The earliest documented persecution of Christians came in AD 64, but it was short-lived, when Emperor Nero tried to blame the Great Fire of Rome on Christians. However, remember that Nero could and did persecute anyone, at any time, for anything or nothing. He died four years later, and good riddance to him.
The first widespread religious persecutions, however, did not begin for another 250 years, give or take a annual. And the persecutors were not pagans, but Christians.
This column is not a polemic, nor an attempt to convince anyone of anything. It’s a historical investigation, based on Mark Twain’s theory that “history doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes.”
It is based, above all, on ancient historians, including Tacitus, Suetonius, St. Augustine of Hippo, Eusebius, Athanasius, Cicero, Lucian, Origen, John Chrysostom, and those cats, in translation. I cannot read Latin or Greek. But since no one but professors can, or would bother to translate those colleagues, I have to rely on professors, who usually have no ax to grind, unless it might lead to tenure.
Well, according to ancient historians and modern scholarship, once the Christians gained the upper hand, ‘around 312 CE, when the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, there had been no widespread religious persecution in the ancient world, except for Nero’s false attempt to cover up his madness.
Extending for over 1000 years from those days, when a warlord or emperor or raving maniac conquered another tribe/people/nation, they did not persecute the people who worshiped other gods. They added the other boys’ gods to whatever gods they already had. No harm, no foul.
It wasn’t until Christians became top dogs that widespread religious persecution began. I won’t go into that now; what I would like to point out is that early Christianity spread, in large part, through the stories of early Christian martyrs: people who died for their faith.
Note: Before the beginning of the 4th century, no one in what we know as the Western World had to die for their faith, because no one wanted to kill anyone for worshiping another god.
It was the early Christians who insisted, “No, sorry, there’s only one God. And if you don’t agree, we’ll kill you, destroy your temples, and burn your libraries.” And they did.
Thus began the violent attacks of the Christians against the Jews.
Why do I bring this up now, in our busy political season? It’s because our powerful, self-admiring, Christian white nationalist politicians make such a false deal, day in and day out, to be martyrs. I don’t have to give you quotes, now known as links. Just open your eyes and ears.
Keep in mind: I’m not unloading on white Christians here. I am unloading on the so-called white nationalist Christian politicians who whip out their expensive Schlumpf Bibles and claim they are being persecuted.
For what and by whom? Try it. Prove once, to any of the 271 Republicans warming the seats in Congress today, that you have been treated unfairly, by anyone, for anything, at any time.
Short: Stop crying. Do your chores. Prove that each of your insults is true. Stop trying to delete history. Give up the lie that horrible and dangerous unbelievers are doing to you what you are really doing to them.
And if you can’t do any of that, then shut up. I don’t care what you think about your religion, or anyone else’s. Read the Gospels and then shut up and leave us alone.
At the very least, stop using your messy votes as messy, pre-digested fodder to shovel, like the cowards you are, into your lord’s mouth. And you know as well as I that your master is not JC: he is DJT.
And speaking of the seven deadly sins, they are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, and apathy. Sound like someone you know?
Here’s another good thing: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Have you ever heard that?
Happy birthday, United States. How many candles can you blow out in four years?
