Constantine's Threats

[Christi]

My friend says Constantine MADE Christianity the state religion-forcibly! (Those who did not comply were ‘dealt with’ and that this went on for centuries.) Other religions survived and not all believed that Jesus was the Christ…" Some question whether he exsisted at all, since there is no (extant) contempory corrobarating evidence to that fact."

Could use some help with her!
Thanks.
I am praying!
Christi

 

[yinekka]

Christi, whenever someone makes an anti Catholic claim it is up to them to produce primary sources, not sources from an Anti Catholic site, which prove the claim. You don’t have to spend hours chasing around to find proofs to refute stuff like this. If she produces what appears to be credible evidence then come back here and we will see what we make of it.

 

[Christi]

Thanks for responding…but, was Constantine this kind of person? And was this part of the inquisition or do I have my history mixed-up?
Thanks!
Christi

 

[FightingFat]

You have your history mixed up

Constantine was emperor from A.D. 306. The inquisitions took place much later. Constantine is best remembered for the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313, which bestowed imperial favour on Christianity in the Empire for the first time. This has led to his reputation as the “first Christian Emperor”. If you look at what Wikepedia says about Constantine, you’ll see that his very Christianity is debated this stems from his continued support for pagan deities and the fact that he was baptised very close to his death. In reality, this was probably due to the debate regarding baptismal regeneration which resulted in many Christians deferring baptism until just before death as it was felt that all sins would be remitted at this point, whilst after baptism, certain sins were not capable of remission (see John’s Epistles).

It was Flavius Theodosius (January 11, 347 - January 17, 395), who made Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire. So Constantine didn’t enforce anything at all, your friend has things completely wrong.

 

[thistle]

My friend says Constantine MADE Christianity the state religion-forcibly! (Those who did not comply were ‘dealt with’ and that this went on for centuries.) Other religions survived and not all believed that Jesus was the Christ…" Some question whether he exsisted at all, since there is no (extant) contempory corrobarating evidence to that fact."

Could use some help with her!
Thanks.
I am praying!
Christi

There is plenty of evidence (e.g. the Gospels) and also non-scriptural writings that Jesus existed. Nobody at the time of Jesus or in the early days after his death questioned his existence. What was questioned by those opposed to Christ was whether he is God or just a man.

 

[FightingFat]

" Some question whether he exsisted at all, since there is no (extant) contempory corrobarating evidence to that fact."

Check out this web page It lists pagan, Jewish and Christian sources. All people who refer to Jesus in their writings. It is a fact that more lterary evidence exists for Jesus having lived that exists for Julius Ceasar!

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

My friend says Constantine MADE Christianity the state religion-forcibly! (Those who did not comply were ‘dealt with’ and that this went on for centuries.) Other religions survived and not all believed that Jesus was the Christ…" Some question whether he exsisted at all, since there is no (extant) contempory corrobarating evidence to that fact."

Could use some help with her!
Thanks.
I am praying!
Christi

1. Ask your friend for some details - so that we can know what is being referred to, if anything.​

1. Is your friend thinking of the Donatists ? Or maybe of the Arian controversy ?

Try this site: earlychurch.org.uk/ for: earlychurch.org.uk/donatism.php - which is old but should give you some idea of events, if not of all details.

Constantine succeeded his father Constantius in 306, defeated his rival Maxentius in 312, and become sole Emperor in 324, dying in 337. He was certainly pro-Christian, but did not make Christianity in any form the religion of the Empire - that happened under Theodosius I, in 382.

There is enough truth in your friend’s claim to make it impossible to reject absolutely - but how true it is, depends on what exactly is meant. ##

 

[Catholic29]

Many things are claimed about what Constantine did in relation to Christianity.

Many from the Reformed Churches claim it was Constantine at Nicea 325 A.D. who put into motion the process of “paganization of Christianity”, that allegedly resulted in the founding of what would become the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox religions, and who forcibly supplanted the doctrinaly pure and apostolic “Sola Scriptura/Sola Fide” based Christian Church.
If that was so, then Constantine must of had a time machine so he could send St. Ignatius to Antioch in 107 A.D, so he could deliver his letter to the Smyrnaeans.

newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm

 

[Mannyfit75]

Many things are claimed about what Constantine did in relation to Christianity.

Many from the Reformed Churches claim it was Constantine at Nicea 325 A.D. who put into motion the process of “paganization of Christianity”, that allegedly resulted in the founding of what would become the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox religions, and who forcibly supplanted the doctrinaly pure and apostolic “Sola Scriptura/Sola Fide” based Christian Church.
If that was so, then Constantine must of had a time machine so he could send St. Ignatius to Antioch in 107 A.D, so he could deliver his letter to the Smyrnaeans.

newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm

A Time Machine… None-sense. hehehe

 

[Libertas]

Constantine made Christianity legal, ie tolerable, under the Roman Empire.
Not official, tell your friend to learn her history.
I had a massive four page debate with an atheist over this issue before and eventually had him concede and admit he knew nothing of Constantine and the early Church and that Constantine only legalized Christianity, not made it official. so trust me on this one.