Constantine

[wonby1]

I think most of us know the story of Constantine.  He reportedly saw a vision of a cross and told others that it was a sign to conquer in the name of Christ.  However, most probably don't know that Constantine continued to worship pagan gods afterwards, and had a dark history of murdering members of his own family.  Granted, it was reported he converted to Christianity on his death bed.

 

My main concern is, Constantine and his conquests led directly to the forming of the Catholic Church.  And like Constantine, the Catholic church was a worldly political entity with its own sovereign land and own personal army.  The Pope even had such power as to control kings in Europe at one time.  So what did it get us?  It got us Jewish ghettos and persecution, Inquisitions, Crusades, about every legitimate complaint about the church people can muster, and rightly so.

 

Christ explicitly made it clear that his kingdom was not of this world, nor could be.  That is the issue.  And I think Constantine did great harm in misrepresenting Jesus and his teachings in a false light.  Before Constantine, Christians met in homes privately and were thrown to the lions as their faith spread like wild fire.  I suppose Constantine saw this and wanted a piece for himself for worldly power and got it.

[Michael37]

9 hours ago, wonby1 said:

I think most of us know the story of Constantine.  He reportedly saw a vision of a cross and told others that it was a sign to conquer in the name of Christ.  However, most probably don't know that Constantine continued to worship pagan gods afterwards, and had a dark history of murdering members of his own family.  Granted, it was reported he converted to Christianity on his death bed.

My main concern is, Constantine and his conquests led directly to the forming of the Catholic Church.  And like Constantine, the Catholic church was a worldly political entity with its own sovereign land and own personal army.  The Pope even had such power as to control kings in Europe at one time.  So what did it get us?  It got us Jewish ghettos and persecution, Inquisitions, Crusades, about every legitimate complaint about the church people can muster, and rightly so.

Christ explicitly made it clear that his kingdom was not of this world, nor could be.  That is the issue.  And I think Constantine did great harm in misrepresenting Jesus and his teachings in a false light.  Before Constantine, Christians met in homes privately and were thrown to the lions as their faith spread like wild fire.  I suppose Constantine saw this and wanted a piece for himself for worldly power and got it.

Hi wonby1,

 Indeed Constantine is an important figure in the power transitions we see in the history of God's People.

From the Pharaohs of Egypt to the kings of Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and so to the Emperors of Greece and Rome, God's People endured many threats and perils as each power transition led to new challenges. When Constantine rose to power, pagan-political Rome began its transition to Papal-political Rome and the institutionalisation of a mutated and mutilated Christianity was the result.

Rome continues to exercise power as a "type of man-centred government" in current world affairs.      

[Anne2]

On 11/30/2020 at 4:35 PM, wonby1 said:

I think most of us know the story of Constantine.  He reportedly saw a vision of a cross and told others that it was a sign to conquer in the name of Christ.  However, most probably don't know that Constantine continued to worship pagan gods afterwards, and had a dark history of murdering members of his own family.  Granted, it was reported he converted to Christianity on his death bed.

 

My main concern is, Constantine and his conquests led directly to the forming of the Catholic Church.  And like Constantine, the Catholic church was a worldly political entity with its own sovereign land and own personal army.  The Pope even had such power as to control kings in Europe at one time.  So what did it get us?  It got us Jewish ghettos and persecution, Inquisitions, Crusades, about every legitimate complaint about the church people can muster, and rightly so.

 

Christ explicitly made it clear that his kingdom was not of this world, nor could be.  That is the issue.  And I think Constantine did great harm in misrepresenting Jesus and his teachings in a false light.  Before Constantine, Christians met in homes privately and were thrown to the lions as their faith spread like wild fire.  I suppose Constantine saw this and wanted a piece for himself for worldly power and got it.

It wasn't much different than The establishment of Rabbinic Judaism. The sect they gave religious power in a new Sanhedrin were the Pharisees. The authority of the priesthood was usurped. Hebrew christian's persecuted as an illegal religion. But under Constantine Christianity became legal in the Empire. It was not just Rome, but the eastern orthodox, etc. They were all one Catholic Church.

Edited August 17, 2021 by Anne2

[Bluedragon]

The Crusades took place after the new nation of Islam slaughtered millions of Christians around Israel. The church ordered the Crusades after the Muslims gained a stronghold in Spain and it appeared that France and England were next on the chopping block. 

I fail to see the logic in Constantine being the propellant  in the curse of Islam.