First, the Church was not originated by "creative genius as the Western Empire began to collapse". It began with Peter upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its purpose was to save souls, not to make money.
Second, the Romans had their own gods and were by no means secular. Amazing that such a traveled, learned man such as yourself does not know this. The Roman pantheon was their state religion.
Third, the character of the fifth-century Church that you describe pure fiction. Yes, people were encouraged to donate to the Church but it was not a requirement like a government tax. The money went to the Church and while various churches may have paid government taxes, the tithes were not a government revenue stream. Yes, the Dark Ages saw that witches or heretics were burned by frightened townsfolk in the name of God. But please show me where this was widely the policy of the Roman Catholic Church for heresy. Everyone from 3rd century gnostics to Martin Luther seems to have escaped this juggernaut unscathed.
Last, and most clearly, your "genius" transformation of the Christian Church into a moon-shot revenue enhancer for the Roman Empire is laughable. Christianity became the official religion of the Empire in about 400 A.D. The Empire and former republic, which had lasted for 900 years to that point, collapsed about 75 years after instituting this lucrative new system of Christianity. Didn't work out, I guess.
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Peter had nothing to do with any “church.”
The “upper room” where the disciples spent their days praying was the temple, and at Shavuot, when the spirit was given, there were probably 1.000,000 people there for the required feast.
There is no “New Testament Church,” it was invented in the mid 4th century by Eusebius.
Yeshua’s remnant Kehillah is all there is or ever was, and that began in Adam’s time, and still grows today. It is with that Kehillah that the covenant was renewed in sinless blood.
The Roman pantheon was the reason for the creation of the Catholic Church. Scriptural worship of Yeshua was forbidden by Constantine’s “Church”
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