Leah McElrathOne thing I see in my mentions are frequent expressions of the myths that Christianity is a religion primarily of love, peace, and inclusion and that Christians who are hateful, bigoted, or violent in the name of their religion aren’t “real” Christians.
Unfortunately, history doesn’t bear that out.
I feel the need to add here that I am saying this as the granddaughter of a minister, someone who was baptized and confirmed as an Episcopalian, and a person who has researched religious history.
I well understand the desire to cling to this myth.
But it IS a myth and has been from its inception.
Christianity didn’t spread by love but by violence.
Christianity spread by killing Pagans who refused to convert, torturing and killing Pagans as witches and heretics, destroying Pagan art, subverting Pagan symbols, and taking over or destroying Pagan sacred sites.
And that was just the beginning.
Pete@leahmcelrath.bsky.social
I was struck by this while reading a book about the Viking period of Europe. The tools that the Roman Catholic church offered burgeoning nation states weren't peace, love, and understanding. They were legitimized rule, clerics that could serve as bureaucrats and administrators, propagandists, tax collectors, and justifications for violence like crusades against the Pagan neighboring rivals. No wonder that leaders converted to such a convenient system to maintain power.
I was struck by this while reading a book about the Viking period of Europe. The tools that the Roman Catholic church offered burgeoning nation states weren't peace, love, and understanding. They were legitimized rule, clerics that could serve as bureaucrats and administrators, propagandists, tax collectors, and justifications for violence like crusades against the Pagan neighboring rivals. No wonder that leaders converted to such a convenient system to maintain power.
LillyLyle/Count Melancholia@forpeterssake Religion is one of the basic pillars of patriarchy, and the foundational precept is private landownership. The repression of women is to ensure land is passed from a man to his legitimate offspring. The other basic pillar is the raising of a group of armed men, whose purpose is to protect this private property.