Freethought & Rationalism Archive

King Rat · 04-14-2004, 10:02 AM

A theist I am currently talking to claims that xtianity founded the world's first orphanages, I find that very hard to believe. I've been searching the web and have found nothing that supports this, or refutes it.

I hoping our resident esteemed group of historians can help me out or lead me in the right direction.

yummyfur · 04-14-2004, 10:45 AM

It's usually better for the child to have dedicated care givers, like a new family. Adoption was pretty common in the ancient world.

Trajan (pagan Roman emperor Trajan 98 -117 CE ) had a program called The Alimenta, it was started by Nerva the Emperor before him, but got under way during Trajan, it was a welfare program for poor children, for orphans and children born out of wedlock.

beside this, Roman law had a system of gaurdianship for orphans.

I'm sure there are other examples in the ancient world

Patrick Schoeb

King Rat · 04-14-2004, 11:04 AM

Thank you.

Toto · 04-14-2004, 11:13 AM

Here's what the Catholics claim:

Quote:

As a natural characteristic of man, human sympathy was active even among the pagans, who, however, recognized no moral obligation to render assistance, since the knowledge of a common origin and destiny and of the equality of men before God was wanting. Isolated suggestions of the Christian doctrine of neighbourly charity are found in the writings of Cicero, Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, but these writers were powerless to convert wide circles to more humane sentiments. Consequently, a public and general care of the poor existed nowhere in antiquity, but only isolated suggestions thereof. In Athens Pisistratus made provision for needy war-invalids and citizens, and the application of this provision was later extended to all residents whom infirmity rendered unable to work. Special officials, the sitarchs, were also appointed to prevent a shortage of corn. Similar institutions existed in other Greek towns. In Rome the poor regulations from the time of Julius Cæsar, and the donations of corn especially after the time of Cæsar and Augustus must be regarded as simply political measures designed to soothe the Roman proletariat clamouring for bread and games. The same may be said of the children's alimentaturia founded by Nerva and Hadrian and perfected by Trajan, of the institutions for providing for orphans in numerous towns in Italy, supported from the imperial purse, and of the later private foundations of the same kind under State supervision to be found in Italy and in the different provinces. Under the Empire the colleges of artisans were bound to provide for their impoverished colleagues. The efforts of Julian the Apostate to plant Christian poor-relief on pagan soil with the assistance of the pagan high-priest, Arsatinus, met with scant success.

(2) The Mosaic Law established a preventive poor-relief, contained numerous provisions in favour of needy Jews, and expressly commands the giving of alms (Deut., xv, 11). These precepts of the Law were strongly inculcated by the prophets. The Divine command of charity towards one's neighbour is clearly expressed in the Law (Lev., xix, 18), but the Jews regarded as their neighbour only the members of their race and strangers living in their territories. The [Pharisees further intensified this narrow interpretation into scorn for heathens and hatred for personal enemies (Matt., v, 37; Luke, x, 33). Measures of preventive poor-relief were the decisions of the Law concerning the division of the land among the tribes and families, the inalienableness of landed property, the Sabbath and Jubilee year, usury, the gathering of grapes and corn, the third tithe, etc.

So pagans had charity and orphanages, but that doesn't count because they didn't have the right ideology behind it. The Jews were hostile to non-Jews, as proved by statements from the gospels.

I have read that Christians were responsible for an end to infanticide - that typically, unwanted children were just exposed to the elements, and that Christians in the Roman Empire made a habit of trying to save these infants, and that it was Christian influence that finally put an end to infanticide. I suspect there is some truth in this, but have not researched it. Rodney Stark in The Rise of Christianity attributes the Christians early success in the Roman Empire in the 2nd and 3rd centuries to their pro-natal policies, their opposition to abortion and infanticide and their provision of care to the sick.

Layman · 04-14-2004, 11:18 AM

Christianity indeed had a unique role in outlawing and condeming infanticide in western civilization:

http://www.geocities.com/christianca...fanticide.html

Perhaps the Christian you are debating is talking about the Christian practice of rescueing babies that had been discarded by their pagan parents to die of exposure. Christian churches provided for a common fund to pay for the raising of such children.

Not exactly orphanages, as I think that they were taken in by Christian families. But a nice change from the dominant pagan culture nonetheless.

04-14-2004, 10:02 AM	#1
King Rat Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 6,855	Origin of Orphanages A theist I am currently talking to claims that xtianity founded the world's first orphanages, I find that very hard to believe. I've been searching the web and have found nothing that supports this, or refutes it. I hoping our resident esteemed group of historians can help me out or lead me in the right direction.

04-14-2004, 10:45 AM	#2
yummyfur Regular Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 351	Why would Orphanages be good? It's usually better for the child to have dedicated care givers, like a new family. Adoption was pretty common in the ancient world. Trajan (pagan Roman emperor Trajan 98 -117 CE ) had a program called The Alimenta, it was started by Nerva the Emperor before him, but got under way during Trajan, it was a welfare program for poor children, for orphans and children born out of wedlock. beside this, Roman law had a system of gaurdianship for orphans. I'm sure there are other examples in the ancient world Patrick Schoeb

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04-14-2004, 11:04 AM	#3
King Rat Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 6,855	Thank you.

04-14-2004, 11:18 AM	#5
Layman Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,635	Christianity indeed had a unique role in outlawing and condeming infanticide in western civilization: http://www.geocities.com/christianca...fanticide.html Perhaps the Christian you are debating is talking about the Christian practice of rescueing babies that had been discarded by their pagan parents to die of exposure. Christian churches provided for a common fund to pay for the raising of such children. Not exactly orphanages, as I think that they were taken in by Christian families. But a nice change from the dominant pagan culture nonetheless.

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