Christianity
Christianity is defined as, "A major religion, stemming from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in the 1st century AD." (Shelton) It has become the largest of the world's religions. Yet in Ancient Rome in the first century A.D. they were not welcome. Christians were burned and tortured, and persecuted for just over three hundred years because of their beliefs. Why? We may never fully know, but I believe it was mostly out of fear. Fear of the new, and fear of change. Christianity derived from Judaism. More specifically it derived from Jesus Christ who was Jewish, in the first century A.D. Judaism was a racially exclusive religion whose members did not attempt to make converts among non-Jews. (Shelton) This is one of the reasons that Jews went so long without being persecuted. Even Augustus was considerate toward there religious beliefs, and did not deny any Jew of Roman citizenship. He also would move the monthly grain doles to another day if they happened to fall on a Jewish Sabbath, but this peace did not last for long. The Jews blatant refusal to worship any God but there own began to anger the emperor Tiberius, so he therefore sent out a decree of persecution. (Shel
The opposition of the Jews to them led to breaches of the peace. The Christians were not respectful toward ancestral pagan customs as the Jews had been. (Shelton) The emperor Nero, happy to have a scapegoat, and a reason to kill Christians ordered a vast multitude murdered. (Shelton) As one looks over this history, it is hard to believe that Christianity survived at all. , the great bishop-theologian Cyprian of Carthage was martyred by Valerian. peace was reached with the Edict of Milan, a manifesto of toleration issued by the joint emperors Licinius and Constantine. the Christians were accused of setting a fire that destroyed much of Rome. Nero's persecution was local and short. the persecutions ended because of Galerius strangely enough. It was out of fear I believe that the Romans, and all the people of the pagan belief accused and murdered so many Christians at this time.
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Acceptance Essays
