The reason Christianity took off was because it mainly appealed to urban populations who were disconnected from their native traditions due to city life and as such, looked to foreign faiths for spiritual guidance. Although there were many (Manichaeism, Mithraism, Isis worship, cult of Sol Invictus, etc), Christianity ended up being the one that triumphed. It’s actually not that different from people today looking to astrology, new age stuff, neopaganism, and political extremism.

Rural areas meanwhile remained pagan long after Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire and even in the early Middle Ages, much of rural France, Spain, and Italy remained pagan. The mani peninsula in Greece remained pagan until at least the 8th century. Even the Baltics remained pagan until at least the 14th century. This is actually why “Pagan” is the term used by Christians to refer to pre-Christian polytheistic religions. It comes from the Latin word “Paganus” meaning “rural” or “country-dweller”, which was increasingly used as an insult for rural people who still practiced traditional polytheistic religions (the modern equivalent of this being rural Christians in America being called “Hillbillies”).

>>17768573 (OP)
Spread by women...

Christianity spread because it was simple appealed to the poor masses and slaves. It also emphasized evangelizing more so than all the other cults you listed.

As for why Christianity was the foreign faith that became dominant and not others, we should first answer why the others didn’t become dominant:
>Mithraism wasn’t a missionary religion like Christianity, you had to be invited to join and it was male-only as it barred women from joining.
>Manichaeism was too foreign as most “foreign” religions including Christianity came from conquered peoples while Manichaeism didn’t even come from within the empire’s borders, meaning that it was viewed by Roman authorities with suspicion. It also had too many strict requirements (veganism, giving up earthly possessions, etc).
>The cult of Sol Invictus lacked grassroots support as it was a top-down religion that didn’t grow organically and was too closely tied to the state, making it vulnerable to regime change. It also had no moral teachings, scriptures, or community structure, just symbols and rituals.
>Neoplatonism and Philosophical Paganism appealed only to elites as you needed education and enough leisure time to study and appreciate it. It also lacked community structure and moral guidance.
By contrast, Christianity had:
>A universal appeal (men and women, rich and poor, Jew and non-Jew, etc)
>A missionary desire to convert everyone
>A strong sense of community
>Clear teachings about morality, sin, and salvation
>An organized clergy and hierarchy
>Promise of salvation
>Doctrinal flexibility (adapting to local cultures while retaining a core message).

>>17768573 (OP)
Maybe it took off because Rome threatened you with death if you didn't convert.

If anything, today's spiritual urbanites resemble more Gnosticism than Christianity. The Christian faith spread among ALL social classes, both urban elites and rural poor. Just look at how many Catholic martyrs were from all social strata, including Roman soldiers, commanders, noblemen and women, slaves, and artisans.

>rural conversion was marginal or belated
Are you serious? The Church literally took evangelism as a cornerstone of Her faith, especially in rural settings (Martin de Tours, the Benedictines, etc.). Also, Catholicism has always elevated rural life, so I don't know what the fuck you're yapping about.

>'paganus' etymology
'Paganus' also meant "non-military," and it acquired a religious connotation later on, not from the beginning. Rural resistance to Christianity was often more political than devotional. But I guess you don't care about that, since you're treating religion as a sociological fashion rather than a meaningful way for truth-seeking.

Christianity fulfilled, not replaced, the best of paganism.

>>17768573 (OP)
Christianity is near perfect mind virus
>>17768102

Lol no

It's spread was not organic

It was adopted by some judeo globalist empire as the state religion

Then they killed or confiscated your property if you didn't convert to jew worship

>>17768573 (OP)
The biggest factor in Christianity's spread and growth was simply the fact that Christians were the first ones to establish a Free Healthcare system and orphanages.

It is very well-written about how Christians would "abduct" children abandoned by prostitutes and raise them as their own. And the charity and hospitals founded by Christians were all over Rome and very well-connected.

In fact, there was a case in 200AD wherein Egypt was struck by an epidemic. Despite knowing the risks, Christians flocked over to help. Their devotion was so dedicated that it was written how "The Christians died so the Egyptians may live"

This act of heroism by Christians caused such a PR disaster for Rome that Emperor Julian set an edict calling for all Roman citizens to "be more benevolent towards their neighbors", which is a direct copy of Jesus' sermon

Many of the early martyrs of this time also died in service of the poor and oppressed like St. Lawrence and St. Liberata

>>17768771
Where did you get this all from?

>>17768573 (OP)
>>17768588
>>17768590
>>17768606
>>17768618
>>17768622
>>17768771
It's an evolutionary next step from all those other religions because it reflects the overwhelming humanity of a more populous world. Other religions either had earthly particulars, (temples, holy bloodlines) which made no sense with population growth, or they were philosophical and disconnected from daily life.

Judaism is sufficiently obsessed with domestic issues to see the foundations of a church-state were there, but it was still tribal in terms of jew and non jew. They didn't have a secular state to match their intrusive God, but the alliance of jewish religion and Rome is another matter. THE central act of Christianity is choice, the individual human free choice, of submission to the church. Christianity goes further than allowing baptism, it makes a whole cosmology centered around sin and baptism that mogs previous codes of conduct handed down by an arbitrary god. It explicitly addresses the problem of evil, at a time when Jews were wringing their hands over it, zoroastrians were going gay and pagans were extremely degenerate.

>>17768810
What a shitty post.

Christianity spread because of the power of the Spirit of God

>>17768810
Grace precedes free will, not vice versa. Emphasis on “choice” is modern and liberal, not Christian. Your post overemphasizes voluntarism in a way that borders on Pelagianism. Also, Christianity doesn’t break away from Judaism. On the contrary, it fulfills its prophecies. Christ is the Messiah of Israel, not a rejection of God’s prior covenant.

By the way, stop trying to push evolutionism into the faith. It's retarded. Truth is revealed, not developed out of petty human need or social pressure.

>Zoroastrians went gay
Weak bait, try better.

>>17768837
Grace precedes free will because of Christ's sacrifice! If you don't accept it and recognize its central importance, you aren't Christian. A man whose kingship was satirical and had null wealth and power, is the central figure because of what he did. What could such a person possibly do of religious significance? Just let it all go, like Buddha? Christ exceeded Buddha.

>>17768837
that post has nothing to do with biological evolution, which doesn't have next steps by the way. It's a comment on theology.

>>17768817
That's only the theological side. Christianity also had an advantage over other religions because of its universality.
>my religion says the entire world will submit!
it seems like a no brainer today with Islamics running around, but you have to put yourself in the mindset of 2000 years ago.

>>17768968
No, he is right
Christianity is not the result of trial and error.
It was the result of a guy telling everyone what to do, and everyone finding ways to apply his words enmass

Things like Equal rights, banning of slavery, and human rights were not products of logic and reason, but of faith. Everyone used Jesus' words as credence for their movement. It was not a math problem but people asking what Jesus wanted

>>17769027
Christianity's universality was about how everyone is invited. No such thing as special lineages and entrance fees. In fact, there's no special privileges at all - priests aren't a protected class, they work and live with the common man

This is unheard off in Pagan society were the priests are treated as above the common man. In fact, they are higher than the merchant class

>>17769044
Judaism was the error. They made the mistake of predicting a messiah, just begging a mortal man to come lead them. He showed up and wasn't an NPC story character so jewish civilization ended. Christianity doesn't make that mistake, the last overman has already lived and died. Just men now.

>>17769069
Philosophically it's 1500 years ahead of its time. That's what religion is supposed to do, it's aspirational. Christianity was the razor of humanity for centuries, destroying idolatrous anti-human religions that sacrificed people to the will of tyrants.

Islam is a degenerated version that spread on the periphery where polytheism survived and Christians failed to effectively assert control. The retcon of Jesus as God's son reflects a world where He hasn't come back. They're back to fighting earthly enemies (Islam is a political entity) because the emphasis is shifted back from, frankly, an ordinary man in Jesus to a warrior and intriguer Muhammad. Jesus speaks to life, Muhammad is a more primitive struggling character.

So the most well educated people became Christian while the illiterate remained pagan?

somethings don't change

>>17769253
thus, Islam is fundamentally a more primitive religion like Mithraism that utilizes Christian philosophy, and the weak points of Christian world order, to compete.

>>17768606
>>17768573 (OP)
good answer indeed

>>17768682
is there a judeo globalist empire in the room with you right now, freak ? you folks can only shill here but not show any proofs or sources

>>17769044
>Things like Equal rights, banning of slavery, and human rights were not products of logic and reason, but of faith
Yes, altrough it become reason in the end

>>17768573 (OP)
>The real reason Christianity took off
Because it's true.

>>17769699
it's true because of the things it told people to do, not the pretext it used to convince them

>>17769556
Yeah, reason like not wanting to be on Jesus' bad side

>>17769710
>Egyptian religion is true because of the things it told people to do, not the pretext it used to convince them.

>>17769253
>sacrificed people to the will of tyrants.

>>17770367
you mean like living a good life in preparation of being judged in the afterlife? fucking heathens

>>17770379
>Jesus Christ was 1500 years ahead of his time
>checks date in filename
hmmm

>>17770983
Egyptian religion is true, though. Not all of it (the Abydos Triad seems really overused), but the part that became Hebrewism and then later Christianity is a visible proof of its truth.
>Jesus is God's Firstborn Son, the Son of Nu.
>Jesus is the Physical Universe.
>Jesus is the Body of God. He makes the invisible visible.
>Jesus is Ptah, the physical creator, the craftsman, and Ordered Universe.
>Jesus is the Tannin, the Leviathan, a creature without fear, who was pierced with nails for our transgressions. His flesh became our meals. His luminous skin became our garments. He is the tongue of God's mouth, and the Feather of Truth is on his mouth.
>Jesus is Tatenen, who made the soul to perch. His conception made his mother Mehet-weret into a mother and his father Nu into a father.
>Jesus is Khnum, the Ram of God, the potter who forms the body of the Living Creatures. Jesus is Banebjedet, who carries the souls of all the living like a turtle carries its shell.
>Jesus is Shu, standing between Heaven and Earth. Jesus is Hu, the first word of Creation. Jesus is Aqen, the beginning of Time.
>Jesus is Wepwawet, opener of the paths, who created a stairway to heaven.

>>17772141
if this is AI its my favorite AI post yet

>>17770379
>ROMAN catholics killing christians
some lessons weren't learned the first time