Reply #8: The Jesus movement that existed before Constantine... [View All]

[htuttle]

...and the religion that emerged from Empire's Councils of Nicea bear very little resemblance to each other. In fact, I'd argue that Constantine, and the leaders of the 'official church' back then, had FAR more effect on Western Civilization than Jesus did himself.

My first thought upon reading the 'Nicean Creed' (what is supposed to 'define' Christianity) was that it had absolutely NOTHING to do with what Jesus taught. I'm no bible scholar, but I don't recall Jesus ever stating that his whole point was to die for your sins -- that was from Nicea (and some from Paul, who never met Jesus, and seemed to have his own unique motivations).

Jesus spoke about changing the world, Nicea spoke about accepting the world as it is, since we are all already 'saved'. Jesus seemed to act like the 'kingdom of heaven' wasn't particularly easy to enter if you were living 'wrong'. Read his prescription of 'penance' to the young man in Matthew 19:24, 'give all you own to the poor'. Can you imagine any priest of the modern Church giving such an order? Nope. Nowdays, it's just 'say you love Jesus, and everything will be okay." Sort of like a loyalty oath, I guess.

The more I learn about the precursors to Christianity, the more it seems like Constantine and Co merely revamped the old Zeus/Hercules myth, and instituted some sort of Old Testament 'Judaism for Gentiles', with the name of 'Yahweh' changed to 'Jesus'.