If you were going to trick someone into a new religion, would you tell them their founder was executed with theives? That they should expect the same persecution as their founder? Would you tell men, that women were their equal? Masters that slaves were their equal? Slaves to love their masters? How would you account for the leaders refusal to acquire wealth and power, but embrace torment? A happy afterlife? Rome promised that by honoring their civic gods? Judiasm promised that by following the Torah? Why didn't they triumph?
The only explanation for the success of Christianity is that it's true.
> If you were going to trick someone into a new religion, would you tell them their founder was executed with theives?
Maybe. Zealots love a good martyr. And many love to *be* martyrs. If you get the BDSM crowd togehter with religious fervor... watch out!
> How would you account for the leaders refusal to acquire wealth and power, but embrace torment?
Huh. I wonder what relevance that has to this discussion. Did, or did not, the early Christian church start seekign out, oh, I dunno, Roman *Emperors?* Did the Christianization of Scandinavia go top-down or bottom up? Did or did not the fall of the Icelandic Republic as a going concern happen after the place was Christianized and the churches started collecting all the wealth?
> The only explanation for the success of Christianity is that it's true.
Uh-huh. I always love those "The only explanations is..." explanations.