Jan. 1, 2013 AD
Early Christians
and
Early Mormons
Sorry to say that I fail to remember the Jewish-produced PBS show in the last month which purported to show the amazing similarities between Judaism and Christianity.
Protestants say that the Catholic Church is the culpable ones who caused the break with mainline Judaism, thus creating their own bastardized "Christian" religion.
A stand the Jewish press backs to the hilt, as in the Jewish-produced PBS special I cannot remember.
Ironically, the Jewish propaganda helps keep the Catholic and Protestant religions apart. Something the Protestants complain of between Christians and Jews.
I believe the cause for the early split can be explained much more simply and naturally than the sinister means attributed to Catholics.
Just a bit of my simplistic thinking perhaps, but here goes.
Birth of Christianity
Obviously the very first converts to Christianity were very isolated religiously.
They had hear Peter or Paul speak, they were moved and they became believers of Christ.
Stage 1: Everyone but you are Jewish
What faced these early Christians were friends, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who were all Jewish.
I cannot imagine these new converts would try too hard to stand out and rebut the faith of their family.
After all, Christ had been killed for being an Apostate to Judaism, so pretty much the same fate welcomed them if they made too many waves.
Stage 2: Not everyone is Jewish
At this time, you were born of the Christian parents from stage 1.
Your grand parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are still Jews, but your brothers and sisters are Christian and you are hanging around with Christian friends who are also the children of Stage one Early Christians.
Stage 3: Everyone in your circle are Christians
It is the third generation of Early Christians now and everyone you know are Christians.
The Christians in your life are your grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
You have never known Judaism. It is a strange religion to you as all you know is Christianity.
Oh, sure, your parents are careful to show you the traditions of Judaism, but you know they are "just for show", in case the authorities ask too many questions.
By this time, four generations after the Birth of Christ, we are starting the second century AD.
Meanwhile, the original unbelieving Jews are starting to screw up.
They revolt against Rome in 66 AD, 115 AD and again in 132 AD.
Third strike and you're out with Rome, so they gather up all the unbelieving Jews they can find and move them as far away from Jerusalem as they possibly can, all the way to the other side of the Mediterranean Sea they control. All the way to Spain.
Now the Early Christians have no unbelieving Jews to concern themselves with as far as safety.
They really gear up evangelizing the pagan Romans and by another 10 generations, we have arrived at the Council of Nicea.
Christianity has arrived - victorious over both Judaism and Roman Mythology.
Early Mormons
Go to a major airport with planes headed to Guatemala, like Dallas/Ft-Worth International airport, and you will find that more than half the plane filled with young evangelicals heading into the steamy jungles of Guatemala to convert the Mayan tribesmen to Christinaity.
Of course, the truth is that they are headed to the mountainous regions of Guatemala where the temperature in the day never gets above 75 degrees and the people they are trying to convert to Christianity are already Christians, Catholics in fact.
But makes for a good excuse for a summer vacation for the kid. Exposure to a different culture and escape from the torturous heat of the States in the summer.
On the way to the airport, they leave the driveway and notice a Guatemalan man mowing their neighbors yard. Din't even need to leave your own country to absorb their culture, you tell yourself.
Across the street, a young Muslim couple had just moved into the house next to the Indian family. He waves you goodbye.
You are passed by a Chinese guy driving a Lexus.
When you reach the end of your block, you notice two very handsome, well-dressed guys in black slacks, white shirt and tie, riding bicycles onto your street.
These two Mormon teenagers are also doing their evangelical work. They are sent to convert evangelicals to Mormonism.
Since they are so handsome and well mannered, your younger daughter swoons when she answers the door, since you are well on the way to the airport by now with your older daughter.
You worry if she will become so swooned as to go off in marriage with one of the two.
And so, your neighborhood becomes more Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, Confucius and Mormon, as your daughter is busy in Guatemala converting their Catholics to the cause of Evangelicalism.
Nice way to commit religious suicide and as Pat Buchanan keeps warning, the demise of the West is imminent.
Article located at:
http://www.thechristiansolution.com/doc2013/566_EarlyChristians.html
