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> These early Christians ardently believed in such spirits, which they considered demons, I’m not arguing about the wide scale vandalism. But this bit seems al
by ffhhttt 3y ago
> These early Christians ardently believed in such spirits, which they considered demons,
I’m not arguing about the wide scale vandalism. But this bit seems almost entirely like conjecture and generally nonsensical given in Christianity that widespread belief in demons/witches/etc. was a late middle ages/reformation period development. It’s existence wasn’t really compatible with early Christian theology and worldview.
Belief in demons and the supernatural (except the Christian god of course) was mainly a relict of paganism at that point e.g. pagan Romans were really into witchunts and the like (which is something the early church tried to crackdown with varying and in many cases not that great degree of success). From the Church’s perspective believing that demons can or exist was almost as bad as worshiping them.
- angiosperm 3y agoMaybe you don't recall Jesus evicting demons from pigs? The gospels that report the event are fiction penned between c. 80 - 120 AD, which first-millennium Christians believed implicitly. Medieval belief in demons absolutely relies on biblical authority. Witch hunts and delusions of Satan worship are a different phenomenon. Disbelief in demons is very, very recent, and still far from universal. Christianity (like Judaism) in no way demanded disbelief in spirits, but only primacy of YHVH over the rest. In any case, even a Christian priest who personally disbelieved in spirits occupying statuary would resent competition from pagan priests performing sacrifices. Making the statuary unserviceable was good for business, and being seen doing it with no divine retribution was good theater.