What do you think of this statement?

Question

"Genocide and cultural eradication always go hand in hand with missionary zeal. In many cases every trace of the conquered society's religious writings, practices, icons, and even buildings were destroyed in the name of conversion from worship of gods considered evil, and religious customs labeled as heresies. What generally results from past crusades is the conqueror's religion replacing or predominantly blending with the conquered culture's former religious practice, making its religion almost unrecognizable. Christianity falls into the latter category, having been the victim of the Roman Empire, under the Emperor Constantine, who blended the Christian Church with the institutionalized "pagan" practices of Rome and eliminated any semblance of either the Jewish religious influence or the first church Jesus established during his ministry"

the source of the quote is: http://www.thelostbooks.com/intro.htm

Answer 1

Well, I agree that missionaries do screw things up. Constantine did force everyone to convert to christianity, which isn't great. But I don't know about him 'paganizing' it.

Answer 2

It sounds plausible. I do not know if it is a hard and fast rule.


I would want to see more of the author's arguments and justification before coming down on one side or the other.

I do not really see Constantine leading a 'crusade' against the early Christians, or the original writings. What I understand is that he wanted to stop the multiple schisms being formed by the Christian faith within the Roman Empire, causing dissent and internal strife at a time that the Empire really needed to worry about external threats. Constantine did not care what doctrine was produced out of Nicea, as long as it was accepted and implemented across the Empire.

Answer 3

This part: "Genocide and cultural eradication always go hand in hand with missionary zeal. In many cases every trace" is rather redundant, as it is rare that a people that are wiped out (genocide) retains it's culture in any way, shape or form. The last part about Constantine is a rather simplified statement on the evolution of the church, and should not be taken seriously with out explicate examples and documentation.

All in all, it's a fairly "fluffy" and vague assertion that doesn't seem to reflect reality or history.

Answer 4

Pretty one-sided. If you watch a movie such as "End of the Spear" you will find the opposite. An entire ancient culture was saved from extinction due to a few concerned missionaries that gave their lives to help preserve them.

The Crusades took place because the Roman Catholic Church translated the Bible into Latin, locked it up behind gates and said, "Thus and thus is what God says." From this we got inquisitions, crusades, indulgences and the like.

When the reformation translated the Bible into German and English, the average person could stand up to the evil popery and say "No!" for the Bible says thus and thus. Then the killing and fleecing soon stopped.

Answer 5

The statement is a major overgeneralization. The use of the word "always" in the first sentence nullifies the whole sentence. The author then goes on to card stack generalizations: "in many cases", "generally" etc, without presenting the opposite case.

Answer 6

I do not agree I looked at the web sight there is to much to read all. I agree that in rome they mixed christianity with other religions but not that the bible is all wrong or missionerys led to genocide.

Answer 7

I would agree with that. Certainly a lot of Christian practices in the UK are tide up with pagan practices.

Answer 8

You're hanging out at the beach to long, catching these ancient messages in bottles or do you have a intelligent contribution to make, than feel FREE to share it with us. Or do you need another excuse to go cash in your food-stamps?

Answer 9

Can you please supply the source of this quote?