Quote:
Originally Posted by Someday
Well, most scholars believe that early Christians did not use such places for one thing. Anyway, there are others, but I will wait to see if it's even true before I mention them.
Blessings
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If you have a read of Pagan Christianity
It details how Church buildings came about, and when and by whom
In AD324 Constantine apparently required them to be built to promote popularity and acceptance of Christianity
AS previous to this only the Jews and Pagans had their so called " Sacred " buildings
It was a move to make Christianity more Legitimate
Constantine was apparently big into superstition and pagan magic much of this continued even after he become emperor.
After his apparent conversion to Christianity he never abandoned sun worship, he kept the sun on his coins and he set up a Sun God that bore his own image in the forum of Constantinople _ summary from pagan christianity
Historians still debate as to whether he was a christian.... im sure today he would easily be classed " not one of the gang " by those who jump on the slightest difference of the bible.
AD321 Constantine decreed Sunday would be a day of rest, a legal holiday.. to honor God Mithras, the unconquered sun.. He said Sunday was the day of the sun
Excavations of St. Peters in Rome uncovered a mosaic of Christ as the Unconquered Sun ( that is not a misspelling of sun )
Creation of Sacred Spaces and Objects
Around the second to third century a shift occured.. Christians adopted pagan view of reverencing the Dead, honoring the memory of martyrs..
Christians picked up from pagans the practise of havin gmeals in honor of the dead.. the christian funeral and dirge came from pagnism in the third century
Third century christians had 2 places they met.. they met in homes and cemeteries.. They met in cemeteries because they wished to be close to their dead brethern
Because the holy matrys were there.. The christians viewed these places as " Holy Spaces " .. they began to build small monuments over these spaces and over graces of famous saints.. see " Protestant Worship and Church Architecture.. monuments would later transformed into magnificent church buildings.
Christians in Rome began to decorate catacombs with Christian symbols.. so art became associated with sacred spaces... The cross of Christs death cannot be found prior to Constantine...
The crucifix and artistic representation of the savior made its appearenace in 5th century... The custom of making the sign of the cross with ones hands dates back to second century
And it goes on.. a lot stems from paginism yet today Christians will defend it nail and teeth and pull out scriptures here and there to give validation to what, why and when ( GOD ) determined we would and should do XY and B