The Rise of Christianity

Factors of the Growth of Christianity

            Rome, the central, new-aged empire housed many races and many different people.  One type of these people were the Jews and they were given a prophecy that one day a king would deliver them from the hands of the Romans.  Today, Christianity seemed to have three main reasons why it spread and keeps spreading so fast across the world.  First was Jesus, the teacher who sparked the beliefs of the religion; second was his apostles or followers who carried on his teachings, and lastly was the global message taught.  The global message was the main factor that brought Christianity around the world and made it the number one religion of the world today because how Jesus brought us as human beings closer to the one thing that would grant us salvation.

           

The first major factor that allowed Christianity to spread was the leader or starter of Christianity, Jesus Christ.  As human beings, we seek the answers to major questions such as why are we here, how do we live, and is there a being or God bigger than ourselves?  Jesus preached about many of these answers and about God, his father.  No matter where he went, people understood him because what he said connects with everyone, no matter age, race, or gender. He even preached about ending sin and granting eternal salvation, two major topics hovering above people’s heads at that time.  Such teachings challenge Roman views on the afterlife and some of their important Gods, getting people’s attention.  Although, through preaching against some of the Jewish culture and belief, by 26 AD, “the chief priests of the Jews denied that Jesus was the Messiah. They said his teachings were blasphemy, or contempt for [or of] God.” – Blue Patterns book pg. 169.  Jesus’ teachings set the spark because he died for what he believed.  He was crucified and believed that he rose again from the dead.  Conquering death is something that all humans find fascinating and that today is something that make people inquire and curious about such a man and the religion Christianity, that followed his death.

Apostles' Journeys

Journeys of Paul and Peter

            In Jesus’ life, he had twelve apostles or disciples that were inspired to follow his teachings, thus one of the factors that spread Christianity all over the world.  They spread out all over the Roman Empire to preach the word of their teacher.  The two most famous apostles were Peter and Paul.  They went out and preached, conducted miracles, baptised new followers, and set up churches based on Jesus’ teachings, thus forming a large body of believers like themselves.  These disciples were similar to the kind of schools that Plato and Aristotle left behind in Athens, passing on his knowledge and teachings to the next generations.  Through the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles, Rome took its first step to making Christianity a global religion by officially recognising the groups of believers and grouping them together in a religion known as Christianity.  Emperor Constantine declared that the official religion of Rome would be from here on Christian, thus giving new Christians a place to escape from the oppression.  This attracted the attention from outer nations and groups, taking heed of the spread of the ‘Word’.  Even as Jesus did, some died for what they believed as martyrs because of Roman oppression.  With Christianity accepted now, they could speak freely and no longer hide their beliefs.  Kamikaze bombers and some terrorists were inspired by the term martyrs from Christianity and adopted it to themselves, as an example of global influence towards modern day.

            Today, Christianity has gotten all over the world because one of the major factors were the Pax Romana and how Jesus’ teachings reached the hearts and minds of the people. Originally, Rome was a vast Empire and stretched all over the world, even touching Asia.  During the Pax Romana, Peter traveled far and wide, spreading the word, bringing it to Asia, higher parts of Europe, and all the way down to Egypt.   Also during the Diaspora, the converted Christians and Jews set out all over the world, bringing their beliefs with them, much like missionaries today and began to convert people.  Throughout all of Jesus’ teachings, the main reason that people became Christians was because he preached that one should “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well,”   (BIBLE) Luke 6:27–31.  Jesus is saying here that one should not ever hate but try to understand or pity those who hate you.  Let them hate because as a Christian or follower, one should love infinitely as he did and as our Father does.   Jesus’ teachings will always be relevant.  Even today, this passage relates to many other religions for they have all come to a similar thing.  In Buddhism, another major religion, Siddhartha taught people to love each other and value all life because we are connected.  In even Hinduism, the main principle is to love because no matter what religion or race, we are all bound by the same humanity or karma.  We all are below something and that is what makes major religions spread and stand the test of time.  They all have the similar thing in common and that is that they answer major questions and spark people’s interest.

That is how major religions such as Christianity grow because the word spreads through people’s hearts and minds, “so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” – (BIBLE) Romans 10:17.  This quote means that hearing Jesus’ words without faith could be meaningless but once there is faith in the heart, then true belief follows.  In Christianity, there first came Jesus and his teachings.  Then was the apostles that spread his teachings to people but the last is the most important factor of why this religion grew.  It really was because of the message Jesus Christ preached.  He answered some of the universal questions and brought us closer to the one true god.  The people heard his words and with enough faith caused the rise of another great religion.

Congrats Readers!!!!

Sup Readers!!!!!  This is for all you readers because today, at 9:53pm (here in Singapore), my blog got 1,000 page-views because of you guys and you guys alone!!!!  I am just overwhelmed and so happy for all you guys out there that enjoy my posts.  I feel like some people out there, some special individuals understand my way of thinking and keep coming back to this blog to read more.  :D  I feel such an internal peace because I know that my internal existence has some relevance to the world.

Now, if you all could be so kind as to let me know who out there appreciates my work here, could you scroll to the bottom of my blog to find a place to enter your email address.  Now, I am not a stalker and I am a teenage girl.  I am not going to spam you with emails either.  XD  It just lets you know when I post something new instead of heaving to check back every now and then.  Sometimes you could miss something.  :D

Also, there is a survey on the left hand side across from the email form.  PLEASE!!!!  VOTE ON WHAT I SHOULD POST NEXT BECAUSE THE VOTING ENDS IN 5 DAYS FROM NOW!!!!!!  Your comments really help me grow as a writer and lets you wonderful people out there tell me what to write on.  It connects me to you and lets me know that there are people who care.  Thanks again all of you amazing readers.  Just want to let you know that you guys make me feel awesome.  :D  Peace out and God bless.

Awakening of the Soul Part 1

Well, our souls are an important thing.  Now, scientists can tell us all they want that there is no proof of us having a soul but I think that is wrong.  Some scientists have seemed to have found some evidence of a soul but until science class teaches that we have a soul, I won't believe them.  Anyway, a soul is really something dangerous as it is beautiful and enticing.

A soul, to me, means a life force that connects us to everything under God or the Universe.  This life force connects us with animals, each other, and emotions.  From emotions comes right and wrong, as well as our morals so therefore there is no logistic place that stores our right and wrong sense or conscious.  So, without a soul, our bodies would be shells of worthlessness   I can prove this, not through experiments or numbers, but through two simple scenarios.

1.  Take an old oak tree.  On it are perhaps things written or smaller leaves budding, even vines tangling themselves around it.  When you look at this tree, you see many amazing and great things on it.  You can almost feel the tree breathe when you put your hands on it's wide trunk and smile, for it is rough bark letting you rest your delicate head on it.  The tree does not mind and does appreciate your life as much as its own.  We may think that animals or plants have no emotion but the true thing or object that no emotion is man-made things.  Take plastic.  If a tree is made out of plastic, we do not mind throwing it away or chipping it down.  Even if it did make oxygen and look nice, we would have no feeling towards it because it does not share the same this as we do.  No matter how many years science developed, no matter how good the technology is, we will never be able to implant a soul into something we have created.  We could perhaps give it emotions or program it to feel and move like us but it will never truly 'live'.  It's life is 'man-made' and synthetic.  Just like that plastic tree.  When we rest our head against it, it might fall over.  The real tree would stand firm to let us lean on it.  It would not let us fall over.  Life is one and one is all.

2.  When we die, and we all will, our bodies decay.  I believe that our bodies 'decay' and become disfigured because perhaps there is nothing in it that makes it breathe and feel alive.  Now, before you start laughing at me, think of this.  When we die, our body temp goes down because the heart stops beating and nothing is heating the body from the inside.  Even if you place the body in clothes and a heater, some part of the body will still be stone cold.  I believe that this warmth we feel and give everyday comes form our soul.  Our soul gives our bodies warmth of the heart and of the mind.  Now, I believe that the soul itself powers and gives our body fuel to think and do.  Now, don't get me wrong, I know that if we don't eat, we cannot physically do; I am not talking about that kind of 'do'.  I am talking about the emotional do and the phycological do.  If we are going to die, we want to live.  If we are hungry, we mentally think of eating or going somewhere to eat.  Now, some people might think of this as the subconscious but I agree and disagree.  The subconscious is really just the auto-piolet of the soul.  The soul is the complex emotional basis that even we cannot reach.  It is the thing that gives us our personality and our core morals.  It is the pure part of us, that no one can touch but those who we let.  This is our most guarded treasure.  We can change how we look and how we act but nothing can change what we truly feel and believe.  I believe this is something beautiful as it is dangerous.

I say dangerous because no one can really know exactly what we are thinking or feeling.  We are always two-faced but sometimes, to ourselves.  When someone lies to themselves, they are just being two-faced to themselves.  But, when the soul no longer is pure as it is when we are brought to terms with it, then things get dangerous   People change and become the people we hear about on the news.  For a cure of this, people seek religion, meditation, and all other things.  Some seek counselling and others seek companionship.  I think one should seek meditation.

Meditation is really just analysing your own thoughts in your own time and space in your soul's deep core.  To truly get to the core of yourself, it IS DIFFICULT!!  I myself have only achieved it once or twice.  Our present minds are always getting in the way, blocking us from our true reality.  We are muddled and confused because we cannot tap into that pure heart of ourselves.  Once you have at least once, you have accessed a bit more about yourself that no one can tap into.  Once that barrier is broken, you will not loose yourself in today's mumbo jumbo like Facebook, Twitter  Snap-chat, Halo, and all the rest of it.  I am not discouraging you to do that ( I do enjoy Halo and Age of Mythology...  XD) but just to be wary of how that could be influencing your true mind and life.  Now, it does affect certain people more than others but not just technology influence things do.  People can also to.  People that you would never expect to like your parents, friends, or even a complete stranger can change you for the better or the worst.

To truly tap into your soul, one should let these steps guide you:

• Get comfy.  :D
• Close your eyes.
• Be alone.
• Be at peace.
• Let the world surround you and wrap you into it's embrace because it DOES love you and value you.
• Let yourself breathe slow and steady.  Slow EVERYTHING down.
• Command your mind and DO NOT let it wander aimlessly.  Have a certain place you want your mind to go and send it there.  (Once there, let it circle around in itself until you find something you want to focus on.)
• Focus on your feelings and try to analyse them.  Ask questions like:

• Why do I feel like that?
• What could have triggered that?
• Is it me or them/ that?
• How could I better myself or let this feeling continue?
• Do I enjoy this feeling/ is it healthy and good for me?
• Do I feel at peace with this?
• By now, you should have experienced a wall or smokey black thing come over your eyes and into your soul.
• You should not be able to feel your physical body but now your emotional or mental body instead.
• Now, let that smokey black mist overwhelm you.  Welcome it because it is the gate to your soul.
• Let your mind wander through past memories for the first hall is the hall of memories.
• Then wander through hallways of the future and the present until you reach a mirror.  Now this mirror is not like all the rest.  It is a special one.  It reflects how your soul looks from the inside.  Now, if you conscious is truly not messing with your present state of mind, what you should see in the mirror is meant to be beautiful to you and you alone.  It should make you smile or laugh.,  It should fill you with awe and appreciation for what you see before you.  Now, you might not even see anything but you might feel something powerful, something new.  That also could be the mirror reflecting your true feelings about something.
• Then go through a doorway/ arch/ wormhole (it is different for everyone) to reach a small or big garden.
• This is the most beautiful garden you will ever see.  Let your mind not stray and you must stay on the unseen path.
• Do not take heed of the flowers and intriguing plants because these might be a trick to your 'darker side' or the 'evil' in you.  We all have it and do not be fooled by it.
• Then, find the biggest tree, the purest one, the oldest one.  This tree is your soul.  It is the tall, rooted one with the biggest, most welcoming leaves.
• Sit under it and rest in the shade.  Assume a meditation position under the tree and close your eyes.  Breathe slowly but really, here, you shouldn't have to 'breathe'.
• Let the roots move over you for this tree is alive and moving.  Let the tree bring you into it or close.
• Let the tree do as it pleases.
• Then feel the life energy flow into you and let your mind go blank.
• Whatever thought pops into your head here is what your soul is trying to say to you.
• Talk to it and let yourself truly hear it out.  Do not judge.  Do not be harsh.  Do not be hateful.  Do all but love and understand.  Your soul knows you best.  It is you, but yet it is almost always better.  It is your best teacher in the time of need.  It lets you grow.  One day you will go back to the tree and thank it but you will never leave it's embrace for there you will stay in Heaven.  Well, that is how I meditate and how I have achieved my opinions and thoughts on this blog.  That is how you truly awaken the soul and hear it out.  This is how you become aware and loving to all.  This is where you cleanse the hate and bad thoughts from your bodies to become purer and a better person.  Take heed and live, readers.  Do not be held back from this time of reflection and indulgence in the youth of your souls.