Would you like to know the real reason why Christianity is so widespread?

Hallelujah, brothers and sisters, let me hear you say AMEN!!!

History is not something most Christians are aware of or like to discuss when it comes to the unpleasantness of it - if Christians REALLY knew the history of their church a lot of them would most likely cease to be Christians. However, it isn't just Christians that don't know history well - its way too many people... it isn't just Christians.

Oh, what about all the people you and your kind have killed?

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What?

Do you really expect people to accept that they have joined a group known for some of the worst atrocities ever?
It is the behavior of these primates, that makes me wonder if we will ever advance.

Yes, it would be interesting to look through a lens at the height of European theocracy and see how the Church expanded its power by conquering weaker civilizations in the name of Jesus Christ - a tiny fact left out of most Christian church services today.

Your theory fails to explain how Christianity came to dominate Europe, or how it was spreading in Roman times when it did not enjoy state sanction and was actively persecuted.

It's easy to understand why Christianity spread so far: think about what it says.

"Yo, dude, you wanna die? No? Well you don't have to! Here, this book here explains it all. If you do what it says our God is going to bring you back to life after you die and give you eternal life in a better place with no suffering. But you have to believe in Him for it to work."

All humans naturally fear the oblivion of death, the idea that you can escape it by faith is very compelling and seductive.

Few pagan religions offered a vision as compelling. Many didn't believe in an afterlife, or viewed the afterlife as a dim shadow of the mortal life like the Sumerians and Mayans. Others did have a concept of an afterlife and being judged by the gods, but lacked the Christian concept of eternal life as God's gift to all humankind, which His followers should try to bring to other people.

Islam was successful for the same reason: it co-opted its winning strategy from Christianity.

But it does not explain how it got started.

After Jesus it was pretty small. You had to meet Jewish law and requirements.

Then Paul got hold of it:

Removed the dietary and circumcision requirements.
Removed the requirement to be of the chosen tribes.
Created a better than best heaven and a worse than worst hell.


So now there is no reason not to join and Pascal wager works because Christianity and Judaism are the only religions around that say you can't worship other gods. (Judaism is a closed shop so that is pointless.) Zeus will forgive you if you worship Jesus, but Jesus won't forgive you worshiping Zeus.

After grabbing Western Europe the resources of the area combined with the aggressive nature of the religion (it is better to torture someone to death and have them convert with their dying breath than let them live a happy life on Earth but then go to hell -allegedly) means that it gets forcefully spread.

give it a rest "lucas." if i had to live in a world full of tree hugging hippy wiccans i'd shoot myself with one of my 9mm's.

You are seeing ALL people in Christianity as the same. It's never accurate to judge all the people in a certain group as the same.

Some of us believe that according to the Bible, we have to turn the other cheek and forgive our enemies. It doesn't tell us to kill anybody. If any Christian kills somebody, then he disobeys the Bible. Therefore, he is not really a Christian.

Churches are full of so-called Christians (who are really not Christians) and therefore, they create problems and alienate people. Those who are true Christians, they reflect and act with love.

It was one of the first religions (I believe Judaism was the first) that actually had a book to go by. It was also the first book to be printed in mass production. Before that, religions were based on stories told by word of mouth or pictures. Christianity is a book based religion, and therefore it is easy to reference what Christianity is supposed to be about.

That and the domination of lands of people that believe differently.

Your "question" is more of a hate filled statement if anything. You show ignorance in Christian history. The Christian church started under heavy persecution for hundreds of years. Many died for their faith, not in war but because they would not worship the Roman leader. I suggest you read up on the subject. Islam on the other hand did spread by war at the start. The 2 religions had very opposite beginnings.

Boy, do you have a overactive imagination, I've not done a single one of those things.
In America we have many religions.

UUMMM I haven't killed, murdered, mutilated, mangled nor mayhemed that I know of.

Christianity keeps me from doing some of those things though.

1) america is a christian nation and it happens to be the most powerful nation in the world

2) jesus is white and white happens to be "superior" in the old days

honestly if christianity was a religion from the third world who would care