[ResisTyr]

Do some research into the origins of Islam and the Roman Catholic Church. I think you might find it "eye-opening" if not "eys-popping-out-of-your-head" 😞

[mvonfr]

Did enough of research already :P Plenty of theories.

Any specific version (link?) you like?

[JAKraig]

Do some research into the origins of Islam and the Roman Catholic Church. I think you might find it “eye-opening” if not “eys-popping-out-of-your-head” 😞 _______________________________________________________

I could not agree with you more. that is not to be badmouthing Catholicism, but, most people have no true ideas about Constantine and the early Bishops of The Church.,

There is much in Roman Catholicism that is similar in every other early Christian Church, especially The Sacraments. The mechanics of church operation is way different in the different churches and in the Roman church many of the organizational structures of government were put into place in The Church.

While none of those things has much to do with the central doctrines of The Church, namely that God sent His Son to earth to be perfect so that he could innocently take our punishment for sins and to also allow his life to be innocently given for our sin so that we could live again with God. Since we were not perfect and any imperfect being could not stand to be in the presence of God someone had to be punished for our sin so we could stand before God and be judged sinless. From there however doctrines vary greatly.

Prior to Constantine there was much division in The Church, different Bishops taught different doctrines. Once the Apostles were dead and those that walked with them were gone there was no longer a good connection to a source of knowledge that could set everybody straight on to the same path. I believe that Constantine saw this and realized that it must not continue in this disorganized fashion. He was after all a general and emperor, positions that were all about organization.

After the some 300 or so bishops gathered and presented their view of doctrine he made a decision of what doctrines all would follow. Probably a wise decision for the health of The Church. Unfortunately in my opinion, after the council in 325 and especially after the 385 council great power over life and death and possessions were given to bishops and people were forced to either believe or forfeit all their possessions and their lives in many cases. Many were allowed to be banished for nearly 100 years but after that it was very much like Islam is today, be true to the faith or die. This worked very well until the printing press brought us into an age of enlightenment over a thousand years later. I would not like to have been a citizen of Rome in 325 but would love to go and visit and learn more of the people and their religion then.