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Most Christians from before the early-20th century, would consider your interpretation of Christianity as mostly heretical. They very willingly forced Christian

Most Christians from before the early-20th century, would consider your interpretation of Christianity as mostly heretical. They very willingly forced Christianity into anyone who wasn't, as well as into anyone who wasn't of their particular branch. The text is the same, as is, presumably, the Jesus, so either they had understood it all wrong and current Christians understand it correctly, or the other way around. Which is it? IMHO, those are two distinct religions. Actual Christianity is the old one. The modern one isn't Christianity, but European Enlightenment in Christian clothing. And yes, the later is much better than the original. EE also provides Judaism clothing, Buddhist clothing, and other such clothings, which is why it works so well. In fact, it also has a relatively recently developed Islamic clothing, though adoption is still limited. Hopefully it'll expand over time.

graemep 17d ago
> Most Christians from before the early-20th century, would consider your interpretation of Christianity as mostly heretical. No they would not. Mainstream Christian belief has not changed in a very long time. Tell me of any belief the Catholic Church (which more than half of all Christians belong to) currently holds that would have been considered heretical a thousand years ago?
- lukan 17d ago
  Well, I am pretty sure they would not have made such a statement 1000 years or even 100 years ago "The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that all homosexual individuals must "be accepted and treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity," and that all forms of unjust discrimination should be discouraged and avoided at all cost" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_homosexuality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_homosexual...
  - graemep 17d ago
    Such a statement could not be made a thousand years ago as it would be utterly anachronistic. The concept of "homosexual individuals" only exists as part of the modern concept of sexual orientation. A thousand years ago people thought in terms of acts, not orientation. I think it unlikely that they would have regarded treating anyone with compassion as heretical. Most of the early condemnation of homosexuality was specifically of pederasty which was accepted in pre-Christian times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church_and_homosexuality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church... They might have disagreed strongly, but it would definitely not be heresy. Many historians believe homosexuality was tolerated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity_and_homosexuality#The_Middle_Ages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity_and_ho...
- alexgieg 17d ago
  Ecumenism, for one. The Second Vatican Council was very divisive among Catholics, and to this day the Church has to keep pressing it upon and against the will of old-school Catholics. Some felt so offended by it they left the Catholic Church altogether so as to stick with what it used to believe in before the 1970s.
noduerme 17d ago
Great post. Once the EE got going and separated church from state, it also provided the emancipation of Jews[0], on the thesis that individuals transcend groups and have inalienable rights. From the perspective of a 17th Century Jew or Christian, that project worked to reform and soften both Christianity and Judaism in Europe because both people were prepared to reject extremist beliefs in favor of economic, worldly, material wellbeing. Protestantism and Judaism in particular share certain traits in prioritizing work, science, individualism and success in the corporeal life. It might be an unpopular idea, but the softening of Christianity was in some way its reunion with Judaism, from being a religion adapted by the Romans to war to a realignment with the more temperate biblical Judaism that Christ was actually teaching. But Christian scripture did have a gentle interpretation inherent to it. Every European movement which sought to destroy the Enlightenment tried first to roll Jewish emancipation back and then to destroy the Churches, to supplant enlightened Christianity with extremist state religion. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_emancipation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_emancipation

graemep 17d ago

> Most Christians from before the early-20th century, would consider your interpretation of Christianity as mostly heretical. No they would not. Mainstream Christian belief has not changed in a very long time. Tell me of any belief the Catholic Church (which more than half of all Christians belong to) currently holds that would have been considered heretical a thousand years ago?

lukan 17d ago
Well, I am pretty sure they would not have made such a statement 1000 years or even 100 years ago "The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that all homosexual individuals must "be accepted and treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity," and that all forms of unjust discrimination should be discouraged and avoided at all cost" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_homosexuality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_homosexual...
- graemep 17d ago
  Such a statement could not be made a thousand years ago as it would be utterly anachronistic. The concept of "homosexual individuals" only exists as part of the modern concept of sexual orientation. A thousand years ago people thought in terms of acts, not orientation. I think it unlikely that they would have regarded treating anyone with compassion as heretical. Most of the early condemnation of homosexuality was specifically of pederasty which was accepted in pre-Christian times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church_and_homosexuality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church... They might have disagreed strongly, but it would definitely not be heresy. Many historians believe homosexuality was tolerated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity_and_homosexuality#The_Middle_Ages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity_and_ho...
alexgieg 17d ago
Ecumenism, for one. The Second Vatican Council was very divisive among Catholics, and to this day the Church has to keep pressing it upon and against the will of old-school Catholics. Some felt so offended by it they left the Catholic Church altogether so as to stick with what it used to believe in before the 1970s.

noduerme 17d ago

Great post. Once the EE got going and separated church from state, it also provided the emancipation of Jews[0], on the thesis that individuals transcend groups and have inalienable rights. From the perspective of a 17th Century Jew or Christian, that project worked to reform and soften both Christianity and Judaism in Europe because both people were prepared to reject extremist beliefs in favor of economic, worldly, material wellbeing. Protestantism and Judaism in particular share certain traits in prioritizing work, science, individualism and success in the corporeal life. It might be an unpopular idea, but the softening of Christianity was in some way its reunion with Judaism, from being a religion adapted by the Romans to war to a realignment with the more temperate biblical Judaism that Christ was actually teaching. But Christian scripture did have a gentle interpretation inherent to it. Every European movement which sought to destroy the Enlightenment tried first to roll Jewish emancipation back and then to destroy the Churches, to supplant enlightened Christianity with extremist state religion. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_emancipation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_emancipation