A persecuted Church divided in so many sects would not have survived without official endorsement.
2007-09-14 04:22:41 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Quite likely. You have to remember that Constantine was the leader of the most powerful nation in the world that had committed mass murder and torture of others for centuries, if not millenia.
They used methods quite despicable to force the conversion, too. Horrific torture, and mass murder, like burning people alive. Whatever it took to force the conversion.
Without Constantine, Christianity probably would have died out.
But Constantine was an intelligent man and he saw that the empire was falling apart, and that it needed a unifying force to prevent implosion of society.
2007-09-14 04:34:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Christian (Catholic) Church at the time of Constantine was not divided into many sects, and had already grown and prospered for centuries even under constant persecution. This was due to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the promise of Christ to His Church, "I will be with you until the end of time". Of course legalization of Christianity (Catholicism) by the emperor facilitated the growth of Christianity, but the Catholic Church was divinely destined to grow and prosper regardless of anything men could do in an effort to prevent it.
2007-09-14 04:38:51 · answer #2 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The church which Christ established has survived without any type of human endorsement. The endorsements divided the church further and created more denominations.
The church mentioned in the New Testament, the churches of Christ, are still in existence today and follow God's teachings and commandments the same as the apostles and early disciples did.
2007-09-14 04:31:59 · answer #3 · answered by TG 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is impossible to say for sure, but it is likely. I Constantine had chosen one of the other religions that he eventually combined with Christianity then that one would most likely have survived. He made Christianity the state religion not necessarily because he absolutely believed in it but mainly it was done to unite the Romans. there were many squabbles that would have resulted in civil war between the different religions. Constantine saw the need to unite these factions, so he took elements from them and combined them with Christianity to make the dominate religion. This made it easier for people to follow it.
2007-09-14 04:34:26 · answer #4 · answered by Dan H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have had that thought myself! Not -imploded- but it probably would have died out. I doubt Christianity could have survived without having been codified and standardized by the Council of Nicea and then becoming the official religion of the Evil Empire.
2007-09-14 04:34:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I assume you mean exploded but the answer is yes is would have. It was already on the rise to dominance which is why Constantine, a devote pagan, made Christianity the official religion
2007-09-14 04:37:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It couldn't... Constantine ordered shields to be painted with early symbol of Christianity and he gained upped hand over Rome... If he would loose the battle, Rome would remain pagan and Christianity would not be as spread as it is now
2007-09-14 04:29:54 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. Beef Stroganoff 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, that is the thing that propelled it into the limelight so to speak, but there is no way to speculate whether or not some other thing would have done the same thing.
2007-09-14 04:30:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Imploded?
2007-09-14 04:26:37 · answer #9 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Sure it would.... Gods word is/was/will always be.... till the end of the world.
It's not about the man (it's about the message) in that case.
2007-09-14 04:27:00 · answer #10 · answered by sassinya 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋