ATHEISTS: Why do you think Christianity was started?

Question

The romans persecuted christians for 300 years until Constantine legalized christianity, so why do you think that the founders and the early christians kept christianity alive for those 300 years before constantine seeing that it was totally NOT in their best interests (they weren't getting power or wealth)
the apostles became martyrs , but do you think that they would do risk their lives for a "fairytale" or were they witnesses of Jesus' resurrection?

Answer 1

Um, I'm not a Christian or an Atheist, but I feel I need to point out that
A) the apostles were not all martyred. Peter was martyred, but John lived out his life according to the gospel attributed to his followers, Judas either hanged himself or died from a headlong fall, depending which part of the Bible you believe, and for a lot of the others we don't know. Thomas is believed to have gone east and founded a more mystical sect there.

B) the apostles were not Christians. They were Jews, following a Jewish leader. They believed that Jesus was chosen by God, and that it was within God's power to bring back the leader he hand chosen, even from death.

C) a lot of people are willing to die for what they believe in. If that in itself were enough to prove a belief right, then how do you explain suicide bombers, self-immolators, or anyone who fights on the other side of any war?

Answer 2

First, if I saw a ghost I don't know if I think it was real or I was imagining it. How do the apostles know what they saw was real? Did they see all kinds of ghosts all the time so when Jesus's ghost/resurrection happened they knew instantly that he was a real ghost? And the Romans didn't persecut all that many Christians which is one of the reasons why they survived those early years before Constantine made them official. Plus the Romans persucuted lots of different people with different beliefs so Christians were anything special.

Answer 3

One single person is the reason. No you thought I was going to say Jesus. Not at all. It was a little nobody named Saul who changed his name to Paul appointed himself as an apostle took command of a little insignificant group who would have faded into the footnotes of history only remembered as the sign of a fish if it wasn't for Paul seeing it's potential with the right leadership and pulling it up by the bootstraps and making the greatest religion in the entire world. It is Paul who deserves the Credit for Christianity Not Christ.

Answer 4

Any religion is initiated as a form of primitive philosophy based on mysticism, rather than reason, in order to answer the questions of life.

Once a person has accepted that faith, rather than reason, provides a sufficient and attractive answer to explain why we exist, a religion with its rituals, prophets, messiahs and holy books is a perfect means for consolidating a community and ultimately gain power.

In religion, one is willing to sacrifice one's life for the same reason that Islamic terrorists are prepared to blow themselves up and fight the infidels. If I believed that this life is but a blink of an eye, by comparison to an eternal life of happiness, it would make logical sense to martyr myself and go to paradise.

The question is: If Jesus and the martyr saints are the heroes and models to be emulated by all who believe in the afterlife, why are there so few martyrs among us? Why only one Mother Teresa and not millions? Why so many Christians and Muslims choose to have careers, family, drive cars, travel, take vacations, entertainment, wealth and the good life instead of sacrificing all earthly pleasures, wear sandals and a sack, live on elms and give themselves to asceticism, prayer, and spend their lives helping those who suffer and really want to improve their living conditions, enjoy life and attain happiness on this earth?

Could it be that the religious model of morality is mostly all talk and no action? Could it be that as a form of guidance to live is very impractical and really useless? Could it be that it is a philosophy that worships death (or a life after death) instead of the life we are actually living? And lastly, could it be that, at variance with a philosophy based on reason, if faith-based philosophies were taken to their logical consequence and lived to the fullest, they would indeed produce nothing but sacrifice, poverty and death?

After all, what charity could be done by millions of people like Mother Teresa if everyone converted to practice Jesus’ model of living and lived in absolute poverty, if there were no producers, no people willing to start and run successful multi-million corporations to donate enormous wealth to charitable causes? Since wealth and progress corrupt us, wouldn't a very poor and suffering world be the best way to appreciate the value of life eternal with God?

Answer 5

Life was cheap in those times . just as the (9/11) suicide bombers Martyr themselves for a ridiculous promise of 72 virgins . Do yo think there is any difference in the gullibility and mental deficiencies of fish mongers(apostles) than the religious fervor of terrorists ... Keep thinking! there are more reasons to each whether tooth fairy or whatever .power delusions of grandeur instinctual desires fame misinformation political success. the list goes on.

Answer 6

Muslims are being prosecuted by the United States. They weren't allowed to board planes because they were praying. Why do you think that Muslims are still around?

By the way, Constantine decided that it was better to convert to Christianity because there were more advantages to being Christian, such as power over a large group of sheep.

Answer 7

Absolutely no one witnessed Jesus's resurrection. Our God concept was the "brainchild" of ancient ignorant people who didn't have the intellect to understand the things that they witnessed. Archeologists have discovered 20,000 year old caves that show charcoal drawings on the walls of daily life with the native animals on the walls and men in flying machines. Ignorant people who didn't know any better believed that only birds and insects could fly. if any other being could fly they were called god. If you'll take notice, God has stopped showing up but U.F.O's haven't.

Answer 8

If the ancient Christians went to one of your new warehouse mega centers and saw some dude jammin out on the guitar talking about loving Jesus, they too would become atheists. Christians are just so loud and outspoken, it's a real turn off.

Answer 9

People are a physical manifestation of the eternal Universe, Jesus was just like you, me and everyone else. Thats why we have democracy and not a monarchy because everyone is equal in the eyes of the universe

Answer 10

Are you saying that dedication to a religion makes it valid? That risking one's life for religious beliefs makes those beliefs the "correct" ones?

If so, then what about the other religions whose adherents are that dedicated? If dedication to a faith despite persecution is a measure of its validity, what do you think about Wiccans and Pagans, who are some of the most deeply spiritual people in our culture?