why did Christianity wipe out the older religions in place of their own?

Question

if christians are so accepting then why throughout history have they persecuted everyother religious group and done their best to convert their followers?

why during the inquisition did they burn people at the stake for not sharing their ideals or for refusing convert to christianity?

how many people do you think have died in the name of chritianity since its conception?

how can someone follow a religion that has so much blood on its hands?

all of you christians out there have a right to belive exactly what you want. why has it been so hard for your religion to except that of others in the past?

surely you must find it hard to follow a belief system that has so much blood on its hands? i know i would

neil i think you answer is a bit weak mate. of course the christians wiped out the pagan religions. it is true that some of the celebrations in chritsianity resemble those of a pagan nature but it is also true that they have demonised all of the pagean idols. even dan brown cottoned on to that and his religious ideals are weaker that most of yours. christians are so blind to the past. the pagen religions were in no way "absorbed" they were smashed and asimiltated, the christians kept the bits they like and disgarded or deamonised the rest. it is a religion based not on a true faith but on a mish mash of others.

brother micheal, you are obviously one of these overly relious types that i love to antaganise. how can you believe insome thing that you cannot hold in your hand or see with your eyes? the ancient pagan religions worshiped the earth. the britons worshiped the moon, the water and the sun. things that that they could see. they wroshiped those things becuase they gave them life and that i understand. whaty i do not understand is how you can worship something that you have never had any physical proof of. i do not mean to sound harsh, but i think that i can imagine most of you religious types on this site walking around northern europe a few hundred years ago wearing dominican robe and burning people with hot pokers because they were heritics just for having a diferent belief system. oh and dude, i know that the people that you have mentioned are pretty evil types (apart for the Ceasars) but they are just a drop in the ocean compared to the tyrants that the christian church has produced.

of course the inquisition was more about politics that religion. but that is what the church is all about. it uses peoples fear for their mortal souls to infulence and control. it has been the same since its very conception.

Answer 1

They had to wipe out the Jews because if the Jews didn't believe Jesus was a god, then it invalidates their own belief.

Jews do not need Christianity to explain their existence or their origin, but Christians cannot explain their existence without Judaism.

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Answer 2

First off, you must separate the Roman Catholic Church and the Christian Church. The Roman church had the backing of the state in Europe and did many things that were not Biblical or in keeping with Christ's teachings. You realize the inquisition was a Catholic thing against Protestants, right? Those who follow the teachings of Christ have no blood on their hands, just those who use the name "Christian" to put forth a religion-political agenda. Now, consider how many Christians have been martyred for their faith, were talking millions and millions. These deaths were at the hands of atheists, Muslims, Hindus, and others who hated Christ. If you are an atheists, how do feel about a belief system that brought forth people like the Caesars, Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Pol Pot and others who systemactical murderd by the thousands?

Answer 3

Do you see any inquisitions today from Christians? Does it occur to you to consider the action of those people based upon the culture of the time?

The older religions weren't exactly destroyed by Christianity in the sense they were killed out of existence. The number of people changing to Christianity made the amount of attention paid to the old gods decrease. As a matter of fact the issue became one of economics because no one was buying idols and the idol makers were losing money. That's one of the reason they Christians were originally persecuted and thrown to lions. Eventually they became more accepted and the old temples were just without the funds and personnel to keep them up.

The Inquisition was more about politics than Christianity. The church at that time was more a political machine than a spiritual one. The reformation made many changes to the face of Christianity and the church became more spiritual again.

The conversion of native people was also more about politics and gaining land and money than spiritual.

Answer 4

It did not. It absorbed the trappings of the older into itself to ease conversion. This is why Easter and Christmas are so pagan in thier rituals (and timing).

Answer 5

because it was a threat to them.