What if Constantine had turned Hindu ?

smart makes a comeback · #1 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 07:09 PM

As most people know, or should know, the founder of the Christian church was not Jesus, Peter, Paul or James, but the Roman Emperor Constantine.

He ordered ecumenical councils to draft the tennets of the Universal Christian church, which with the exception of some changes made during the divide between the Roman and eastern church, and later in the reformation, still exist today. ( The virgin birth, the devine nature of Christ, the resurrection, etc)

Question:

(Bible thumpers and non secular kooks might want to sit this one out)

What is instead of Christianity, Constantine had mandated the adoption of Hinduism instead ?

How would history have changed ?

Examples:
No crusades ?
The Bubonic plague contained by existing medical procedures which were forbidden by the church at the time ?
No Spanish inquisition ?
What wars would not have taken place ?
Would the western hemisphere been discovered and populated the same way, and would there have been an influx of those fleeing religious (Christian) persecution ?
What would the US look like today, or would it evfen exist ?

Discuss

Suburbanite · #2 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 07:22 PM

but we'd be a world that confused conjoined twins as 8 armed gods. would all the 7/11s be run by Christians

smart makes a comeback · #3 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suburbanite

but we'd be a world that confused conjoined twins as 8 armed gods. would all the 7/11s be run by Christians

I suspect we would not be a world that beleives a 500 year old cloth is a 2000 year old shroud, that a Roman who murdered thousands of Celts was an Irish saint, and I suspect, there woud be no christians

Suburbanite · #4 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 07:40 PM

where do we sign up?

smart makes a comeback · #5 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suburbanite

where do we sign up?

Personally, I just opt out and live in the secular world.

Pascal's Wager is a sucker bet

Suburbanite · #6 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 07:49 PM

where is this secular world you speak of located?

smart makes a comeback · #7 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suburbanite

where is this secular world you speak of located?

It is AKA "the real world"

The world where people look to themslves for solutions, rather then chasing imaginary Paternal slave masters, for whom the penalty for displacing them, is eternal damnation, and who cardinal sin, is daring to rise above ignorance and servatude.

Skinny Fatts · #8 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smart makes a comeback

As most people know, or should know, the founder of the Christian church was not Jesus, Peter, Paul or James, but the Roman Emperor Constantine.

He ordered ecumenical councils to draft the tennets of the Universal Christian church, which with the exception of some changes made during the divide between the Roman and eastern church, and later in the reformation, still exist today. ( The virgin birth, the devine nature of Christ, the resurrection, etc)

Question:

(Bible thumpers and non secular kooks might want to sit this one out)

What is instead of Christianity, Constantine had mandated the adoption of Hinduism instead ?

How would history have changed ?

Examples:
No crusades ?
The Bubonic plague contained by existing medical procedures which were forbidden by the church at the time ?
No Spanish inquisition ?
What wars would not have taken place ?
Would the western hemisphere been discovered and populated the same way, and would there have been an influx of those fleeing religious (Christian) persecution ?
What would the US look like today, or would it evfen exist ?

Discuss

Fundy atheists abound...

wolf_22 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 04:40 AM

christianity still would have been founded. original chrisitans (sorta like some today) were pretty hard to not pay attention to. eventually someone else in power would have made headway for them.

but perhaps the neo-pagan movement would have started sooner. and original polytheistic religions would have thrived there for making things better for females (this wouldn't be found to much in hinduism, except for the neo-worship of Kali). and we also could have avoided having our society built on dichotomies, not to mention viewing sexuality in a very differnet manner. which could have been a bit more positive in some aspects.

nathanbforrest45 · #10 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 07:43 AM

I wonder why I don't have this fool on ignore. Not even worth the effort to do that. Smart makes a comeback indeed. What a misnomer that one is.

That anyone really like someone who honestly believes they are smarter than everyone around them and everyone else is a fool or worse? You may think you are in their camp but eventually they turn on you as well. They are just small people who are afraid of their own shadow so they pretend they are the great intellects of the world.