Religion
Related: About this forumDid Christianity improve people's lives?
From the first to around the 5th Century, Christianity slowly became the preeminent religion in Europe.
But what changed for the common people ruled by Christians rather than Pagans?
The Kings still had close to absolute power over their lives. Slavery still existed, in some ways worse than before.
And the Church itself embarked on episodes of cruelty and torture on anyone they chose to.
Was Christianity en total a plus for the lives of common person?
The Enlightenment IMHO did not come from Christian though, but those who questioned it.
Cartoonist
(7,323 posts)And you can't ask the victims of Christian sponsored genocide.
dhol82
(9,353 posts)Bishops, cardinals and the pope got to live large. The common people, not so much.
PJMcK
(22,048 posts)From the Muslims killed during the Crusades to the persecuted victims of the Inquisition to the children sexually abused by the clergy, there's a broad swath of humans who probably aren't to fond of their Christian tormentors.
I left long ago. The hypocrisy, politics and fantasy-thinking were too much for me.
MineralMan
(146,331 posts)The promise of an eternal reward was often held out as an answer to a life lived in poverty and oppression. The concept seemed to be: "Life sucks, we understand, but believe this stuff and you'll get your due reward for eternity. Don't believe, though, and trust us, your life will be even more miserable."
People will believe almost anything, it seems.
malchickiwick
(1,474 posts)Charlemagne gave them the choice: convert or die. That was in the ninth century, BTW.
Also, you make it sound as if Christianity were just a single thing. Europe's bloodiest wars between 1517 and the mid 1600s were Christians killing other Christians over what it meant to be a true Christian.
MineralMan
(146,331 posts)"Let my enemies devour each other."
As I say,
"Internecine religious warfare most benefits the non-religious, and should not be discouraged."
marylandblue
(12,344 posts)MineralMan
(146,331 posts)First, do no harm. The battles between religious denominations, though, is more of a philosophical war than a physical one. That's what I mean.
NeoGreen
(4,031 posts)...in history in absolute deaths and deaths relative to population:
Pretty substantial bloodshed.
IphengeniaBlumgarten
(328 posts)It defined marriage and restricted divorce. This limited the number of sons who could war among themselves for the kingship when their father died. Fewer wars would have benefitted everyone.
Response to IphengeniaBlumgarten (Reply #8)
marylandblue This message was self-deleted by its author.
highmindedhavi
(355 posts)started by Christians, don't how many were started by atheists.
edhopper
(33,615 posts)or the Library at Alexandria.
We are talking about Christianity vs what it replaced.
And you are talking about relatively recent institutions.
What about the first millennium Christianity dominated?
marylandblue
(12,344 posts)The Roman Empire was falling apart anyway. A lot of civilization, social structure, and knowledge fell with it, but much of what was remained was preserved by the church. For example, when the empire was no longer able to defend a city, bishops organized local defenses.
edhopper
(33,615 posts)destroyed a lot of the knowledge from the Romans and Greeks.
The Islamic world is who really preserved that.
Though I get your point. Without the Church, we don't know what would fill the vacuum.
On the other hand, was the "loving" Christian Church any better to the people than what came before?
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)MineralMan
(146,331 posts)Christianity sure improved some lives.