Quote Originally Posted by Baloo View Post
I think everybody's probably put their best arguments forward in multiple threads now and I'd be amazed if anybody's beliefs, or non-beliefs, have changed one iota. The difference in outlook and values is really just too big to make much sense of the alternative view. Doesn't meant we can't just accept people think differently of course.
Actually I quite enjoy the cut and thrust of these threads as I am never afraid to have my faith challenged. It causes me to pause and ponder some of the points raised. The YouTube video recommended by TBG (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTllC7TbM8M) is interesting, a bit long (!) and would take an age to investigate every claim in it but quite thought provoking. For me the presenter in the video still hasn't answered my eternal question "why" apart from his suggestion that the number of Christians was declining by 100AD so it needed a boost and some new "stuff" was written to con the masses into belief. Uhm, odd that, when you know that the epistles and the gospels were written well before then. Still, a possible hypothesis I suppose.

I think he is correct in saying that Christianity then was more about politics rather than religion as far as the Romans were concerned and Christians were seen as a threat to the "system". It is no wonder there weren't many Christians around by then as probably most were in hiding (again being seen as a threat as they held "secret" meetings indoors) or had been slaughtered by Nero and his mates.