I recently came across the site of artist & illustrator Howard David Johnson. In his illustrated outline of history he has a section about Rome where he suggests that Rome never actually fell, it just appropriated Christianity and continued it's empire building under the guise of religion. Here's what Johnson has to say:

Possibly the Biggest lie in history was that Rome fell. I contend that Rome never fell. The economic capitol of Rome shifted east for a while to avoid the Visigoths. She merely traded her eagles for crosses and went right on with her conquering and murdering ways in the name of the GOD of LOVE.

The most famous Roman execution in history, Jesus Christ, was only one of three thousand Jews crucified by the Romans in Jerusalem that year alone. They were nailing Jews to the walls of the city because there were not enough scaffolds to satisfy the Romans lust for blood. (34 A.D.) Will Durant, eminent secular humanist historian said "... if we challenge the historicity of Jesus Christ, then Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and other legends of history would fade into myth, there is so much less evidence of their existence. After 300 years of Systematic Persecution of the Christians failed to get the same genocidal result as in Carthage, they decided to take a new approach. If they could not stamp them out - why not just take control of the church and re-make it in the spirit of Rome? Following Constantine's Edict of Tolerance (313 A.D.) the Roman Empire created the Roman Catholic (or universal) Church , declared it a death penalty not to join (319 A.D.) and then immediately sent the same Roman Legions to invade North Africa and slaughter the North African Christians for daring to want to remain independent from their rule.

Jesus taught to "Love your Enemies" and "Do good to them that hate you"- the word "Christian" means like Christ

- I know of nothing more unlike Christ than this.

Very interesting... I think he's basically right. The values of "empire" have always been at odds with the true message of Jesus, and pretty much all of Western Civilization, from the time of Jesus till now, has been trying to claim itself as the successors of Roman Imperial power. And opposing this gospel of empire with the gospel of love and peace is still the task of true Christ followers even today.

Labels: theology