Comments on: Did Christianity Cause The Fall of The Roman Empire? http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/ Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:02:41 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Chris http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-533236 Chris Sun, 03 Apr 2011 12:23:46 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-533236 With all that aside the christians really did bring down the Roman empire after it was hijacked by the Christian emperors after Constantine. They turned it into a theorocracy and exacerbated the empires existing problems by quibbling about theological issues and wasted money and building churches instead of maintaining the empire. Also later christian emperors took away all religious freedom and imposed total christian orthodoxy, persecuting pagans and whoever resisted, a total reversal from the christian persecutions. As in 395 Theodosius declared Christianity the ONLY religion of the empire, specifically nicene Christianity as there were at the time many christian "heresies" that did not agree with the state church. So with that from the later 4th century until the fall of the west, not only was Rome being ransaked by barbarians from the abandoned frontiers but also being destroyed from the inside by theological dispute and religious persecution as there were so many interpretations about God and Jesus that christians would often persecute themselves, as was the norm for later time during the middle ages and beyond. But from that Edward Gibbon was right that Christianity played a key role in Rome's fall as it accelerated the problems facing the empire and also brought the medieval mindset of focusing totally on God and church that would bring stagnation for over a millenium. With all that aside the christians really did bring down the Roman empire after it was hijacked by the Christian emperors after Constantine. They turned it into a theorocracy and exacerbated the empires existing problems by quibbling about theological issues and wasted money and building churches instead of maintaining the empire. Also later christian emperors took away all religious freedom and imposed total christian orthodoxy, persecuting pagans and whoever resisted, a total reversal from the christian persecutions. As in 395 Theodosius declared Christianity the ONLY religion of the empire, specifically nicene Christianity as there were at the time many christian “heresies” that did not agree with the state church. So with that from the later 4th century until the fall of the west, not only was Rome being ransaked by barbarians from the abandoned frontiers but also being destroyed from the inside by theological dispute and religious persecution as there were so many interpretations about God and Jesus that christians would often persecute themselves, as was the norm for later time during the middle ages and beyond. But from that Edward Gibbon was right that Christianity played a key role in Rome’s fall as it accelerated the problems facing the empire and also brought the medieval mindset of focusing totally on God and church that would bring stagnation for over a millenium.

]]> By: greenwood http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-484026 greenwood Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:05:53 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-484026 Roman Christians believed in the kingdom of heaven instead of the kingdom of man which made many educated roman citizens to take the spiritual path instead of taking a administrative position to govern the provinces. As well as not doing the Imperial Cult where the emperor was worshiped as a livivg representation of Rome itself. So Rome started to become gradually 'unloved'. Eventually the empire started to have a serious lack of people to govern the fringes of the empire. With this lack of administration power the local government became weaker which in turn gave away to a series of opportunities for invasions by barbaric tribes. A weaker Rome was destroyed by many factors and the cause of its weakeness was the lack of administrators due to the Christian ideals of riches after death and not to have worries about material things or even 'reality' itself. Roman Christians believed in the kingdom of heaven instead of the kingdom of man which made many educated roman citizens to take the spiritual path instead of taking a administrative position to govern the provinces. As well as not doing the Imperial Cult where the emperor was worshiped as a livivg representation of Rome itself. So Rome started to become gradually ‘unloved’.
Eventually the empire started to have a serious lack of people to govern the fringes of the empire. With this lack of administration power the local government became weaker which in turn gave away to a series of opportunities for invasions by barbaric tribes. A weaker Rome was destroyed by many factors and the cause of its weakeness was the lack of administrators due to the Christian ideals of riches after death and not to have worries about material things or even ‘reality’ itself.

]]> By: Bruce Officer http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-373769 Bruce Officer Thu, 21 Oct 2010 22:29:02 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-373769 What did for the Roman Empire was that they never managed to develop a reliably stable way of transitioning from the rule of one emperor to the next, despite later attempts to have co-emperors and caesars, and with no particular qualifications needed (be that family line or social status) the top slot was open for any general to have a stab at, almost guarenteeing regular civil wars that would slowly bleed the Empire dry. What did for the Roman Empire was that they never managed to develop a reliably stable way of transitioning from the rule of one emperor to the next, despite later attempts to have co-emperors and caesars, and with no particular qualifications needed (be that family line or social status) the top slot was open for any general to have a stab at, almost guarenteeing regular civil wars that would slowly bleed the Empire dry.

]]> By: Dejan Prokic http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-230619 Dejan Prokic Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:57:44 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-230619 Its foolish to think that it was Christianity that destroyed the Roman empire when history clearly shows that, if anything, christianty helped preserve the roman empire. In the 4th century the western Roman empire crumbled as it was overrun by various tribes. This was not the case in the Eastern Roman empire, the Byzantines. The Byzantine Empire lasted untill the mid 1400s a duration of over 1000 years, the greek Orthodox faith being its very cohesive core! Therefore one needs to understand that the Roman empire was firstly weakened by the crusades and eventually destroyed by the Ottoman turks. Islamic expansionism and western european greed destroyed the Romans. Its foolish to think that it was Christianity that destroyed the Roman empire when history clearly shows that, if anything, christianty helped preserve the roman empire. In the 4th century the western Roman empire crumbled as it was overrun by various tribes. This was not the case in the Eastern Roman empire, the Byzantines. The Byzantine Empire lasted untill the mid 1400s a duration of over 1000 years, the greek Orthodox faith being its very cohesive core! Therefore one needs to understand that the Roman empire was firstly weakened by the crusades and eventually destroyed by the Ottoman turks. Islamic expansionism and western european greed destroyed the Romans.

]]> By: Ariel Avenasa http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-203787 Ariel Avenasa Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:55:29 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-203787 Another nice one Lauren. The Roman Empire rotted from within which eventually brought their demise. Blaming their fall on Christianity is like blaming common cold for the death of a person who has HIV/AIDS. The problems were already there long before the cold that it was just a matter of time. As they say all things (good or bad) must come to an end.... Another nice one Lauren. The Roman Empire rotted from within which eventually brought their demise. Blaming their fall on Christianity is like blaming common cold for the death of a person who has HIV/AIDS. The problems were already there long before the cold that it was just a matter of time. As they say all things (good or bad) must come to an end….

]]> By: Rossitza Ohridska-Olson http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-202900 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:07:03 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-202900 Great article and very well researched. BTW, this is what I learned in school. I don't know how the idea of blaming the Christianity for the falling of an empire, encompassing so many nations and religions, can be accepted for a serious one. And, as Lauren points out, the main reasons for all political movements are economic. When the Romans could exploit the farmers from Iberia to Scitya and create prosperous cities from Cartage to Germany, the empire was stable. When the economy deteriorated, the empire crashed. Even when Christian zealots are rightfully blamed for destroying great civilizations, such as the Maya, and Inca ones, still behind the conquistadors laid the pure economical ambition of the Spanish, Portuguese and British empires to find solution to their economic problems. No matter if they dressed it as "propagating the right faith", not searching for the proverbial El Dorado. Keep the good work, Lauren. An archaeologist with analytical mind and history common sense is a great luxury, which we afford less and less in our politicized world. Great article and very well researched. BTW, this is what I learned in school. I don’t know how the idea of blaming the Christianity for the falling of an empire, encompassing so many nations and religions, can be accepted for a serious one. And, as Lauren points out, the main reasons for all political movements are economic. When the Romans could exploit the farmers from Iberia to Scitya and create prosperous cities from Cartage to Germany, the empire was stable. When the economy deteriorated, the empire crashed.

Even when Christian zealots are rightfully blamed for destroying great civilizations, such as the Maya, and Inca ones, still behind the conquistadors laid the pure economical ambition of the Spanish, Portuguese and British empires to find solution to their economic problems. No matter if they dressed it as “propagating the right faith”, not searching for the proverbial El Dorado.

Keep the good work, Lauren. An archaeologist with analytical mind and history common sense is a great luxury, which we afford less and less in our politicized world.

]]> By: Themax http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-197119 Themax Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:27:11 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-197119 really great article and fun to read,Thanks! really great article and fun to read,Thanks!

]]> By: Janet Meyer http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-188897 Janet Meyer Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:40:21 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-188897 A very interesting article. I certainly enjoyed the read. Janet Meyer A very interesting article. I certainly enjoyed the read.
Janet Meyer

]]> By: Joe Dorish http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-186072 Joe Dorish Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:37:13 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-186072 Agree with you Lauren, the Christians did not bring down the Roman Empire the Romans have themselves to blame for that. I've tried to read all the Great Books of the Western World but The Decline and Fall was just too much information going nowhere to hold my interest. Agree with you Lauren, the Christians did not bring down the Roman Empire the Romans have themselves to blame for that. I’ve tried to read all the Great Books of the Western World but The Decline and Fall was just too much information going nowhere to hold my interest.

]]> By: Brian Daniel Stankich http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-185682 Brian Daniel Stankich Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:50:56 +0000 http://socyberty.com/history/did-christianity-cause-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire/#comment-185682 After reading the comments...I think it is important to differentiate among different kinds of 'martyrs.' Christians weren't lining up at the forums saying "please kill us for our faith." In contrast, crazy extremist Muslims with their suicide bombs, do. There is a big difference and we should be careful who we call a martyr. We admire the early century Christians, not because they died willingly, but because their spirit in death was remarkably joyful, an evidence of true faith. After reading the comments…I think it is important to differentiate among different kinds of ‘martyrs.’ Christians weren’t lining up at the forums saying “please kill us for our faith.” In contrast, crazy extremist Muslims with their suicide bombs, do. There is a big difference and we should be careful who we call a martyr. We admire the early century Christians, not because they died willingly, but because their spirit in death was remarkably joyful, an evidence of true faith.

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