Christians are very proud to be monotheists because they consider it a sign of maturity and progressiveness. And of course, they consider Hindus, for example, to be primitives because they believe in multiple gods.
I studied the work of the Greek philosopher Celsus criticizing Christianity (year 177) and other similar authors. I focused now on whether early Christianity was not yet a polytheistic religion.
This is a very serious topic that should be explored by people from the academic world, historians and philosophers, and they should look for more supporting evidence on this topic.
From this book , where authors criticizing Christianity are quoted, I have selected interesting passages. I would like to point out that the quoted authors lived before Christianity was officially politically introduced:
The Christian God is referred to as the supreme God. So, was he not the only one?
And much less was it fit, that, being considered as a saviour and the son of the greatest God, and; also the messenger of this God, by his familiars and private associates, he should be deserted and betrayed by them. But what excellent general, who was the leader of many myriads of men, was ever betrayed by his soldiers? (quote from the Greek philosopher Celsus)
A very interesting description of how Christians lived. They worshipped gods, with God the Father being the most revered of the gods. Furthermore, this passage mentions that Christian leaders financially enriched themselves from their flock (it states that people paid for religious rituals). This strongly reminds me of various sects, which also primarily arise for financial enrichment. Even today, having a Protestant charismatic church like KS Milosť, for example, is very advantageous – among the main priorities of pastors is to earn a lot from their flock through psychological manipulation. We see that not much has changed in 2000 years:
"The lowest earthly spirits are subject to the power of certain earthly demons. The wise men of the Hebrews, one of whom was Jesus, as you have heard from the divine oracles of Apollo mentioned above, were subject to these. Therefore, the Hebrews forbade the worst demons and lesser spirits to the religious, and prohibited them from attending to them: but to worship the celestial Gods more, and to worship God the Father more. This is also commanded by the Gods, and we have shown above how they admonish us to turn to God, and everywhere command us to worship Him. But the unlearned and impious by nature, to whom Fate truly did not grant to obtain gifts from the Gods, nor to have the knowledge of immortal Jupiter, not hearing the Gods and divine men; they indeed rejected all Gods, and chose not only to pursue the forbidden demons with no hatred, but also to revere them. But while feigning to worship God, they do not perform those things by which God is worshipped. For God, as the father of all, needs nothing: but it is good for us when we worship Him through justice and chastity, and other virtues, making the very prayer of life to Him, through imitation and inquiry about Him. For inquiry purifies, imitation deifies the affection towards Him by working." (Porphyry of Tyre (232–304))
Christianity is described in the following passage as we perceive Jehovah's Witnesses or other sects today. The leaders of Christian communities are described here as thieves who rob their naive and psychologically manipulated sheep. The author tries to sincerely help Christians, he feels sorry for Christians who have allowed themselves to be manipulated by Christian leaders who enrich themselves at their expense. Many Christians have even lost their inheritance.
By the way, history repeats itself. Early Christians have a lot in common with Jehovah's Witnesses. The Bible states in several places that Christians expected the end of the world very soon. Jehovah's Witnesses also – Jehovah's Witnesses have had many ends of the world. What good is property to you if tomorrow is the end of the world? Sell me your house, your land, because at the end of the world your property will be useless.
Of such mischievous consequence are the arbitrary proceedings of those persons in the country, who say, 'they fight with the temples.' But that war is the gain of those who oppress the inhabitants: and robbing these miserable people of their goods, and what they had laid up of the fruits of the earth for their sustenance, they go off as with the spoils of those whom they have conquered. Nor are they satisfied with this, for they also seize the lands of some, saying it is sacred: and many are deprived of their paternal inheritance upon a false pretence.
A pagan author, a believer in the Greco-Roman religion, who criticizes Christianity, is outraged that Christians worship a dead body as an idol, by which he meant the cross. He also clearly states that Christians believe in gods, not in one god. The author mentions two gods that Christians believe in: the dead body, that is, the cross-Jesus Christ, and God the Father.
And if you seek for the leader of this path, you must avoid impostors and enchanters, and those who persuade you to pay attention to [real] idols; in order that you may not be entirely ridiculous, by blaspheming as idols other things which are manifestly Gods, and venerating that which is in reality more worthless than any image, and which is not even an image, but a dead body; and by investigating a Father similar to it. (Celsus)
In conclusion,
The myth of the "cruel" Roman emperors who "persecuted" ChristiansChristians accuse the Roman emperors of being cruel when they persecuted Christians. However, the real reason could have been completely different. The Roman emperors considered Christians to be a crazy sect whose leaders were enriching themselves at the expense of their flock, and they tried to help Christians sincerely. With repressive measures, the emperors wanted to instill fear in the Christian leaders so that they would not enrich themselves at the expense of their flock.
The reason for the "persecution" of Christians, and I want to emphasize those quotation marks, was also that Christians met at night, but at that time, according to Roman laws, meeting at night was punishable. Moreover, the emperors understandably feared and were concerned about a strange satanic sect that worshipped the corpse of Christ. At that time, people viewed Christianity as Satanism.
Related articles are here:
Greek philosopher Celsus on the first Christians: they are immoral primitives and the scum of society https://filozofia.nett.to/krestanstvo/sk/protikrestansky-filozof-celsus-o-prvych-krestanoch-su-to-upadkovi-primitivi
The Council of Nicaea was polytheistic. A big embarrassment for the church! https://filozofia.nett.to/krestanstvo/sk/nikejsky-koncil-bol-polyteisticky-velky-trapas-pre-cirkev
Emperor Constantine, the Catholic Church and the Council of Nicaeahttps://filozofia.nett.to/krestanstvo/en/emperor-constantine-the-catholic-church-and-the-council-of-nicaea
********************************************************************************************************
********************************************************************************************************
Additional information: The divinity of Christ questioned
The following part of the Bible questions Christianity in its foundations in yet another way – the divinity of Christ is questionedFirst Letter to Timothy – Chapter 2
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,