BEWARE
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| How do these types of people keep their jobs at "Christian" institutions while poisoning the young minds before them? |
Candida Moss is a professor at an independent Catholic University-Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The problem is that she is one of these types trying to make a name and carve out a niche by undermining people's faith. She prides herself in undermining the Christian history of the early Church. She claims that the persecutions of the early Christians really wasn't all that bad & that not many persecutions took place. Just a couple of persecutions or so....all this to write some books, generate controversy, and boost sales as well as make a name for herself....
So lets help remind Candida of some "HISTORY", shall we..... (and I will use secular-not "religious" sources so as to EDUCATE Candida).......
Ever heard of the catacombs? It's where Christians buried their dead while in hiding.....
Ever heard of Nero? He blamed them for the burning of Rome and persecuted them, including Paul & Peter who were swept up and executed.
Or under Plinius Secundus, legate of Trajan in Pontus starting in 110A.D. It escalated after the torture of 2 "deaconesses" in an attempt to find the core group in the area.
Emperor Hadrian allowed regional persecutions. Especially in Asia.
Bar Kochba, who led a Jewish revolt against Rome around Palestine in the early 2nd century, orderd his forces to also round up and torture and kill Christians unless they recanted.
Polycarp, who had been a young assitant to John, suffered martyrdom on 2/23/156 A.D. (some claim it was in 167A.D.).
The 177A.D. persecution in Lyons (southeast moedern France) reached its apex on the festival of the three Gauls by throwing Christians to the wild animals for sport, suffocating them and burning some of them alive.
The Emperor Septimius Severus ordering the persecution of Christians for the name alone. All forms of torture leading to execution was authorized.
The Emperor Commodus Banning conversions to Christianity (& Judaism too).
Emperor Maximin exiled the Bishop of Rome during his persecution of Christians.
During the reign of Emperor Philip, who showed partiality to Christians, he greatly angered many pagans. Upon his overthrow many pagan mobs were whipped into a frenzy against Christians throughout the empire and killed many by rampage.
Emperor Decius restarted full persecutions, which were carried out the most severe in North Africa. He ordered ALL citizens to get a certificate stating that they had poured out a libation to an idol.
Emperor Valerian executed wealthy Christians known for their charitible work before he began his general persecution after a short peace. During his persecution Christians could worship Christ as long as they also did so for the pagan gods and gave up control of their cemeteries. Later he issued an order to round up and execute all Church leaders. Any Roman Senators who were found to be Christians were to be beheaded.
Emperor Aurelian persecuted Christians because they stood in the way of his Mithraic solar religion.
Although Emperor Tacitus did not persecute, many local officials during his reign were allowed to carry out local persecutions.
Emperor Diocletian at first seemed friendly towards the Christians. But his assistant Galerius despised them with a passion. First came the persecution of the heretical sect of Manicheans. Then when a Christian refused to join the army because of his belief, this sent Galerius over the edge. Galerius began a persecution as a result. The Emperor Diocletian became enraged when at Antioch, a Christian made the sign of the cross during a pagan event the emperor was attending. When Galerius set the palace on fire, and fled, the Christians were at first blamed and official persecution by Diocletian began. He issued at least 3 edicts of persecution. These were known as wars of extermination. These years were the worst for Christians. Also known as the 10 year persecution (303 AD-313 AD) spoken of the history of the Church in Revelation. and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10 In 313 AD the new Emperor Constantine issued the edict of Milan granting religous freedom and ending the persecution of the Church.
What Candida misses, while teaching at a "Christian" university, is that the first two Churches of Revelation is about the Church being persecuted unto near death---the chariot of Zechariah pulled by the red horses, representing the blood of the martyrs. See http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2012/11/zechariah-4-horses-prophecy-sda.html
This post is dedicated to the memory of the slave girl Blandina who was martyred in Lyons in 177A.D. Initially most Christians thought she would recant due to her youth and frail body. After a session of torture that physically wore out those doing it, she refused to recant. She was hung upside down from a pole, some say was red hot. She was heard praying, then brought down and cast into a net and trampled to death by a bull. Her (and the other martyrs in Lyon) body was burned 6 days later and the ashes tossed into the Rhone River. During those 6 days Roman soldiers were stationed to guard the dead bodies out of fear of their "resurrection". Apparently the martyrdom and faith of Blandina had an impact on some of the pagans who witnessed it we are told.
The Martyr Stephen
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Acts 7:55,56
The Martyr Stephen
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Acts 7:55,56