The True Doctrine: An Attack On Christianity

“ They must make their choice between two alternatives. If they refuse to render due service to the gods, and to respect those who are set over this service, let them not come to manhood, or marry wives, or have children, or indeed take any share in the affairs of life; but let them depart hence with all speed, and leave no posterity behind them, that such a race may become extinct from the face of the earth.” This is how Celsus criticized and attacked the Christians in 170 C.E., which made the roman citizens want to follow what he said. Celsus was a Greek platonist( who wrote a treatise around 170 C.E., called The True Doctrine, an attack on Christianity. But before he made this book, what did the roman citizens and officials do that caused

The romans were jealous of the Christians and how popular they were getting. In the 1st century, the Christians were very popular because of Jesus traveling around and healing people with his power. The romans didn’t think he was actually doing this and thought that this was fake, so they killed him. The Christians were martyrs and “martyrs are people who roman authorities executed because of their beliefs”; wouldn’t submit to emperor worship. At first, the Christians considered themselves Jews in the first century. In the beginning the romans didn’t distinguish between the Christians and the Jews. “They considered them both equal.” Then in 98 C.E., their way of thinking changed and they thought differently about both of the religions. “ Roman citizens thought the Hebrew religion was legitimate and the Christians religion was a superstition rather than a true religion.” In 66 C.E. the Christians broke their “friendship” with the Jews because the Jews did not support the rebellion and because of the crucifixion of Jesus in 33 made them what to be two separate religions. There was a rebellion because the romans started to think that the Christian religion was not real , “ The roman authorities regarded Christianity as an anti-social, atheistic superstition and an illegal association.” They said they were atheistic to their religion, because they didn’t believe in multiple gods and wouldn’t follow it. “The romans also thought that they came up