Christianity
Extract from: "THE PERFECT STORM IS COMING"
“In 312 A.D. the unstable power structure of the divided empire
collapses; Constantine, a former soldier, is named Caesar of the West.
With his legions, he marches south across the European continent,
intent on overthrowing the emperor. Eight miles outside Rome, at the
Milvian Bridge, Constantine pauses.…“It is precisely at this point that the would-be emperor has a vision. It
is an apparition that will change Constantine’s life and the life of all
Europe for the next 1,700 years.
LOOKING UP IN THE SKY,
CONSTANTINE SEES THE SIGN OF THE CROSS ON THE FACE
OF THE SUN.
“Up until this time, Constantine has been a traditional pagan, worshiping
the gods of Rome. Now he is confronted with the miraculous symbol of the
forbidden Christian religion. At the same time, he hears an awesome voice
announce his destiny. And then he hears a voice say to him, ‘You are to conquer in
this sign.’…The battle is completely successful.
“…The conversion of Constantine is one of the most important turning points in Christian
history. Constantine immediately rewards his newly embraced religion by issuing the
Edict of Milan, declaring official tolerance for Christianity throughout the empire.“…In 323 A.D. Constantine marches against the Eastern Augustus, the pagan Licinius,
and defeats him after two years of war. Constantine is now the sole ruler of both East and
West. The ceremonies to celebrate the reunification of the empire are Christian. Yet the
nature and extent of Constantine’s conversion are still matters of debate
“SOME SCHOLARS CLAIM THAT THE GOD CONSTANTINE ACCEPTED THAT DAY AT THE MILVIAN BRIDGE WAS NOT JESUS, BUT THE SUN GOD APOLLO. HE BELIEVED IN THE GOD ‘SOL ENVICTUS,’ THE INVINCIBLE SUN. HE HAD SOME CONNECTION WITH APOLLO AND THE IDEA OF SUN WORSHIP.…“DESPITE HIS OSTENSIBLE CONVERSION, CONSTANTINE RETAINS MANY PAGAN PRACTICES WHEN HE BECOMES EMPEROR.
His sympathy with
Christianity is undeniable, but so is his tolerance for paganism. His coins carry the
image of the sun god.“CONSTANTINE DEMANDS THAT CHRISTIANS CHANGE THEIR DAY OF
WORSHIP FROM THE HEBREW SABBATH TO THE ROMAN DAY OF THE SUN.
And it is a matter of record that Constantine will not be baptized a Christian until he is on
his death bed. The question remains to this day: was Constantine truly a convert to
Christianity or was he simply a shrewd pagan politician who embraced a powerful minority?”
Text from The History of Christianity, which aired in 2005
on The History Channel. Available DVD / VHS (800) 423-1212
Christianity–The first two thousand years©1998, 2000 - A & E Television Networks • AandETV.com.
Distributed by New Video, 126 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10011
Photography courtesy of Art Resource and The New York Public Library
By the sixth century the papacy
had become firmly established, and
the bishop of Rome was declared to
be the head over the entire church.
Pagan Rome had given place to
Papal Rome.
To provide converts from
heathenism a substitute for their
worship of idols, and promote their
nominal acceptance of Christianity,
the adoration of images and relics
was gradually introduced into Christian worship. The decree of a
general council (Second Council of
Nice, A.D. 787) finally established
this system of idolatry. To complete
the sacrilegious work— The early Roman Church presumed to erase the second commandment from the law of God, forbidding image worship, and to divide the tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number. A leading doctrine of Romanism was adopted, declaring that the pope is the visible head of the universal church of Christ and is invested with supreme authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world. To establish this claim, ancient writings were forged by monks.
Decrees of unknown councils were discovered, establishing the universal supremacy of the pope, and millions accepted these deceptions. This early compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in a gigantic system of false religion foreshadowing Satan’s final efforts to seat himself upon the throne and rule the earth according to his will. he accession of the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. As her power increased, darkness deepened. The very titles of Deity were claimed for the pope. He styled himself “Lord God the Pope,” assumed infallibility, and demanded that all men pay him homage. Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people were instructed to look to the pope, and to priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority. They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator, and that none could approach God except through him. Further, they came to believe that he stood in the place of God to them, and was therefore to be implicitly obeyed.
