Freethought Nation

The History Channel has a very good series on the Dark Ages (2007). This was a period of time when intellectual and humanistic growth was non-existent because of barbarians conquering, killing, and plundering most of western Europe. Eastern Europe and the areas around Turkey and Greece on the other hand thrived because they embraced the Roman Empire's rules and quality of life.

One aspect of the series that was of special interest was how several conquerors embraced Christianity as a means to win the minds of the citizenry so they would obey and become passive to the barbarians. One ruler in particular, Clovis, used this method as Christianity spread because of Constantine's conversion. Clovis was an especially ruthless ruler and many died at his bidding, including extended family members near the end of his life, but yet he embraced Christianity which further increased its popularity in western Europe, more specifically around the Gaul (France) area.

I found it ironic that Christianity's growth was due to the blood of so many people and not the blood of Jesus as it touted today. If not for butchering so many people by the barbarians, Christianity may have likely died out as only a small sect of people embraced its beliefs during the Dark Ages. The superstitions that surrounded Christianity was ripe for belief because of the suffering of the common man, and the Black Plague, which subsequently killed people by the thousands. Christianity was strengthened by the suffering of so many for the benefit of the few.

_________________
"We are the people our parents warned us about" --Jimmy Buffett

Yes, there's much truth to the fact that Christianity really grew out of violent brute force. It forced both Christianity on the people it conquered as well as its calendar.

Pagan Destruction Chronology (314-870 C.E)

_________________
2013 Astrotheology Calendar
The Mythicist Position
Christ in Egypt: The Horus-Jesus Connection
Stellar House Publishing at Youtube

Maybe the topic should be renamed "Was Christianity responsible for Dark Ages?"

_________________
Janani Janmabhoomishcha Swargadapi Gareeyasi - Being near to your mother in your motherland is better than being in paradise

Ekavarnam yatha dugdham binnavarnasu dhenushu | tataiva dharmavaichitryam tatvam ekam param smritam ||
Just as milk is of only one colour though obtained from cows of different colours so also the peculiarities of different religious thoughts lead to the same one ultimate truth - Mahabharatha