Christian Contradictions Essay, Research Paper
Christian Contradictions
THESIS STATEMENT: If only the Christians were allowed to profess their faith and do what ever they want to in express to their faith, then non of these would have happened.
Way back before when Christianity was still a bud starting to grow and become a full-bloom flower, a lot of people especially the Roman emperors could not accept it. They condemned and persecuted the Christians who would profess their faith. When Christianity was finally accepted, still there were still people who contradict with the Christian faith. A lot of Heresies came out. The following could not have happened if only they would have accepted Christianity freely:
1. Jesus Christ of Nazareth was killed because the Roman emperors could not accept that he was the real “King of the Jews” and the “Messiah”. Even if a lot of people contradicted his teachings, he still continued to preach and spread the good news of God; and saved a lot of people. If only the Romans did not persecute Jesus, all of us humans should have been saved and all of us could enjoy eternal life because he was the one sent by God to represent him on earth and to make us grow closer to him.
2. On 54-68 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero, he burned the city of Rome because he wants to rebuild Rome and change history. To escape from the crime that he did, he placed all the blame to the Christians. If only Nero did not blame the Christians for the crime that he did, a lot of people should have not hated the Christians and a lot of them would have not been killed.
3. Also during the reign of Nero, after the city of Rome was burned, Peter and Paul were killed. Peter was crucified upside-down and Paul was beheaded in Vatican Hill. If only they were not killed, there would have not been any confusion regarding the Christian beliefs because the two of them are the ones who can clearly explain the Christian beliefs.
4. Domitian the second son of Nero, charged the Christians of disloyalty to the emperor and Atheism. If only Domitian could have opened his eyes and did not falsely accuse the Christians, the other emperors to follow would have not hated the Christians so much and therefore, the persecution of Christians would have been stopped.
5. Antonious Pius forced the Christians to worship the Roman Gods and persecuted those who did not follow. If only he did not force the Christians and allowed them to freely profess their faith, the plague that happened during the reign of Marcus Aurelius would not have happened. The Christian’s prayers are so powerful and they are close to God’s heart, and if anything bad happens to them, then God would do anything to protect and save them. Therefore, the plague is God’s way of telling the Roman emperors to stop persecuting his people.
6. After Marcus Aurelius were Septimus Sevrus, then Decius. During their reign,
7. From the reign of Nero up to Diocletian, they continued to falsely accuse the Christians and persecute them. Until the time of Minucius Felix, the Christian accusations became greater. By his time the Christians were already accused of porneia and cannibalism. If only those previous emperors stopped accusing the Christians of crimes which they did not do, these accusations of Felix would have not happened and a lot of people would not have hated the Christians.
8. Also during the reign of Nero up to Diocletian, Christians were not allowed to profess their faith because if they do they would be killed. If only Christians were allowed to freely profess their faith, then Minucius Felix of doing incestuous acts would have not accused them because they don’t need to gather during nighttime just to pray because if they do it during broad daylight they will be killed.
9. Arius was the student of Lucian at the School of Theology in Antioch. He contradicted the Christian beliefs especially about the being of Jesus. Then Emperor Valens supported him. If only he was no misinterpretation regarding the Christian belief and if only Emperor Valens did not support Arius then, there would not have been a lot of heresies which led to conflicts and death of a lot of people. Pope Liberius, Atanascius, and Hoscius would have not also been excommunicated.
10. Starting from 300 AD up to the present there has still been a lot of misinterpretations regarding the being of Jesus. If only these have been prevented, there would not have been a lot of other religious sects around (e.g. Protestant- refuse to believe that Mary is divine just like Diodorus of Tarsus who denied Mary for the title “Theotokos”).
CONCLUSION:
Base on my research, I therefore conclude that, a lot of things, which happened in the past, have greatly affected the future. If only the Roman Emperors freely accepted the growth and spread of Christians then there would not have been a lot of killings, which led to chaos. And if only that people would properly interpret the Christian beliefs properly then there would not have been a lot of heresies which causes a lot of people to form different religious sects. Without these heresies there would have been unity among the different people and war could have been prevented (e.g. war in Mindanao- Muslims vs. Christians).
But what has happened is already here and there is nothing we could do to change it. God has his own reasons for these things to happen. There is only one thing we could do to patch up these differences and it is to accept each and every person no matter who he or she maybe.