Was Christianity used to pacify the Romans?

[VirusTI]

Rome was already sliding by the time Christianity gained any momentum anywhere. Just like every empire before them and every empire since. They were nothing special in that regard, they didn't need some almighty catalyst to start the collapse.

The Vatican alone had a huge part in the evolution of education systems. As well as the survival of Greek and Roman literature (science, drama, philosophy, e.t.c.)

Two very key things to what has become Europe.

It bought plenty of evils too, few will dispute that. But it is safe to say that it is a lot less simple than how you put it.

Less angsty too.

Christianity was already spreading through the Roman people well before the decline of the great empire. Pax Romana lasted well into the 200 AD

Were there problems in Rome? Yes of course, but to paint Christianity as anything less than one of the primary reasons of decline, would be wrong(at least I feel this way, along with this guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gibbon)

[elfag]

Christianity was created by ****sexuals who were in denial to try to convince themselves they werent ****sexuals.

****sexuality was accepted by straight romans who were comfortable with their own sexuality. Just like today how most of those who preach the loudest against ****sexuality like republicans and evangelicals are often the ones who are in the closet themselves and trying to pay black guys $25 to suck their dong at the airport restroom, back then the anti gays were also the gayest.

Christianity was invented by a bunch of ****sexuals who were trying to convince their wives they werent gay when she caught them "wrestling" with their buddies so they said hey I cant possibly be gay because its against my religion.

[elfag]

Christianity was already spreading through the Roman people well before the decline of the great empire. Pax Romana lasted well into the 200 AD

Were there problems in Rome? Yes of course, but to paint Christianity as anything less than one of the primary reasons of decline, would be wrong(at least I feel this way, along with this guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gibbon)

Yep sent all of europe into the dark ages for a thousand years and went and got their asses spanked by the muslims in the crusades. Is their anything the christians dont suck at?

[Capaedia]

Christianity was already spreading through the Roman people well before the decline of the great empire. Pax Romana lasted well into the 200 AD

Pax Romana set up Rome's decline in more than one way. Decadence led to stagnation, in short. Same with virtually every other empire in history.

The most clear and recent example would be the trouble the British Empire had in gearing up to fight the Germans after their own extended period of dominance.

Maybe even America in time.

Were there problems in Rome? Yes of course, but to paint Christianity as anything less than one of the primary reasons of decline, would be wrong(at least I feel this way, along with this guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gibbon)

Gibbon was a fantastic author, for his time. What he wrote in regards to Rome was unprecedented and mostly accurate but it was definitely subject to the times. He did set the ball rolling for the discussion, but he had his own biases too.

He went out of his way to be critical of Christianity despite many of the same problems applying to Paganism. I don't mean to go in on his works because that could be its own debate, but dropping his name doesn't address the issue.

The Eastern Roman Empire not only survived, but at times even resurged under Christianity. It wasn't until 1453 that Constantinople finally fell.

There are so many, much more tangible factors that affected the fall of the Western Empire that Christianity really only deserves a mention.

The loss of Egypt meant a massive drop in the production of grain.

The splitting of the empire so it would be a more manageable size.

The hordes of barbarians that saw the decline of Rome and licked their lips.

The abysmal leadership that had set in under the later emperors. More concerned with their own pleasures than their empire (which had peaked already)

Saying that Christianity is the reason is a cop-out. It is much more complicated than that.