Who were the Gentiles at that time and why could they not prevail?
Paganism differs from monotheistic (Abrahamitic) religions in the following points:
- The object of worship is nature, not an alien-abstract supernatural.
Paganism is a natural religion.
“Holy Scriptures” mostly written by priests. In paganism such revelations do not exist, one considers his texts as mythical, not as true.
There is therefore no missionary work and no desire to impose one’s own religion on others.
This claim to absoluteness is the reason why only monotheism knows a war on religious grounds.
Paganism has prevailed worldwide in one form or another, and it has been dominant for a long time.This is still the case today in countries that have not been conquered and subjugated by Christians or Muslims.
The decline of paganism came with several factors:
- The decline of antiquity due to famines (caused by volcanic eruptions) and the harbinger of the plague.
- Thus the general level of education and prosperity decreased – the old gods could not help, it was tempting to join new ones.
- The realization of a man, Constantine, who was characterized by extreme ruthlessness (he came to power by murdering his own relatives).
He recognized that religion is suitable for the exercise of power, and that monotheism can do it better than polytheism. He used and shaped the Catholic Church into a kind of political weapon, he also dictated some content to them.
Some of the paganism was restored, but that was not permanent.
This led to a break from tradition, and to the fact that today we know very little about paganism. Historian Rolf Bergmeier estimates that 99% of all pagan writings have been destroyed.
If one looks closely at this, Christianization follows the military trains: the countries that were conquered by Christians became Christian. The Muslims later did so. If a country was not conquered, it did not become Christian (such as China and Japan).
One could say that the old Gentiles could not prevail because they cultivated religious tolerance.When they realized that this would lead to their extinction, and they resisted, it was already too late. Christians were better able to tinker with the rulers than they did, because they promised the then dictators power over the people.
Paganism, in which tradition plays a major role, has never been able to recover properly from the demolition of tradition.And the current decline of Christianity leads to a-religiousness, to atheism, and less to paganism.
