Why do some people believe that Constantine I created the Catholic Church?

Question

Fellows,

Why do some people believe that Constantine I created the Catholic Church?

You see, the reign of Constantine was AD 280- AD 337 whereas the first mention of the Catholic church was in St. Ignatius' writing "katholike ecclesia" in 110 AD. The Catholic church was also merely an attempt by St. Paul to form a uniform system of beliefs between all of the varied locales of the early Christians. This system became a heirarchy which was described by St. Clement in the year 96 AD when he detailed the church as an army where "not all are officers.. each has his rank, carrying out the orders of the leader."Also, the "scholar" Origen was arrested and wrote numerous letters pleading for papal intercession in ~ AD 280.

So, where is PROOF that Constantine created the church despite the numerous accounts of a previously functional catholic church?

Answer 1

It's a bogus claim that comes from people that, for whatever reason, want to believe the Catholic Church is bogus. They attempt to "prove" it's allegedly fallacious claim of origin in Jesus by attempting to rewrite history that separates Jesus from His Church.

Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan seems to be the best place, from their point of view, to severe Jesus from His Church. Up until the Edict of Milan, the Church existed largely in secret, literally underground and away from life-threatening persecution.

Emperor Constaine, his conversion to Catholicism, and the Edict of Milan are all matters of easily verifiable secular historical record. These events occur, and Christianity comes out from hiding. It spreads like wildfire because being a Christian is no longer life-threating, and the fact is it state-sponsored by the Roman Empire.

Much of what Catholicism has to say about it's origin's in Jesus stems from the Bible, Church Fathers such as Saint Ingnatius, but secular-mind types who are running this Constantine-ploy simply dismiss these sources as unreliable.

Given the fact that the Church was in hiding until the forth century, what little information that did become public is easily swept under the rug or just forgotten in time. Put simply, it's easy to bury the history of the Church's REAL first four centuries of existance.

You, me, others like us, we know better. We are open to the Truth, and that's why It appears so obvious to us. To others that are against the Church, you know the saying, "There are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see."

Answer 2

Constantine caused the Great Rift in Catholicism, seperating the Roman Catholic church from the Eastern church. He also consolidated the power of the church and made it a state religion for the first time. The church proceded to dictate law all over Europe for the next thousand years or so. For all intents and purposes, Constantine did create the Roman Catholic church.

Answer 3

I am a professor of early Church history and there is absolutely no evidence of their claim. Most of this nonsense comes from anti Catholic writings like those of Loraine Boettner who wrote fanciful and revisionary history of the Church. Many people believe this without checking out the veracity of such claims and the same lies are repeated over and over all without any substance whatsoever. Christ and the disciples created one Church and it is the Catholic church, the self same Church spoken of by St. Ignatius of Antioch. It is the enduring Church that Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against. If the Church did not endure, then Jesus would be a liar, He is not.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph


Supertop- Are you speaking of the Gnostics who adopted some Christian beliefs in the first and second centuries. They were never Christian. There were also Arian's who were heretics but they were simply false teachers. The fact is there was no other Christian Church until after the Reformation. Don't fall prey to all the fanciful history of the early Church.

Answer 4

Before Constantine's legalization of Christianity within the Roman Empire, the church was considered to be an illegal quasi-political conspiracy, and christian beliefs were being altered by other groups such as the Gnostics (who believed martyrdom was a waste of one's life and that it wasn't worth much), and other hetrodox (differing) beliefs that competed within the church. Orthodoxy first became necessary because martyrs had to know for what they were dying for, then because the Emperor wanted another religion that would support his rule instead of his brother's. But the church was a mess, and Constanine forced the creation of a Council to create reforms and hash out an authorized theology , creed and dogma. This was the beginning of the general trend of church/state collaboration, and the nobility meddling in religion (see Henry the 8th).

Answer 5

that isn't the significant factor that people are believing. the significant factor is that people are believing that Christian faith is in accordance with a lie, and supply no actual determination. that is not like it adjustments lots besides, the Catholic Chusrch would not have self assurance Christ saves a soul besides, they have self assurance in working for salvation. What sturdy is Christ to that? What does it count number what our scriptures say approximately him if so? The Catholic Church replaced into in actuality outfitted upon absorbtion of Christian and pagan traditions, Like Easter, Christmas, Mardis Gras, worshipping on Sunday, and worshipping Marry. each and every next Christian denomination has broken faraway from the Catholic Church. And Catholicism (yet another observe for universalism) did not exist on the time of the Apostles. Mass-prepared faith did not exist in any respect at that factor. each and every Church had that is very own traditions and discussions. Now, are you going to permit a fictional novel waiver you on your ideals? Are you that vulnerable on your knowlege of scripture? do a splash analysis and permit your man or woman knowlege be the handbook so which you will impression people who declare Dan Brown is sturdy. start up analyzing proper to the Gnostic Gospels and Gnosticism altogether. learn slightly approximately Greek words, and you will see that whether you gave the Gnostic documents credibility, there's no justification for announcing Jesus replaced into married. In end, whilst the Catholic Church strains that is lineage decrease back to the apostles, the term ????????? (katholikos), meaning "usual" or "widely used", replaced into not used till AD107 to serve to combine all the Christian Church into one great, uniform, physique, and describe people who're "heretics" as people who don't think in the Eucharist because of the fact the actual Presence. diverse interpretations of the Bible have prevented this from being universally conventional.

Answer 6

I don't know of anybody that believes Constantine created the Catholic Church, but he did make Christianity the official language of the Roman empire, and afterward the name Roman Catholic was used; I don't know when that name was first used, but there were Christians that were never part of the Roman Catholic institution.

Answer 7

In 313, Constantine announced toleration of Christianity in the Edict of Milan, which removed penalties for professing Christianity (under which many had been martyred in previous persecutions) and returned confiscated Church property.
The Edict, in the form of a joint letter to be circulated among the governors of the East,[1] declared that the Empire would be neutral with regard to religious worship, officially removing all obstacles to the practice of Christianity and other religions.[2] It "declared unequivocally that the co-authors of the regulations wanted no action taken against the non-Christian cults."[3]

Answer 8

It's Protestant propaganda attempting to "prove" the Catholic Church is not the original Church.

I think it's complete stupidity. They constantly tout this absurd claim without any proof whatsoever. It's like someone refusing to leave the Flat Earth Society and constantly trying to disprove the opposite scientific fact that the earth is round. Sounds like someone that needs intense mental therapy.

Answer 9

Constantine didnt start the catholic church as far as I am aware. But at one stage he was believed to be heavily influtential in regards to the church due to his position, but i guess this would depend on who's point of view it is, it is quite possible that not everyone will agree on this.

Answer 10

Peter was more a foundation of the Catholic church than Saul.

Constantine had the power to eliminate it, and chose to perpetuate it, this is why is is considered a foster parent of Christianity.