Blame It On Constantine?

How could anyone named Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus be blamed for the woes of Christianity today? Ahh, let me count the ways. Constantine the great (272-337). Few people could tell you anything about the Edict of Milan in 313CE, but it changed the face of Christianity as we know it. And not for the better.

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As Constantine worked his way up the Roman food chain, he kept embracing Christianity (in a sense) due to the vision at Milvian Bridge that turned defeat into victory. That battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312CE changed the fate and direction of Christianity forever.

Christianity moved from being a relational religion to being a formal, state approved religion. The church went from being home-based to being building based. The church went from being informal to formal. The people changed from being “plain folks” to “celebrated dignataries” (as the world saw them).

The church went from meeting at various times of the week, different days of the week to meeting “officially” on Sunday! Can you believe that? It’s true. In 321CE, Constantine decreed that Sunday would be a day of rest- a legal holiday! It was a day to honor Mithras (the unconquered sun)- the cult of mithras.

While Constantine said he was a Christian, he was like many today in that he was also a pagan who practiced such. Constantine was also called the Pontifex Maximus (chief of the pagan priests). By the way, in the 15th century the Catholic Church adopted this title for the Catholic Pope as well. It’s amazing what we embrace and have not a clue as to why!

Blame it on Constantine? Well he did pass the baton to us; however, aren’t we the people who have the options today, 1,700 years later, as to whether we want to follow his ideas or not?

I think shame on us! :-)

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