📰 Source: upgoat.net | Upgoat

✍️ Original author: Joe_McCarthy

⬆️ score: -1

v/OccidentalEnclave · by u/Joe_McCarthy

📝 Original content:

Pagan criticism of Christianity, primarily documented during the first few centuries of the Common Era, focused on the perceived “newness” and exclusiveness of the faith, which critics viewed as a threat to social and cosmic order. Ancient philosophers like Celsus, Porphyry, and the Emperor Julian argued that Christianity was a religion of the uneducated that undermined traditional civic duties.

Key Philosophical Critiques

Prominent Greco-Roman thinkers targeted the logical and moral foundations of Christian scripture:

Attack on Exclusivity: Critics like Celsus found the Christian claim of the “one true God” arrogant and narrow-minded. They argued that if the Christian God were truly supreme, he would not be “jealous” of other deities who also maintain the world.

The Problem of Resurrection: Philosophers trained in Platonism mocked the “resurrection of the flesh” as the “hope of worms”. They believed the soul was immortal and the body was a corrupt “prison” that should be shed, not restored.

Scriptural Contradictions: Porphyry wrote extensively on discrepancies in the Gospels, such as differences in Jesus’ genealogies and the “failed” prophecy of his imminent return. He also argued that the book of Daniel was a later forgery rather than a true prophecy.

Jesus as a Magician: Critics often compared Jesus’ miracles to common street magic, suggesting he learned “sorcery” in Egypt. Hierocles famously compared Jesus unfavorably to Apollonius of Tyana, arguing Apollonius was a more dignified “man favored by the gods” who did not suffer a shameful death.

Social and Political Objections

To Roman authorities, Christianity looked less like a religion and more like a dangerous “superstition”:

“Atheism” and Disloyalty: Because Christians refused to participate in state sacrifices or honor the Emperor as divine, they were labeled “atheists”. Pagans believed this neglect of the gods caused natural disasters, such as floods, famines, and plagues.

Class Prejudice: Many cri

This post was automatically imported by OratioRepostBot.