If Jesus did not exist. Why did christianity rise to the top?

Question

I asked this question yesterday and some of the responses I got were totally and utterly absurd.

One answer that was given: "Christianity rose to the top because christians went on a killing spree"

My response, THAT WAS 1900 YEARS AGO!!
Christianity is not a scare tactic. We live in a society now where we know better. WHY DO PEOPLE STILL CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY IF JESUS NEVER EXISTED?

Some of you unbelievers give the most asinine answers I've ever witnessed. lol

Hey.. Christians.. Check this out!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=At2D4ia6z0kbJCOXqpXBDbrsy6IX?qid=20070831183336AAC48ZD

Answer 1

Christianity rose to the top by brute force, the same way most religions do.
Generally people are apathetic and lazy they won't challenge the religion already instilled in their society.
It's not a question of not rejecting the religion, it's more not being interested enough to even think about it.

Christianity certainly is in decline in the UK, the churches are in crisis and setting up post offices in some of them just to drag people through the doors. My village once had 3 churches, now it's down to one because they just can't get 'butts on pews'.

Answer 2

This entire question is asinine.

By your reasoning, you can justify any religion that's ever taken root anywhere. WHY DO PEOPLE STILL CONVERT TO ISLAM? I mean, that's your gauge of "truth," the fact that a lot of people jump on the bandwagon? Shouldn't you be out joining the Hare Krishnas?

Christianity DID "rise to the top" because the early Christians, after enduring persecution at the hands of the Romans, finally gained Roman sponsorship, turned the tables, and began persecuting non-Christians. The "Dark Ages" are the direct result of Christianity's campaign to destroy all learning that contradicted the Church's authority, which was practically ALL learning up to that point.

And as for your typically all-caps bleat that "THAT WAS 1900 YEARS AGO" - so, what, I suppose those people weren't true followers of Christ, but you are? You know they would've said the same thing of you, right? And they would've killed you for it! And at the end of the day, there's no ultimate means of deciding who's got it right - except by killing each other. It's your irrational conviction against theirs.

Answer 3

You have to remember that Christianity spread because it was given official and legalized status by Constantine around the years 312-313 after his victory at Milvian Bridge.

Prior to this time Christianity grew and was persecuted by the Romans like any other religion at the time that spoke or acted contrary to the Pax Romana, or "Peace of Rome". As long as you stayed in accordance to the rules laid down you were usually left alone.

Nevertheless, Jesus did exist and the question that he didn't is just stupid. Of course he existed. There are extra-biblical (non-biblical) historical references to Jesus. This would mean Tiberitus, Josephus, Pliny the Younger, Cornelius Tacitus, Lucian, Shimeon ben Azzai and contributors to the Jewish Talmud are/were deluded. Get over it, Jesus walked the Earth, others carried the message (diluting it no doubt).

Remember, the man himself was Jewish and noble by all accounts. Do not mistake the unbridled and blinded zeal of later followers with the goodness of the man. Jesus never formed a church and probably never would have. Thank Paul for this, if thanks are even worth giving. Take care.

Answer 4

What bothers me is that so many people think Jesus is has everything to do with Christianity, and Christianity only.

Jesus is in Islam and the Jewish religon as well. Just in a slightly different way.

True though, Christianity did blossom from Jesus while he was only a major/minor part in other religions, but he's a Prophet in the Islamic religion.

I can't really answer this question, considering I do believe Jesus existed, just in a slightly different way then most Christians do, and people convert to Christianity because they want to.

For whatever reason, and people convert OUT of Christianity because they want to.

So it's really not all about Christianity

Peace from the Middle East

Answer 5

Yes, Christianity did rise to the top a long time ago. The Emperor Constantine was the major mover in that regard. Once the Pope was established in Rome, which was an empire that reached far and wide over the known world, then Christianity spread all over that empire. And when people rebelled against Catholicism, they did not discard Christianity altogether, for the most part. Instead, they sought to modify it while staying faithful to Jesus and their understanding of the God Jesus talked about.

Does this do it for you as an answer? If so, please note that I know all about this even though I am not myself a Christian.

Answer 6

The real message of The God of Love became distorted by men who wanted to be God (like Constantine) the problem with that is that the love of money and power left God behind, and b/c man can`t Love God and money/power the same- division erupts.
You` ll either Love the one and hate the other.
If you love money and power then you may do anything to keep such a position even kill.
If you love God then you may turn from such acts of evil,
That is the message of Christ Jesus real or not someone wrote about Love in the NT, and what a beautiful message.

I do believe in such perilous times as these are that man is turning back to Love and finding out that that is what will save our lives and eternal spirits and if some do not believe that then they may have waxed cold and hardened their hearts to the saving grace and mercy of God the Father thru Jesus Christ the Son of Love.
People are being converted by Love and not an label.


Love rises to the top and conquers all things and one does not need a label to Love one another like Jesus does.
Love will save our lives and His name is Jesus.

I am a small voice in this universe,but Jesus` is huge and it speaks," only Love one another."
peace

Answer 7

Jesus DID EXIST. He (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) was a TRUE messenger (prophet of God). No doubt he had the true message of success. It was after him that the message became corrupted. Some will say was deliberatly corrupted. It was neither the messenger nor the mesage that went wrong. It is the folwers who got misguided and lost focus of the message. They masked the REAL teachings of Jesus with fake attractions. Such as, promises of being "saved" no matter what you do in this life. This did attract lots of crowds and "rise to the top". But we know well just because soemthing that people gather to is not necassry best for them. Example, McDonald's restaurants serve millions year after year; even though when they know well it will evetuanlly kill them prematurely. People in general do not like hearing the truth. Jesus is only a human like you and me, Only he had True Knowledge revealed to him from our Creator. That is the Ultimate Truth.
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-CItEKeoweKMLgMfAdcmKwjAM;_ylt=AlAL2QRwdZZuuEvaCdqr8oCkAOJ3

Answer 8

if christianity did not exist 1900 years ago, then you would be right. their responses don't matter b/c that was 1900 years ago. but it did exist that long ago, so it still has a lot to do with how christianity came to be.

the be turning point to why christianity rose to the top was rome shoving it down the throats of everyone they conquered, and even changing it to make the conversion go more smoothly.

other than that, same reasons as every other religion got as far as it did... just the beliefs people had and adopted

Answer 9

China is the highest populated country in the world with 1.3 billion. Out of this only 100 million are christians. Eventhough some people claim that Christianity Existed in china from the first centuary itself.
India is the Second highest populated country in the world with only 3% christians. Pakistan have a population of 16.2 crores out of them only 1.5% follow christianity. Africans follow islam and regional religions. Arab world where the Christianity riginated, follow islam.
Europe and U.S is being converted to islam or find peace in hare krishna movements. In Europe churches are sold and some of them made museums. USA christians attending church services isnominal. Then where is Christianity??

I don't question the existence of Jesus, but I don't think that christianity is rising to the top. It is the propogation of christians only.

Answer 10

One a global scale Christianity is a minority belief, accounting for some 33% of all people, and that is only when you add all denominations together. Just because you probably live in a majority-Christian nation doesn't mean that is true on the entire planet. You are missing perspective. Perhaps you should travel the world a little.

Are you at the top? How many people are converting vs. leaving the faith? Are the people leaving the faith being replaced by new generations? It used to be that the kids of Christian parents would become Christian, but is that still the case?

I think your faith is bleeding to death, and you are one of the ones keeping the wounds open. Your crass and intolerant comments are driving reasonable people further away from your faith.