God as a Drug: Rise of American Megachurches

[White Crane Feather]

I think your beef is with the Roman Empire and its state religion. It oppresse Christians ONLY because of their religion. Then the Roman Empire legalized it and made it the state religion. And guess, the Romans continued what they were already doing.

So, yes, enduring persecution with dignity is a part of my heritage. I don't need a piece of paper ti protect my rights. Ease isn't always a good thing.

I will do neither. It is the Roman way to retaliate. Before the Christianity got Romanized, the Christians would not go to the law of they werw robbed, would not decry their persecution, and loved their enemies. That is not the Roman way, so it is no surprise why this would get the response from you that it did.

That's an interesting prospect... A true "turn the other cheek philosophy" unfortunately religions are subject to evolution just the same as everything else.

I assure you, my response has nothing to do with the Romans and more to do with the apache, Paiute, Cherokee, Lokota, etc...

Unfortunately they have not survived vary well either.

[Bluefinger]

That's an interesting prospect... A true "turn the other cheek philosophy" unfortunately religions are subject to evolution just the same as everything else.

I disagree to an extent. Culture receives things and filters it through culture's eyes. Christianity, in the beginning began as a counter-cultural movement, rejecting Judaistic rituals as superstitius and the Greek paganism as ridiculously false...much like gow atheist treat Western Christianity ans religion in general.

Things go wrong when the state gets ahold of it, which is why America's founding fathers included the separation of church and state. The two shouldn't ever hold hands until Christ Himself rules in the flesh.

The Roman Empire mingled church and state When you see state sponsored religion in the West, you are seeing the Roman Empire, regardless of a difference in name.

I assure you, my response has nothing to do with the Romans and more to do with the apache, Paiute, Cherokee, Lokota, etc...

Unfortunately they have not survived vary well either.

I think you misinterpreted my earlier response. If a religion has disappeared in the West, rest assured it was likely the Roman Empire. For example, the Holy Roman Empire invaded Central America during the reign of the Spanish Hapsburgs and gave the Mayans a brutal surprise.

It is essentially Roman to be intolerant of other religions.