01-06-2010, 06:45 PM
Hi,
--Pete
Quote: . . . And of course it's flat. Oh yes. You can fall off at the end. . . .Actually, this is a misconception. That the Earth was a sphere was known, at least, to the ancient Greeks of about 500 BCE. Augustine of Hippo introduced these ideas into Christian philosophy about the start of the fifth century CE.
Quote:Rome actually fell due to a lot of reasons and indeed, Christianity was named as one.Yes. My statement was in reply to eppie's claim that the fall of Rome was due entirely to Christianity. By the time Christianity became a power in the empire, the empire was well into decline. How much Christianity actually contributed to the fall is still a subject for debate. Given that the Eastern Empire was also Christian and outlived the Western by about a millennium, it is hard to see how Christianity could be a cause, much less a major cause. There is nothing in Christianity as it is practiced that weakens a society militarily or politically. So, while it is true that some consider Christianity one of the causes, it is difficult to see just how it could be -- by what mechanism it could contribute to the fall of Rome. Religion in general, and Christianity in particular, has a lot to answer for. It is easy to blame it for more than its fair share, and there are many who, in their blind hatred for it, are willing to voice and believe those claims.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?