I think that a group of barbarious warfaring seminomads like the Germanic tribes of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd century AD would be doing anything but converting to some radical Jewish sect like Christianity. I recall however, the works of Paul and it seems outright that Christianity two thousand years ago was very militant (a warfaring messiah) and anit-Roman (this messiah would wage war against the Romans).

It seems as though these tribes had all the reason in the world to convert. According to their superstitions, a practicing worship of anti-Roman militant hysteria would give them great power to defeat Romans in various eastern and western territories.

I recall however, the works of Paul and it seems outright that Christianity two thousand years ago was very militant (a warfaring messiah) and anit-Roman (this messiah would wage war against the Romans).
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Could you show the source of this? Not saying your wrong, I just can't remember reading anything like that.

The barbarians had a political structure that rewarded the warrior ethos. Thus it seems doubly strange that they caved in to the "Prince of Peace". They should have roasted up the missionaries for the satisfaction of their hungry gods.

Could you show the source of this? Not saying your wrong, I just can't remember reading anything like that.

I don't know of any one source but if you can find something about the history of Judea in the 1st century AD and a history about Paul would both be a good start.

What you have quoted is my interpretation of early Christianity which is a collection of works over my life time (by no means am I the only with this interpretation), but if you'd like some critical sources:

1. The Bible
2. The Dictionary of the History of Ideas (Published by Charles Scribner's Sons)
3. Encyclopedia or Religion and Ethics (same publisher as the above)
4. King Jesus by Robert Graves (this is an historical fiction novel but raises a few interesting points as Graves has quoted and used the Talmud and the works of Augustine the Clement in his work)

If you can find the 2 and 3 and read the sections about Christianity, Judea, Germanic tribes and related issues, that should be the primary source. There is nothing amazingly astonishing or earth shatteringly revealed by any of these sources. The whole point is to gain knowledge which will lead you to believe that you know less after having read than you did before not having read these works. I really am giving away the best of it.

Ancient Christian Ideology: Believe in the peaceful loving son of God that I do......or die.

Ancient History: The Roman Empire (an ancient military BAD ASS) adopted Christianity under Constantine in the 3rd century A.D.

These two things explain why Christianity spread so far and so fast in the ancient world.

Ancient Christian Ideology: Believe in the peaceful loving son of God that I do......or die.

Ancient History: The Roman Empire (an ancient military BAD ASS) adopted Christianity under Constantine in the 3rd century A.D.

These two things explain why Christianity spread so far and so fast in the ancient world.

The Christians certainly never killed in the name of their god but were militant. The Roman emperors converted to Christianity because the Roman military was largely composed of Christians - Germans! The Roman military slowly became mercenary. The Romans depended on Germanic tribes to protect the Roman frontier from invading tribes.

However, what explains the initial Christian fervor (1st to 3rd century AD) and the Germanic conversion to Christianity which predates the Roman Empire's conversion? Armenian, Syarian and Egyptian Christianity predate the German however.

Most likely, the influence was Roman. All early Christians seem to have one thing in common: a common feeling of antipathy against the Romans. There's also the possiblity that Christian love feasts gave people an excuse to get drunk early in the day and for women to play the whore at all hours (Apuleius).

The Christians certainly never killed in the name of their god....

Your dick is quite loose.

Religion and warfare, during this time period, seemed to mutually coincide. The cross, for example, has been illustrated quite often upon crests of shields, in the plating of armor or even as engravings upon weapons.[1]

Those who fought in the name of God were recognized as Milites Christi, warriors or knights of Christ.[2] Christian fighters believed that victory was achieved through divine intervention or aid from God, and took great pride in their beliefs. These blessed warriors pursued opposing armies and the heretic religions and cults of the time, and were highly admired by the Church and the State.[3] Often, these enemies would be one and the same, such as the Lombard Legions, which were portrayed as a common enemy of Rome and a satanic Pagan tribe as well.

The ideals and duties of religion were used as tools to legitimize warfare. Religion essentially gave the armies an excuse for their conquests under the guise of "Christianization", but their holy conquests turned out to be a long, violent series of raids for territorial expansion, trade and world-wide dominance, in the name of God.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_war#Crusades


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Below is an account of conversion by the newly Christian Roman Empire of the Germanic people. Crusades were mounted against those Germanics who refused conversion.

In the 4th century, the early process of Christianization of the various Germanic people was partly facilitated by the prestige of the Christian Roman Empire amongst European pagans. Until the decline of the Roman Empire, the Germanic tribes who had migrated there (with the exceptions of the Saxons, Franks, and Lombards, see below) had converted to Christianity

The Franks and their ruling Merovingian dynasty, that had migrated to Gaul from the 3rd century had remained pagan at first. On Christmas 498, however, Clovis I following his victory at the Battle of Tolbiac converted to the orthodox faith of the Roman Church and let himself be baptised at Rheims. The details of this event have been passed down by Gregory of Tours.

Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England began around AD 600, influenced by the Church of Rome from the south-east and the Hiberno-Scottish mission from the north-west. The first Archbishop of Canterbury, Augustine took office in 597. The last pagan Anglo-Saxon king, Arwald, was killed in 686.

Scandinavia was the last part of Germanic Europe to convert and most resistant. From the High Middle Ages, the territories of Northern Europe were gradually converted to Christianity under German leadership, and made into nation states under the Church's guidance, finalized in the Northern Crusades.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_Christianity


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If you still refuse to admit you are wrong......please put together and cite some historical sources and get Wikipeidia to change the aforementioned articles. Do not bother me with it any longer, and in the future, do the research yourself.

This is the part you aren't supposed to hear. When Jesus lived, some Jews believed that he was Christ while others didn't. After Jesus was crucified, the people who believed he was Christ were run out of town by the Jews who didn't. These people ran as far away from Jerusalem traveling as Gypsy nomads. Eventually they found themselves in the midst of Germanic tribes with the same hatred for the Roman empire, which crucified their saviour. The Germanic tribes lived by a system of honour, and they found that it was very much like Jesus' code of honour. His tale of sacrificing himself in the name of peace made him a legend. The Jews became part of these Germanic Tribes, interbred with the royals as they were very smart. The royals eventually rose up and destroyed the Roman empire's control over Europe. Eventually, The Catholic church later fueled wars to exterminate these people. The spanish inquisition wasn't about finding witches, they were looking for the half jew/germanics, as they were dangerous, do to their knowledge. History books lie a lot, and usually these unexplained phenomenons are a removal of history which could alter are view of our world today, and the people who control it.

What a lovely story.....care to back any of it up?

See my post above yours...sources have been cited. If you feel yours are more correct...please contact wiki with your sources and have them change the article.

Why were no Celts initially converted during the 3rd century?

The Answer: most Celts had been driven out of central Europe and driven to the western shore and Ireland. This is significant because it provides precursory evidence to what may have plagued the German tribes: eastern invaders. In fact, the same thing which plagued Rome.

The obvious reason behind the Germanic conversion to Christianity was the same as the conversion to the cult of Yahweh by Israelites and other Palestinians. Waging war to unite tribes provides a more powerful fighting force against other tribes than any one tribe by itself.

Tyranny, oppresion, raids, pillage and geographic disadvantage all play a large part in the German conversion: they were being attacked from the east by other german/turk tribes.

In the end, the affinity to convert to Christianity was to preserve their barbaric society. So in fact, they never killed in the name of their god, amazing!

That's funny, and all this time I thought those two terms were synonymous. :rolleyes: Yeah, I can't actually contribute anything. Sorry.

Their leaders saw that baptizing people and then executing them was even more metal than invading places for supplies.

Wasn't it because the Normans killed them if they didn't?

My history is musty, but IIRC it was that.