Why did ancient world gods fall out of popularity almost entirely

>>17928970
The obvious answer is Christianity. Before that gods rose and fell in popularity commonly.

>>17928977
But why did Christianity overtake their popularity? Moved like a steamroller throughout the Roman Empire even with massive persecution at times, even outside of persecution it was seen as just another Jewish cult for some time before the eventual full breaking from Judaism.

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>>17928970
Amun Ra will return to reclaim his throne.

>>17928984
Christianity took over their popularity seeing as those who weren't christian were killed and whatever. Most of the people were peasants and christianity interested them for it was a religion for everybody, even the poor could get into heaven.

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>>17928970
The ancient world gods were inherently unjust.

People do not tolerate injustice well when they are literate, because it looks incoherent when written down.

The polytheist pantheons are historically legal systems based on oral traditions, and they ceased to be meaningful after everyone picked up on writing.

>>17928984
They literally killed people who didn't follow Christianity.

>>17929033
>They literally killed people who didn't follow Christianity.
You must really hate modern day Islam then.

>>17929026
You're full of shit.

>>17928970
When Constantine made Christianity the new official religion people where convinced to convert through tax breaks. Also Christianity simplified and unified religion at the time in general.

>>17928970
The Mohammed accord a treaty was signed by these extra terrestrials all good and bad agreed that if this science project is to continue (surface population being the genitic science experiment) successfully, there would be no open contact of forced open manipulation of the aurface population, only its leaders and a select few who could then by proxy control the masses.

>>17929317
O btw if you didn't catch it, the implication is most of these so called "Gods" were just entities with greater technology wooing people with "miracles", or as we know it today advanced and exotic technology.

>>17929042
Don't most non-muslims?

>>17928970
They didn't. You could almost say they were at their prime in the renaissance.

>>17929104

What a cuck

>>17928984
1. Christianity is actually pretty good compared to the other ones, every one gets into heaven
2. Perks for having the ''correct'' faith in the community.
3. Not being persecuted.

>>17928970
The old gods were attempts to explain natural phenomena to the populous. And to work with large concepts through personification.

The abrahamics are not this, they are religion politicized to control the populous. One God, No dissent.

This is also why the polytheistic religions are closer to the truth.

>>17929916
He's right though. You are full of shit.

>>17931679
Polytheistics are concerned with Earth, Abrahamics are concerned with the Universe, they are on a far higher level.

>>17928970
It happened because of Jewish infiltration in Europe

>>17928988

Fuck that. Crom will return and answer the riddle of steel.

>>17928970
look up the Battle of the Frigidus (or frigidus river).

>>17933196
You're full of shit too.

>>17933196
>Polytheistics are concerned with Earth, Abrahamics are concerned with the Universe, they are on a far higher level.
Doesn't the Hindu pantheon delve into cosmology?
In general the lessons of Polytheists can apply to varying levels of scale. The most noteworthy example I've heard of is Varg's interpretation of Thor.
>Thor, traditionally depicted, has a red beard. Just like the general colouring of the planet we call Jupiter.
>Asteroids (rock, or Earth) & comets (Ice) often get sucked into Jupiter (Thor)'s gravity well; preventing Earth from suffering a constant barrage of space-death.
>Astronomers cite the necessity of gas giants (such as Jupiter) for the stability/safety conditions for life to develop on planets like ours.
>Thor's Hammer is Jupiter's gravity well; protecting us from giants of Ice (comets) & Earth (asteroids).

>>17933218
Looks like we have a butthurt 'pagan' over here! Sorry that my God of the Universe steamrolled over your gods of earth and trees and rocks, but you can't be a sore loser. Even looking at this from a henotheistic standpoint, God and his Divine Essence in the Form of Man, Jesus, were way way more powerful than a bunch of capricious, self-serving spirits. Jesus came to the people and died for them, showing them the way of salvation, while Jupiter sat fat on his throne and Odin wandered like a vagrant in a barbarian land. Splintered gods for splintered peoples, my God is One God for One People, All People.

At worst, you people worship demons. Get over yourselves.

>>17933219
>Hindus

Honestly, the only other respectable faith. Truly truly ancient, venerable, fascinating, but labyrinthine and splintered. Their Godhead is a good place to start, but from there? Whew.

>Varg

Can't take him seriously, sorry, but I like some of his music. It's a nice idea, but he's trying to make scientific what is pure belief and mythology.

>>17928970
Because the Abrahamic religions are pure cancer, and we all know how fast cancer spreads

>>17933233
Poor little pagan! His dirt gods got trampled under the heel of a stronger power.

>>17933222
>my God of the Universe
he's not just your god but his as well, he is just denying him

>>17933244
God is an infinite entity encircling our finite realm. The Jewish conception of the universe are unknowable is true. But God gave Jesus to us to save us, and gave a Jesus to every world, for it is all his creation. Christs across the cosmos, saving souls.

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>>17933273
>Christs across the cosmos,
there is no cosmos

>>17933281
The firmament is the cosmos, the vastness of God's creation is undeniable, we're an island.

>>17933222

You should get over yourself, mate

>>17933324
I'm not the pagans on this site reveling in their empty little rebellions, worshiping trees and rocks because it's cool and different.

>>17933334
they are not really pagans they just hate Christianity

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>>17933273

And if god were anything tangible, they would be global super-entity - not universal. So practically, mother nature - the dirty pagan Gaia, manifest a connected consciousness.

Beyond that, solid bet we're talking advanced civs and computer sims and otherwise a whole different league of DMT legends or whatever

>>17933338
Which is as bad as being a pagan.

>>17933340
God isn't tangible, not in a material way like we need, God is an overarching force. God is a reality unto Himself. That is why this utmost force was sent down materially in Jesus. We are discussing forms of being that are simply beyond humanity's materiality. The pagans only know of materiality.

>>17933361

You should spend more time listening to other people. you literally just repeated the most basic implications of what I was saying.

>>17933398
Not really, no. Computers and DMT do not a God make.

>>17933243

Stronger brainwashing power, certainly. Stronger socio/political manipulation tool also.

>>17933361
>The pagans only know of materiality.

If there was ever any doubt (and desu there was never even a shred) of your ignorance, it was completely dispelled right here.

>>17933219
That's very pretty idea.

>>17928970
They didnt for me, I actually swore a blood pact to the Luck Goddess Fortuna. I now follow her as my deity.

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>>17928970
They fell into codes because knowledge wasn't for everyone.

>>17933281
>Stars on opposite side of the Sun

Holy shit that image is so retarded it even fails to provide an account of a flat earth.

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>>17935167
Should've picked a stronger goddess m8
>>17928984
Christianity claims you can get into paradise regardless of your socioeconomic standing, and even that the poor will have a greater chance at everlasting happiness than the rich. Such a notion would be very comforting to someone who has to work his ass off just to put food on the table for his family.

>>17928984
1. Early Christians were mostly insane zealots, and the persecution made their faith stronger by orders of magnitudes. Look at radical Islam. Those guys are Muslim, they're getting killed in mass, and yet now ISIS has emerged and is steam rolling the Middle East.
2. Christianity was just wide-spread enough that Constantine's mother was a Christian, and he converted the Roman empire into a Christian one; establishing the Catholic church as we know it
3. After the fall of Rome people searched for order and meaning, and found it in the church

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What your not realizing is Christianity killed off it's competition completely through the Crusades and then again through the inquisition.
They killed off pagans. Just like Persia killed off the Egyptians.
When you actually read a Bible however it doesn't show instant access to heaven. It shows oppression and almost psych ops to convert other people. Look at noah or Abraham.
Especially when Jesus says it's OK to self mutilate if your still "sinning"
A lot of people don't understand who there serving at all...
There's also whole parts that never happened akin to the Quran.
>>17928988
>this

>>17928970
lost it's power. The kings had no use for it because it served as a distraction and went against their political hierarchy.

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>>17933273
>God is an infinite entity encircling our finite realm. The Jewish conception of the universe are unknowable is true. But God gave Jesus to us to save us, and gave a Jesus to every world, for it is all his creation. Christs across the cosmos, saving souls.

is this the evidence supporting the statement >>17933196
>Abrahamics are concerned with the Universe, they are on a far higher level.
?

Do you believe the Bible to be the Word of God? The truth? Literal? or texts open to interpretation?

We know ages of stars and planets in parts of the universe, including the age of the Earth. That stuff doesn't fly with the Bible last I checked.

Really, is this "cosmos" line supposed to suggested that the Abrahamic Gods made the Milky Way galaxy? or the Andromeda Galaxy or others?

>>17933334
>>17933338
>>17933340
some "pagans" may dislike or even hate Christianity, but you guys are misrepresenting what you think is "paganism", non-Christian religious beliefs have been ignorantly and incorrectly referred to in this thread as "dirt gods" "demons" and "materialism".

I do not see any proof that your "God" is one of the "Universe". and if he's supposed to have a
>>17933243
>stronger power.
and be a
>>17933222
>One God for One People, All People.

He's failing miserably.

He created the "universe" and sends a dude down to be his son >2000 years ago in a desert land and has been waiting all this time for all of us to "get his message" (that Satan is winning, or we're turning away from God is a cop-out at best, false, and defending a God that either isn't that powerful, or doesn't care about sending innocent, good people to Hell - for thousands of years, or eternity)

I know I'm not going to change your beliefs on a South African Ice Fishing forum, and based on your "argumentative" style so far, I don't wish to engage you further in discussion - a waste of everyone's time. But feel free to stop the "my god is best god, rock worshipers" slander bullshit.

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>>17937250
P.S. I'm pantheistic in my spiritual beliefs and try to incorporate Buddhist teachings and concepts as the way, or path in life. I meditate and volunteer and work to actively help others around me. I'm a good person, and Christians believe I'm going to Hell, will suffer the gnashing of teeth forever, and.. they're ok with that?

whatever.
>inb4 *tips fedora I can't argue with you here's a meme answer*

>>17937007
>Especially when Jesus says it's OK to self mutilate if your still "sinning"

What? Verse and line, please.

>>17937274
>and Christians believe I'm going to Hell, will suffer the gnashing of teeth forever, and.. they're ok with that?

Most Christians either don't believe in Hell or think of it as a school, or some such modulation.

They're correct because there was no such concept in Judaism and early Christianity didn't have an eternal hell for its first 5 centuries. Current hell concept really comes from Greek and Roman beliefs. Original Christianity has everyone be saved by Christ, hence "good news".

Knowing there's a chance you might be tortured for eternity isn't good news no matter how you put it. It was good news because it superceded the idea of death being nothing.

>>17933281
so what you're telling me is i can swim to heaven?

>>17929026
>ancient world gods were inherently unjust
Is that what you tell yourself?

>>17936300
This is what Christians actually believe.

>>17937360
No

>>17928970
Related question.
Does anyone know of any place for reading up on acient Germanic Paganism, or just any Old Gods of the region?

>>17937289
makes sense to me, thank you. I was raised Roman Catholic, and it never jived with me (even when I was really young) that I could forgive anyone, but God couldn't.

So the Christianity you're describing is more Gnostic or traditional? is belief in Hell still applicable with by-the-book Protestants and Catholics? I understand the "cookbook Catholic" phenomenon, my family is that way - The Pope says x, The Church says x, but I believe y (like using birth control, for example.) I assume many Protestants are similar; maybe their Bible tells them homosexuality is a sin, but have gay friends and are gay themselves and with their personal faith isn't exactly inline with what the overall "faith" entails.

I think the historical records we have closest to the time of Yeshua and the story of early Christianity is brilliant and fascinating. And I don't mind that people practice privately or hold beliefs that may indeed by far, far removed from what his or John the Baptists original ideas might have been. But, and I'm just stating this, it's not a cue to derail the thread into a /pol/tical discussion, Christian lobbyists and government leaders, etc. do wish to put a current version of Christian beliefs into the practices of our Country. (am American, of course. I realize it varies around the world, and not all of anons are from the U.S.) It's they, who sound a lot like the anon I replied to; who are convinced they're right (fine) but hold false beliefs of other religions and sometimes of science (not so fine.)

also, speaking of the early Christians, and re: OP's original question. In the years following Christ, believers who held the same ideals were organized in a way that various non-Christians (who had multiple various beliefs) were not united. Even after the tolerance Constantine and the pagan-punishing Constantine, Julian came along and after giving his uncle Constantine a Christian burial, reverted the empire back to traditional paganism, but failed...

1/2

>>17937592
2/2

>After the reign of two emperors bent on supporting the Church and stamping out paganism... pagans simply did not embrace Julian's idea of proclaiming their devotion to polytheism and their rejection of Christianity. Many chose to adopt a practical approach and not support Julian's public reforms actively for fear of a Christian revival. However, this apathetic attitude forced the emperor to shift central aspects of pagan worship. Julian’s attempts to reinvigorate the people shifted the focus of paganism from a system of tradition to a religion with some of the same characteristics...(of) Christianity. Julian attempted to introduce a tighter organization for the priesthood, with greater qualifications of character and service. Classical paganism simply did not accept this idea of priests as model citizens. Priests were elites with social prestige and financial power who organized festivals and helped pay for them. Yet Julian’s attempt to impose moral strictness on the civic position of priesthood only made paganism more in tune with Christian morality, drawing it further from paganism’s system of tradition.

>development of a pagan order created the foundations of a bridge of reconciliation over which paganism and Christianity could meet. (and) Julian’s persecution of Christians, who by pagan standards were simply part of a different cult, was quite an un-pagan attitude that transformed paganism into a religion that accepted only one form of religious experience while excluding all others—such as Christianity. In trying to compete with Christianity in this manner, Julian fundamentally changed the nature of pagan worship. That is, he made paganism a religion, whereas it once had been only a system of tradition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_of_Greco-Roman_polytheism#Toleration_and_Constantine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_of_Greco-Roman_polytheism#Restoration_and_tolerance_from_Julian_till_Valens_.28361-375.29

this isn't a bad overview -

>http://www.crystalinks.com/romereligion.html

the intro mentions Julian, and there are sections on religion and politics, Jews in Rome, and Christianization.

-------

these changes of religion during the Roman Empire have a part to play in the interpretation of the word "scapegoat" and in a Christian belief of Jesus as both the innocent sacrificed and he who "takes away the sin of the world".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapegoat#Christianity

>In Christianity, especially in Protestantism, this process prefigures the sacrifice of Christ on the cross through which God has been propitiated and sins can be expiated. Jesus Christ is seen to have fulfilled all of the Biblical "types"—the High Priest who officiates at the ceremony, the Lord's goat that deals with the pollution of sin and the scapegoat that removes the "burden of sin". Christians believe that sinners who own their guilt and confess their sins, exercising faith and trust in the person and sacrifice of Jesus, are forgiven of their sins.

>Seventh-day Adventist Christians understand this symbolism differently. As the Azazel Goat was understood by some Christians of the reformation to represent Satan, Seventh-day Adventists' views harmonize with those of the reformation time period.

>>17933212
different anon, thanks for the info!

>>17937289
>Most Christians either don't believe in Hell

There is no way in [pun] that I believe that.

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>>17936853
This, this is the answer.