(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



The Politicization and Co-optation of Christianity Occurred not Under Trump, but 1700 Years Ago [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-04-25

Christianity finally became acceptable after hundreds of years of persecution, random jailings, executions and murders for “public entertainment” in the arena. The worst of which immediately preceded the reign of Emperor Constantine.

Thus began the formal co-opting of Christianity and it’s conformity to and acceptance of Roman law and rule. Highlighted by the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.

This following quote in some form is in three gospels, attributed to Jesus, sums up the matter up nicely, which Rome stubbornly refused to note or fully accept for almost 300 years:

“And Jesus said unto them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's. And they marveled greatly at him.” Mark: 12:17

The Council of Nicaea, with Arius depicted as defeated by the council, lying under the feet of Emperor Constantine.

Their Nature to Mistrust

By nature, authoritarian leaders feared all sorts of challenges and exhibited extreme paranoia, which is probably why a less-threatening, passive aggressive ideology like early Christianity was not tolerated. Especially when the already co-opted wealthier Jewish classes and some collaborating religious leaders felt threatened by a challenging left wing Jewish ideology that praised the under classes and slaves in the earlier days of Jesus.

Emperor Constantine may have decided that Christianity could not be controlled strictly through repression and cleverly co-opted an increasingly popular Christian movement by declaring and legalizing most Religions, including Christianity. He himself claimed to have become one.

This was the time when a collaborating form of Christianity began to make headway and became, in a sense “married” to the Empire. Clergy often became obligated to tone down or eliminate doctrine and beliefs which could incur the displeasure or wrath of the Emperor.

The Beginnings of Christian Co-optation

Constantine formally restored the rights of Christians in 312 A.D. and in effect legalized it. The organization and centralization of Christianity took off during the First Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church, said by many to have been encouraged and facilitated by Emperor Constantine himself, who attended and spoke at some sessions. Popularly known as the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. This lent even more credence to the name “The Holy Roman Catholic Church,” which some began using the name as early as the First Century.

Pope Benedict became Pope at age 20 because of a bribe by his father and ran a virulently corrupted Church.

In practice the attending Bishops had to both settle religious disputes as well as develop ideological interpretations that were acceptable to Constantine and future Emperors.

By bringing the religion legally under the Roman roof Constantine pursued a more controlled and unified Christian ideology and encouraged the higher clergy (Bishops) of that time to attend large future Councils to draft consistent teaching and rulings.

Sharp Class Differences Developed

From that time onward high Catholic officials became increasingly wealthy. And eventually the position of the Pope was created, who also became increasingly wealthy as well as corrupted. Together they were adept at twisting doctrine to justify their privilege and wealth, as well as territorial and imperialist wars of conquest. I’ll spare you the many more details of Church corruption, the bloody Crusades, Inquisitions and other atrocities as they are well known and documented.

“Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” Peter 3:18

Over time, enforcement of doctrine and suffering were reserved for the poor, lower classes and for lower ranking clergy, but not for those residing at the seats of power.

As someone who attended Catholic Schools for 12 years, we had regular religion classes but I cannot recall any mention of the many corrupt and sometimes criminal papacies.

Nor were their any classes on topics like wars, racism and other social struggles of the time. Discussions were rarely connected to life events or civil life or strife.

The Catholic Church and Today’s Authoritarianism

Big Brother is watching.

The Christian God as often taught, in my view, represents a window for many to accept similar authoritarianism in civil and political life. It was the way God was taught to me, from the earliest grades in school, that he was that he was a all powerful, perfect patriarchal male God that has lived for all eternity.

That he created all things in the universe, and that he controls life and death, that he sees and knows all, including your own thoughts, and sentences everyone when they die to heaven, purgatory, or hell. In hell you burn on fire for all eternity.

Sex was always referred to as something sinful unless you were heterosexually married making babies. Any sexual behavior and thoughts you had before then were either a venial or mortal sin. You even had to go to confession regularly and confess your “sins” to a priest, including sexual offenses.

In retrospect I consider it child abuse.

Mind Control

MAGA cult sign.

In civil life, we’d call this authoritarian mind control, a form of abuse or torture. Suffice it to say that virtually every Catholic boy or girl suffered from some sexual neurosis or guilt because of this. While there has been some moderation in teaching since the 1950s and 60s when I went to Catholic School, the God that is taught is still authoritarian and patriarchal. Women are still not included in leadership or clergy positions.

I believe it is behind MAGA’s popularity, which has made Trump into an all powerful God figure to many of them that can do no wrong. Which is the main reason why he seems invulnerable.

Patriarchal male dominated cultures can also produce such fascist leaning cults, both with and without the religious angles.

A Word to Progressive Christians

What I’d say to today’s progressive Christians is that you have filtered out all the poisons associated with the way Christianity is often taught and turned into its opposite. What is left are the decent and humane aspects of a man called Jesus. The man, not a God, that I once prayed to, to keep my sanity while in solitary confinement in a Ft. Riley stockade. And sang Bob Dylan songs to keep my sanity.

To all of you I wish you well. []

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/4/25/2318486/-The-Politicization-and-Co-optation-of-Christianity-Occurred-not-Under-Trump-but-1700-Years-Ago?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/