Christianity is one of the most common religions. Scholars have given many possible reasons for the widespread appeal of Christianity. The poor were the people who saw the beginning of this religion and felt included in a religion for the first time. It spread from a modest beginning in Palestine to the eastern cities of the Roman Empire and then through the whole Roman world.
The Christian God had great appeal. He was not cruel and human-like as were many of the Gods in other religions at the time. The Christian God would love anyone who was a righteous person. Their social, monetary or educational status had little or nothing to do with the love they would receive from God, unlike in many other religions people had come in contact with. Many educated people who had rejected the Roman Gods and mystery religions became Christians. .
The offer of eternal life also interested many. The emphasis placed on a righteous life with the moderation of all things such as love, human dignity and discipline, rather than sacrifices and riches was what the majority- the poor- wanted. They were not capable of becoming rich because the rich towered over them, oppressing them in many cases, and paying them very little for all their work to create the Empire. Equality between men and women and for women to be able to work along side the men in the Church was also very appealing, though mainly to women .
It makes you wonder, 'If Christianity hadn't appealed so greatly to the people back then, where would we be now? What would be different?' These questions are unanswerable unless we go back and set history on a different track.
It is amazing that Christianity spread so far around the world. It has surely changed the course of history, even though it started with just one 'nobody' preaching to the poor. In conclusion, Christianity has been the cause of many great things, good and bad. We would never be where we are today if it weren't for Christianity.
