Note: this topic is from 6/25/2003. Thanks Davea.
- The day the sky fell in [02/24/2003 4:06:52 PM PST]
- 'Asteroid Impact Could Have Prompted Constantine's Conversion' [06/18/2003 4:45:56 PM PDT]
- It Came from Outer Space? [11/25/2004 5:13:07 PM PST]
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Posted on 06/25/2003 8:26:22 PM PDT by Davea
You old dog, this looks like the first Catastrophism bump on FR!
Note: this topic is from 6/25/2003. Thanks Davea.
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Note: this topic is from 6/25/2003. Thanks Davea.
A meteor that wrote "In hoc signo vinces" in fiery letters across the sky?
Very clever meteor indeed.ROTFL!!
GOOD ONE!!
LOL!
If you want to take out the supernatural from the vision of Constantine, as an amateur historian I will say that by Constantine's era Christianity did not need saving - it was winning - especially in the east.
Constantine came from the eastern part of the empire and was surrounded by easterners even though his base was in the western empire. So even if he was not making a cynical play, he was already aware that Christianity was on the rise in the eastern empire and maybe he was sympathetic to the religion already and susceptible to signs.
If you are cynical and claim no signs were seen, that works too. Constantine knew his base of power had to be in the healthy eastern part of the Roman empire. The western empire was crumbling. In order to overthrow the current power structure of the empire which had an advantage over his smaller forces he needed to appeal to an untapped base of support that was NOT loyal to the empire in the east - the Christians. The Christians at this time made up a very wealthy and powerful base.
Not much is mentioned on this but by this late stage in the Roman empire, Christian businessmen had acquired a reputation for honesty and good business practices and steadily grew in wealth. Roman persecution against Christians was strongest a generation before Constantine and failed badly. A smart power hungry Roman from the east would have taken notice of such untapped potential.
And many of his troops were already painting the Chi Ro on their shields prior to this event.
I did not know that - primary source?
I really doubt if I could find a primary source for that. Would be challenge just to find a secondary source.
Still has some old Quix posts.
The past always catches up.......
Speculation on my part——Constantine’s soldiers were already were predominately crypto Christians. Christ’s biggest selling point in the early Church was he conquered death. soldiers recruited from the east would have gravitated to that kind of religion. The story of St. Maurice (Maurice is Greek or Latin for black) and his Christian Egyptian legion comes to mind.
Why does this title remind me of a grade-C science fiction movie title?
And who is to say He didn't intervene, or that He didn't send the asteroid? Must God always use lightening bolts or booming voices from the clouds?
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