Christianity - brutally spread by the nation who brought us the Mafia.  Any connection?
829364
It's not at all surprising.  Ever heard of Roberto Calvi?  He was the chief at the Vatican Bank until his <ahem> "suicide" by hanging from a London bridge in 1982.  (How exactly does one ties one's own hands behind the back while strangling to death from the *underside* of a bridge?)  His death has all the known traits of a mafia execution.\n\nWhy was Calvi murdered?  Because he knew the intimate details of the land flipping that the catholic cult and the mafia conspired in.  (Land flipping is where two people sell property to each other back and forth at higher and higher prices.  Then they sell it to some chump for an inflated value when it's really worth much less, but they've got paperwork.)  The catholic cult profited tens of millions of dollars by collaborating with the mafia.\n\nIncidentally, then cardinal Paul Marcinkus (of Chicago) was given refuge in the vatican until the statute of limitations ran out in the US.  He was wanted for trial because of his involvement in the land flipping.  Wojtyla, the pedophile pope, let him stay safe instead of making him face justice (in the same way the vatican protected pedophiles).\n\n\nIf you don't believe me, just enter the names into Google and see what results you get:\n\n"Roberto Calvi"\n"Paul Marcinkus"\n"vatican" \n"land flipping"\n\n\n\n"Ruby" blathered some crap about "christians and brutality don't mix."  \n\nOh yeah?  So the crusades, nazis, KKK, inquisition, and terrorists like James Kopp and Eric Rudolph aren't christians?  Try again, Ruby...or should I say, *rube*.\n\n\n.
1034302
This might have something to do with the Inquisition?  Spain was big on that stuff some time ago.
1181903
There were quite a few Jewish sects in that part of the world around that time. Many of them were messianic sects, such as the Essenes - some of which had turned from traditional Judaism. In this period in history it was not uncommon to hear tales that this person or that person was the promised Messiah. Christianity was a sect that became firmly established by going cosmopolitan - after Paul promoted it in Italy and Greece and blended it with their mythology of virgin birth, the hierarchy of deities, and a fiery Hades place of punishment, etc., none of which had any connection to Jesus's religion (Judaism).
946988
I thought everybody already knew that religion, or the fanatical, misguided practice of it, was the source of violence in the Middle East.  And why do we keep electing religious whackos in this country????  Because a majority of the voting population cast ballots based on their religious beliefs.  So, is this country run by the Christian Church?  It sure feels that way to me.  I am a Republican, but am feeling shut out by the Christian fanaticism.
571811
Yes I agree completely.  Christianity is just a dangerous weapon used by leaders for power and control.
1027861
I know for a while it was a close battle between mithraism and christianity..  Your facts are interesting but there's a lot of similarities between ALL religions when you look deep enough.
458034
i am catholic but i believe most of what you said especially the end part. people trust catholicism for the same reason they trust any other religion (i don't know why i follow the religion i am just guided) people use religion because they have weak minds and hearts. there is nothing wrong with this but religion gives them somethin to hold onto. someone in history i believe it was Marx or Stalin said the church was the "opiate of the masses"
848644
I have seen christianity mislead people.  I've seen large amounts of christians support torture and murder, I've seen vast numbers of christians support war and killing, I've seen christians that support executions like the one that killed Jesus, I've seen christians that have thrown their own children onto the street, homeless because they were born gay, to be raped and abused by criminals.  I've seen christians mothers disown their daughters for marrying outside the faith.  I've seen many high-up christians cover up the rape and abuse of children, And now there is a massive wave of moral sickness moving through the US christian community with the idea of the "undeserving poor".  Yes, now millions of american christians are promoting this corrupted ideal in order to escape from Jesus's most fundamental commandment of loving one another and caring for the poor.  Yet millions of christians in the US promote the idea that the poor take advantage of the rest of us, that they do not deserve our help, and that they are lazy.\n\nFrom where I stand, the majority of modern christians resembe the pharasees of the bible more than righteous men and women.
661589
"Christianity was never spread by violence"?!\n\nThe only country in the world were Christianity came peacefully was Ireland!\n\nMillions of people have been killed in the name of Christianity.\n\nThink of how Christianity arrivied in South America?
468230
Does this work for you?\n\nhttp://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbnew.html\n\n\nI also came across this tidbi you might find interesting.\n\nSome crime statistics from 19th Century India are particularly illuminating with regard to our thesis. In 1881 the frequency of crime by religion was as follows: one of 274 Christian Europeans committed a crime; one of 799 Christian Indians did so; one of 1,361 Hindus; and one of 3,787 Buddhists. If the Jains had been included in this count, one would have expected an even higher ratio for them. With regard to the native Christian count, an English official made the following observation: "It appears from these figures that while we effect a very marked moral deterioration in the natives by converting them to our creed, their natural standard of morality is so high that, however much we Christianize them, we cannot succeed in making them altogether as bad as ourselves." An 1899 statistical dictionary reported that for every 100,000 people in Western Europe there were from 100-230 prisoners; 190 for England; and 38 for India.\n\nhttp://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/hindfund.htm\n\n\n\nThere may be something here:\nhttp://www.thearda.com/\n\nOr here:\nhttp://www.worldchristiandatabase.org/wcd/
813373
Christianity of 200 years ago was propagated by preaching, not by the sword. Christians don't cut your head off if you refuse to become Christian.
468223
Some historians and scriptural experts suggest that Judas knew Jesus had to be betrayed and then put his own neck in the noose for the rest of the world.   He is such a hated person, and yet it is because of him that one of the largest religions in the world has taken power.  In my opinion, Christians should revere his name, not scorn it.  If you want more info, go to a library and check out a copy of the Gnostic Gospels (also called the Nag Hammadi), or more specifically the Gospel of Judas.
602308
There was a time in European history where the Church held absolute sway in the appointment and endorsement of political rulers, as well as their own "police force" of inquisitors where free-thinkers and political opponents were burned, tortured, and murdered.  Wars were repeatedely fought against the Muslim in Muslim lands to distract and divide the folks at home and to keep the people militarized and the money flowing into the coffers of the tyrannical kings.  This period was affectionately known as "The Dark Ages" and "Medievel Age" appropriately.  Woe betide the man who willfully repeats disastrous history.
1061340
You are very correct and I agree with you.  The splintering away is a result of people who did not accept the teachings of the Catholic church.  Some did not believe Jesus was truly the Son of God, only a prophet because He didn't meet their hopes and ideas for the promised Messiah.  Some do not accept that the Blessed Trinity is God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and actually came to understand that the Catholic church was worshipping a false God in their understanding of the Triune God.  Many had problems with Catholics "worshipping Mary" and putting her above Jesus Christ which is not true but there are many things that factor into this splitting off from the Catholic church, and then due to some really bad abuses by the Church during the time of the reformation, Martin Luther tried to correct and change things and so splintered off.  There have been many wonderful Saints who fought against heresy and schism and Thank God, the Church pulled through these trying times.  I wouldn't worry about this because it is God who is in charge and He fills His Church with the Holy Spirit and God can and does make so many good things happen through even the worst of situations and people and times.  I even might mention that there are many "so called" Catholics today who are not truly Catholic because they pick and choose just what they will believe and what they will not, not accepting of all the teachings of the Magesterium.  Some do not accept the teachings of the "Real Presence" in the Most Holy Eucharist, some do not follow the teachings of the Church in regard to many of the modern day social issues, are pro abortion, pro gay rights, etc so there is still today much needing to be done within the Church to bring it (and everyone) back to the one true Church.  What I believe is not good is for people to give up and go elsewhere due to all these things, rather than stay within the Church and pray and do all they can to change things from within.  God has His Holy Spirit guiding our Holy Mother Church and all will be well.  God Bless You in the name of The Father, Son and The Holy Spirit and may our Blessed Mother keep you always in her prayers that you may be brought ever closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen
354610
it all started with the protestant reformation brought about by martin luther.  you can read more details by typing in protestant reformation or martin luther into a search engine.  the catholic church took exception and thus the protestants somewhat broke off from the "non-catholic christians".  also, the christians do not acknowledge the apocrypha or "between the testaments" writing that the catholics do as holy scriptures as part of the canon used in worship.
1037498
u my friend r quite mistaken. i am an orthodox  jew, im the first to admit it and very proud of it. what ur saying now is not only rediculous but insulting towards the christians and catholics alike. hitler, may his name be erased, was a psycopath. he was a monster who was out of mind and barely human. his beliefs and morals (or lack there of) had nothing to do with christianity. his focus was about killing the jew en route to creating the perfect nation. learn some history.
608063
Given the following:\n\nA) Non-Catholics were not only seen as heretics, but because church and state were so intertwined, they were also traitors, and\n\nB) People tend to be as harsh and hostile as their environment, and\n\nC) the lack of any real technology made theirs a harsh environment with high mortality rates, and\n\nD) being basically ignorant of any realistic concept of how the universe works, and\n\nE) fearing that divine displeasure would result in the destruction of the realm,\n\nit therefore followed that anyone who rocked the boat was a definite threat to the "natural" order of life.\n\nSo, one removes the threat. It's a matter of survival.\n\nLook at it from THEIR viewpoint. Given what I said, they were actually being rather kind. They gave those accused a chance to recant and save their souls at least. By their lights that was Christian.\n\nDo not judge the past by the mores of the present.\n\nWere it to happen today we would be incensed. I know this because the Muslim fundamentalists are busy doing the same thing, with one exception. They kill you without a trial. And look how we responded to the news that a perfectly nice young man was to be killed for becoming a Christian. We're NOT medievals anymore. Muslim fundamentalists may be, but we're not. We've grown up beyond being scared of the dark.\n\nBTW, it wasn't, strictly speaking, merely Catholic involvement. It was Catholic inspired and Crown ordered. The Inquisition was carried out by members of the clergy, but always under orders from the king.