Atheist, if you were given an assignment to present how christianity was developed, how would you do it ?

Question

Atheist, if you were given an assignment to present how christianity was developed, using all the sources that you are aware of, how would you do it and what would you include in your assignment ?

Answer 1

Well, Christianity first sprouted in its popularity from the poorer communities in the eastern Mediterranean. The poor, needing hope heard of the promises of heaven - and all they had to give in return was their unwavering loyalty without question! Great deal eh? I'd talk about the persecutions and the religion's rise and all that, too, I suppose.



I would need to include the first bit of genesis too, the whole God creating everything bit. I would also play on the truths of Genesis because they sound ridiculous by themselves. For example, I would point out how man was made in a day and then one of his ribs magically transformed into a woman. Then they spoke with talking snakes, had sex and made children which lived to be over 900 years old. Over 900 years! I mean really now?



Of course the whole presentation would have to be executed cleverly with understandable logic. The elegance and sharpness of Richard Dawkins would be very wonderful too.

Answer 2

I am not an atheist. But i would include the history of great apostasy from Christianity that happened more than 300 years after Jesus Christ established Christianity.



That includes how the pagan ruler Constantine organized the Council of Nicaea and fused Christianity with paganism. The result was a Church all too different from genuine Christianity.



Then, religionists start to believe the Lord Jesus Christ is equal to his Father (but the holy spirit was not yet equal with the Fathen and son). Pagan beliefs and practices slowly but surely crept into the Church.



These include the Babylonian beliefs in the afterlife, immortality of the soul, fiery hell and worship of images (idolatry). They celebrated the Roman feast called Saturnalia and started to fix December 25 (the birthday of the sun god, Mithra) as the birthdate of Jesus.



The worst result of the apostasy was the Trinity doctrine, a belief common in pagan nations such as Babylon, Egypt, India and other countries. [2Cor 6.14-16}

Answer 3

I'd look it up on Wikipedia. It's got a good summary.



To start you'd have to give a super brief summary of Judaism, since Christianity came out of it.



Then of course a big section on the life and ministry of Jesus.



Follow that up with the guys like Paul who took over the church after Jesus. Be sure to mention the decision to open this new religion to all people, not just Jews.



Then the Council of Nicea, where the main Christian leaders got together under the 'request' of emperor Constantine to canonize the Bible.



Follow that up with the split between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.



Then the reformation/counter-reformation and the rise of Protestantism.



Then maybe cap it all off with a brief summary of recent offshoots of Christianity, like the Mormon church.

Answer 4

I would start by tracing how the various "Christian" and messianic sects formed in to a "single" belief system over the first and second centuries (this is very different than the Christian believe that Christianity spread out from a single group). I'd try to highlight when it became common to refer to the Gospels in the late second century and then cover how the Council at Nicaea was "influenced" in a given direction.



I'd be tempted to contrast Jewish beliefs about the messiah with what Christianity believes as well as with what Christianity believes that Judaism believes.

Answer 5

I'd come at it in two ways. Firstly, consider the history of Greek philosophy, in particular Stoicism and Orphism. Secondly, consider the religious development of Judaism and again in particular the Maccabee rebellion and rise in influence of the Hasidim. These are the primary foundations from where the ideas and deviations from Judaism came from with the advent of Christianity.

Answer 6

I'd probably show the beliefs/characters/stories/holidays that Christianity stole from other religions, and include a discussion on how Christianity destroyed other religions by absorbing some of their practices, then slaughtering those who still resisted.

Answer 7

I would start with the Egyptian religions and how Christianity is a copy of a lot of their beliefs with changes that allowed for current knowledge when the Bible was written, and go from there.



This question really needs a book written to fully answer it.

Answer 8

I'd have to research into it. Use the internet and the library.



I'd try to put in as much factual information as possible. That's typically what teachers want when they assign things. Assuming this is a class assignment.

Answer 9

properly, Creationists are slightly embarassing ... notwithstanding this is a minority. yet different than for that, i think of its by way of fact of one or 2 historic episodes the place some christians appeared to be on the non-scientific area. a million) some christians initially have been arguing against Darwinism (Creationists nonetheless do, yet they're a minority) 2) The catholic church initially antagonistic Galileo for his "new-fangled" suggestions with reference to the image voltaic device What has got here approximately is that multiple the christian behaviour in those episodes seems very backward, idiotic, even slightly oppressive interior the Galileo case. So what you have have been given is Atheists very emotionally committed to Athiesm, possibly many not somewhat worried approximately accuracy in historic arguments. some are very bitter. So those previous episodes make christians look so undesirable, that they have got a tendency to talk of them plenty, and concentration on them plenty, extremely than making an honest appraisal. this is like politicians, and positively like a number of our yahoo disputations - definitely everyone seems to be prepared to win the argument, so arise with the stuff that makes the different area look undesirable and idiotic. Telling them that James Clerk-Maxwell and Faraday have been very committed christians does not for this reason glue of their minds, this is evidence they don't desire to verify; except of direction they try to be independent. yet people are many times creatures of emotions and prejudices.

Answer 10

I might start with how primitive men made up gods to explain the things that happened in their environment. Gods started from the times when people were hunter gatherers. You have to go back 10,000 years or so to get the full picture of why there is such a pervasive belief in god. I like what everyone else has said too,but they beat me to it.

Answer 11

From the history point of view.



Then the social point of view.



Then the political point of view.



Finally the impact on human history and life.

Answer 12

hmm. people saw things they couldn't explain (lightning earthquake disease ect.....0 and created an all powerful being that serves as a pacifier to "explain" these events