Johnny Skeptic

The New Testament Canon was merely the result of the establishment of the preferences of those who considered themselves to be orthodox having the power to effectively defend their views and persecute and/or kill people who disagreed with them.

Consider the following:

Elaine Pagels: For nearly 2,000 years, Christian tradition has preserved and revered orthodox writings that denounce the Gnostics, while suppressing and virtually destroying the Gnostic writings themselves. Now, for the first time, certain texts discovered at Nag Hammadi reveal the other side of the coin: how Gnostics denounced the orthodox. The 'Second Treatise of the Great Seth' polemicizes against orthodox Christianity, contrasting it with the 'true church' of the Gnostics. Speaking for those he calls the sons of light, the author says: '...we were hated and persecuted, not only by those who are ignorant (pagans), but also by those think they are advancing the name of Christ, since they were unknowingly empty, not knowing who they are, like dumb animals.'"

Dr. Larry Taylor: How does this apply to the story of Jesus? Simply that all of the early critics are dead. Skeptical opinions were banned. Christian opinions, other than those of the establishment, were banned. Books were destroyed, and later, heretics were burned.

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2002:

By the 3rd century Gnosticism began to succumb to orthodox Christian opposition and persecution. Partly in reaction to the Gnostic heresy, the church strengthened its organization by centralizing authority in the office of bishop, which made its effort to suppress the poorly organized Gnostics more effective.

In his book titled ‘The Religious Quests of the Graeco-Roman World,’ Christian author S. Angus, Ph.D., D.Lit., D.D., says the following:

“No one could have dreamed that the Christians, who had themselves suffered so much from persecution and protested so vehemently against the injustice and futility of persecution, would so quickly have turned persecutors and surpassed their Pagan predecessors in fanatical savagery and efficiency, utterly oblivious of the Beatitude of the Divine Master (Matt. V. 10, 44, 45). It became ominous for subsequent history that the first General Council of the Church was signalized by bitter excommunications and banishments. Christians, having acquired the art of disposing of hostile criticism by searching out and burning the objectionable books of their Pagan adversaries, learned to apply the same method to the works of such groups of Christians as were not in power or in favour for the time; when this method proved unsatisfactory, they found it expedient to burn their bodies. The chained skeleton found in the Mithraic chapel at Sarrebourg testified to the drastic means employed by Christians in making the truth conquer otherwise than by the methods and exemplified by the Founder. The stripping and torture to death with oyster-shells in a Christian church and the subsequent mangling of limb from limb of Hypatia, the noblest representative of Neo-Platonism of her day, by the violent Nitrian monks and servitors of a Christian bishop, and probably with his connivance, were symptomatic and prophetic of the intolerance and fanaticism which Christianity was to direct throughout the centuries upon its disobedient members and troublesome minorities until the day – yet to dawn – when a purer, more convincing because more spiritual, Christianity gains ‘the consent of happier generation, the applause of less superstitious ages.’�

The largest colonial empire in history by far under a single religion was conquered by Christian nations by means of persecution, murder and theft of property.

mata leao

yes, thats how it works. when Jesus Christ returns and fulfills the remaining prophecies, the victors will rule the vanguished as well. Christianity prevailed then, prevails today, and will prevail in the future. You are on the losing side!

Johnny Skeptic

Possibly sometime during the next 10,000 years, eh?

Will you please tell us how you would be able to recognize Jesus if he returned to earth?

DaMan121

1 billion Muslims say hi :wave:

Anat

Not only that, but worlwide Islam is growing while Christianity is standing in place. In the US it is in fact shrinking (and in Europe it has already).

countjulian

Yes, but in the global South (Latin America, Africa, South East Asia) it continues to grow, and is indeed the fastest growing religion in the world, to date. One only need to look at Nigeria to see the Christian faith continuing to grow, even on eve of a full-scale civil war with the mostly Muslim north Nigeria. Unfortunately, it would seem that Christianity is here to stay.

Anat

Where do you get ' fastest growing religion in the world' from? Islam is much faster, TMK.

Astreja

Wrong. Christianity has already failed, and Jesus will never return to this planet. Your own violent words have vanquished the very thing that you would have us believe.

countjulian

Wrong again. If you take the birth rates of places like Latin America and Christian countries in Africa like Uguanda and Mozambique and add them to the current conversion rate, you'll find that Christianity should maintain its lead as the biggest religion. You should read Phillip Jenkin's book, The Next Christendom, very well researched. On the web, you can get stats at http://www.adherents.com/ and http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ . Some interesting countries to look at are:

Brazil: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/br.html

Mexico: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/mx.html

Philippines: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/rp.html

Nigeria: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/ni.html

Zaire/Congo: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/cg.html

Congo: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/cf.html

Ethiopia: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/et.html

Mozambique http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/mz.html

Uganda: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/ug.html

Papua New Guinea: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/pp.html

China: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/ch.html

premjan

some of those countries are majority muslim.