds.

Maybe someone attempts creating a Rome biased religion - render unto Caesar - from Judaism. This is probably quite late around the 130's.

But Pandora's box has been opened, and this religion ends up destroying the Roman Empire - the Persians win until the enlightenment reintroduces the pagan ways of thinking for yourself.

Doug Shaver

I can't tell from your post what event you're asking about, but as a generality, I don't believe in conspiracies.

Clivedurdle

The invention of xianity!

Might some people senior in the Roman bureaucracy have attempted to create a christ figure to sort out the Jews?

A problem with this happening under Constantine is why use a Jewish motif for the emperor god in heaven? Was Palestine an issue then?

Now under Hadrian... (or Seneca....?)


Or is it entirely accidental?

ModernHeretic

Personally, I think Constantine chose a religion that had already existed for some time. Prior to Christianity becoming the major religion, Mithraism was the thing for most romans. Why Constantine eventually preferred Christianity to Mithraism I'm not sure, but I don't think that the Romans invented Christianity.

I think it would be much more accurate to say that Paul invented Christianity, although for what reason I don't know (perhaps he simply had a vision and actually believed it).

When you mention "render unto Caesar", it's possible that line wasn't added until the time of Constantine, but the gospels were almost certianly written by that time. How much they were edited by the Christian bishops when they got the ear of Constantine is debatable, however I think it's more that they took a real figure, Jesus, and attributed sayings and actions to him that fit with a Roman ideal. I don't think that anyone "invented" Jesus, I think they just created a picture of Jesus to suit their needs.

jeffevnz

Talk to mountainman. He's got all kinds of thoughts on this.