RE: Didn't Nero launch Christianity?
April 12, 2019 at 12:00 pm
(This post was last modified: April 12, 2019 at 12:19 pm by Acrobat.)
(April 12, 2019 at 11:50 am)Fake Messiah Wrote:(April 12, 2019 at 9:00 am)Acrobat Wrote: Also, the virtue of being martyr didn’t originate later in the Christian movement, but a part of its very beginning, with the very idea of a crucified messiah.
Or the story of a crucified messiah was embellished for the purpose of martyrdom religion, considering that earliest gospel was written after Nero's persecution declaration. Not to mention that the earliest manuscript of Mark dates to 4th century (Codex Vaticanus) so who knows what kind of versions it went through.
No, the gospels are all dated prior to Nero, not to mention the rest the of NT, Paul's writing etc, which all confirm the crucifixion. It's stretches all credulity to imagine all these texts were revised in such a way to include a crucifixion, leaving hardly a trace of such editing, or some evidence of earlier manuscripts absent of this, early sects who believe he died some other way, rumors of it, etc......
Not to mention the crucifixion was unexpected and unfortunate demise for the messiah, not a part of anyone exceptions of the messiahs fate, hardly the sort of thing someone would have made up for a messiah.
(April 12, 2019 at 9:33 am)Gae Bolga Wrote: Christianity appealed to pagan romans because they were poor and starving, and the christians were handing out cake. They were also suffering through a rising crescendo of epidemics, and alot of movements that posited a resurrection of the dead gained traction at the time.
Ah perhaps, atheists and humanist should start handing out cake to win over poor religious folks, lol.
In reality people are more motivated towards a particular religion, or worldview, or particular sort of life, and community, by its models, and heroes, than anything else. The more kids want to be like Carl Sagan, Neil Tyson, or some other atheistic scientist, or etc... the more likely they'd be drawn to atheism. Malcolm X likely contributed more to the rise of black American muslims, then anyone or anything else.
Atheists are better off expanding the diversity of its model and heroes, than handing out free cake to believers.
