How do you counter, "Winners re-write history?"

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Mannyfit75

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To All Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians,

I am sure many of you who have run into people who often debate with you the history of the Christian Church, and you try to explain that the Christian Church is “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic” and use the writings of the ECF to prove you case. Suddenly, your argument gets counter with “winners re-write history” excuse.

I often reply that conclusion is not false because there are things in the Catholic Church that have been negative and that part has not been erase in history (such as the masacre at Constantinople against Eastern Orthodoxy by Catholic crusaders, Inquistion, etc).

How have you refuted this claim?
 
I do not know that you can. No one denies that some documents suffer from interpolations and changes. To what degree these were intentional and to what degree these were not is hard to determine. Some history was changed. Was it a lot? I have no way of knowing!
 
“Well we certainly didn’t re-write your history.”

That usualy gets a chuckle and knocks them off their high horse.
 
That’s Dan Brown’s motto, too: History is written by the winners.

It’s a glib aphorism that too many people simply accept without further analysis. It’s dangerous to base your worldview on a cutesie little saying.

I always look to the barbarians for an easy counter-example. If history was written by the winners, then why does the word “barbarian” have a negative connotation? Most of the Western world descends from these people who brought the mighty Roman Empire to ruin.

The simple fact is, history is more complex than a sporting event with only two sides and one clear winner. The “winner” of one particular conflict will often be seen favorably in one part of the world, but unfavorably in another. Unless one somehow subscribes to the untenable belief that every conflict in history ends with the total annhilation of the loser, I don’t see how this position could hold any water.

Further, if the Catholic Church was so keen on re-writing history, then why do we know so much about the heresies of the first few centuries? Wouldn’t the Church want to eliminate such things that might give people bad ideas?
 
Because often it is the losers who write history. 🙂

For example, Josephus.

Eusebius himself was semi-Arian. You could call him a loser.

There are many more examples that I could give. But the gist of such claims is usually an appeal to some unconfirmable cabal of history re-writers, of whom no evidence can be given, except for very vague conspiracy theories.

God bless,
Ut
 
First of all, you have to do your own research. Multiple sources help to weed out what actually happened from what one side claims to have happened. It can be done but it’s not easy and takes time.

God bless,
Ed
 
**By the “winners rewrite history” logic, Catholics whose beliefs are doubted by the vast majority of non believers, seculars, atheists, agnostics, non-Catholic Christian protestants & even by many so called ‘catholics’, would be considered the “Losers”.
**
How can a small group of outcasts in their own world, sincere & devout believing Catholics, who have been martyred in the Millions over the years, who are ridiculed & denigrated daily by all forms of non-believers, who are clearly considered “Losers” by the vast majority of people, rewrite history???

Even other Christians, misinformed & misguided as they are, spread untruths about Catholics daily; so how can this small group of sincere & devout Catholics rewrite history???

The exact opposite is far closer to the truth!

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

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