Lots of ideas in the air. Plenty of art. A fatigued society that would do something or go somewhere if they just knew what. You might think I'm describing America, but actually its the Roman Empire. Many people do not realize just how much like Rome America is. The product of greatness. Really Rome was, as America is, the greatest greatness the world has seen. You could say its the best men can do. But after men have done their best, then what? Greatness turns into a blind groping for direction. After you've climbed Mt. Everest what do you climb? The atheists would say that atheism is the next mountain to climb. We've already climbed Christianity - been there, done that. But have we really? It was not Christianity that built Rome but paganism. It was Christianity that gave Rome new life. You could say that without Christianity Rome would not have lasted for the last three centuries of its life.
At the time when Christianity hit the Roman Empire the Empire was in much the same place America is now: Directionless. Any decent paganism was deteriorating into demon worship. The Greeks had added much great philosophy to the world, but then Greece slowly became a whorehouse for any kind of new senselessness. There was nothing new even when people were always looking for something new. Jaded is the perfect word to describe such a society. Then Christianity came like a light in a dark place, like an oasis in the desert. Christianity was the new thing that Rome needed, desperately needed. It was fought against, sure, but what people miss is that if it were fought against there must have been plenty of people taking hold of it. Christianity was well hated even while it was most dear to people. It was most dear to people, people being killed for it, because there was nothing else that could fill them. All the pagan gods or Greek philosophies could not fill the soul. Christianity could.
The atheists say atheism is a new thing but that's not one bit true. Atheism really is paganism and paganism really is atheism. Do you think the Greeks were so foolish to actually think Zeus was a real god? They knew, just as well as we do now, that these were myths. Sure, they learned something from their myths and they paid tribute to them, but they didn't actually believe these gods were God. Their religion wasn't a religion at all. Their belief in gods was the same as our belief in Santa or Peter Pan. Their belief was basically that there was no God, or that they didn't know who God is, or that they couldn't know. The Jews were keeping their secret very well. Then, all of a sudden, with the coming of Christ, that secret of the Jews was unleashed upon the world. Many people have no idea what an impact Christianity had on the Roman Empire; it turned it upside-down.
Today there are some, consciously or subconsciously, who are calling for a Nova Roma, or a Religio Romana. That is, a return to Rome before Christianity. Well, they got it. There's no need to make a call for it, because its already here. America is already a very pagan nation. You could call it whatever you want: atheism, paganism, or you can call it what it really is - paganism with the pretension of Christianity. They are all the same. They are all paganism, just like Rome before Christianity. And just like Rome before Christianity, many Americans, especially young people, are searching for something real. They're searching for something solid and meaningful; something that answers all the important questions and won't compromise for nothing. Christianity is it. There is nothing but Jesus Christ to fill this desire, though its actually a need. We already live in Nova Roma. I'm calling for New Christianity. New, but actually old - the Christianity that the Apostles practiced. The Christianity that filled the soul's desire of so many Romans. The Christianity that turned the Roman Empire upside-down.
At the time when Christianity hit the Roman Empire the Empire was in much the same place America is now: Directionless. Any decent paganism was deteriorating into demon worship. The Greeks had added much great philosophy to the world, but then Greece slowly became a whorehouse for any kind of new senselessness. There was nothing new even when people were always looking for something new. Jaded is the perfect word to describe such a society. Then Christianity came like a light in a dark place, like an oasis in the desert. Christianity was the new thing that Rome needed, desperately needed. It was fought against, sure, but what people miss is that if it were fought against there must have been plenty of people taking hold of it. Christianity was well hated even while it was most dear to people. It was most dear to people, people being killed for it, because there was nothing else that could fill them. All the pagan gods or Greek philosophies could not fill the soul. Christianity could.
The atheists say atheism is a new thing but that's not one bit true. Atheism really is paganism and paganism really is atheism. Do you think the Greeks were so foolish to actually think Zeus was a real god? They knew, just as well as we do now, that these were myths. Sure, they learned something from their myths and they paid tribute to them, but they didn't actually believe these gods were God. Their religion wasn't a religion at all. Their belief in gods was the same as our belief in Santa or Peter Pan. Their belief was basically that there was no God, or that they didn't know who God is, or that they couldn't know. The Jews were keeping their secret very well. Then, all of a sudden, with the coming of Christ, that secret of the Jews was unleashed upon the world. Many people have no idea what an impact Christianity had on the Roman Empire; it turned it upside-down.
Today there are some, consciously or subconsciously, who are calling for a Nova Roma, or a Religio Romana. That is, a return to Rome before Christianity. Well, they got it. There's no need to make a call for it, because its already here. America is already a very pagan nation. You could call it whatever you want: atheism, paganism, or you can call it what it really is - paganism with the pretension of Christianity. They are all the same. They are all paganism, just like Rome before Christianity. And just like Rome before Christianity, many Americans, especially young people, are searching for something real. They're searching for something solid and meaningful; something that answers all the important questions and won't compromise for nothing. Christianity is it. There is nothing but Jesus Christ to fill this desire, though its actually a need. We already live in Nova Roma. I'm calling for New Christianity. New, but actually old - the Christianity that the Apostles practiced. The Christianity that filled the soul's desire of so many Romans. The Christianity that turned the Roman Empire upside-down.
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