6 Times People Predicted the End of Christianity

Christianity has a long history. At over 2,000 years old, it seems like an ancient belief system. In reality, however, it is actually the second youngest of the five major world religions. That said, it has one of the best recorded histories of any religion on the planet. Christians kept meticulous records for centuries that show the evolution of the faith, the spread of the religion and both the trials and triumphs of the Church. Taken in broad strokes, the story of Christianity is one of growth and expansion. What started out as 12 apostles spread first throughout the Roman Empire then into Pagan and Muslim lands in the Middle East. It expanded across the oceans during the Age of Exploration, and circled the globe as travel became easier and faster. Christianity exists in every country on Earth today, and it started with a handful of men from a rural backwater in a rebellious territory dismissed and despised by the Roman Empire. This incredible story of growth, however, was not always as smooth as it appears when 2,000 years of history are condensed into a few sentences. Instead, there were numerous times when it appeared that Christianity was doomed. Here are six times people predicted the end of Christianity only to be proven wrong.

Jesus’ Death

The first Christians had no word for Christianity. They did not see their faith as a new religion. Instead, they felt it was the fulfilment of their old faith. To most people living in the time of Christ, Jesus was not the beginning of a new faith. He was the Messiah prophesized by Judaism, an especially powerful prophet or a complete lunatic cunningly using religious trappings to cause problems. Whether peopled believed in Him or did not, loved Him or hated Him, it was abundantly clear to everyone that Jesus of Nazareth was a charismatic and compelling speaker. His ministry was short, but it drew people in rapidly. Without its central figure, however, no one expected Christ’s young movement to survive. The disciples were seen as too disorganized to continue on after Jesus was crucified. Those who believed in Him mourned, and those who loathed the young Christian faith thought that would be the end of it. Jesus was dead. His movement would die with Him. Then, Christ broke all the rules, returned from the dead and His disciples went from grieving to all but dancing in the streets. Rather than breaking the young Christian religion, Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection created it.

Nero’s Persecution

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With the exception of the Christians themselves, exactly no one was happy that this strange Christian movement was flourishing. To make matters worse, it did not have the decency to stay in Israel where an irritating people did things that were baffling to the Roman Empire like ignoring all gods but one. Instead, Christians, as the followers of Christ were starting to be called, marched all over the Roman Empire converting people. They spoke of drinking a man’s blood, married those they called brothers and sisters and openly worshiped a man who was crucified. To Romans, they were incestuous, criminal-worshipping cannibals. They were also from an area that had recently flared up into open rebellion. Nero famously took advantage of these facts to turn Christians into the perfect targets for persecution and excellent scapegoats. Rome’s cruelty was legendary, but Nero’s actions turned even ancient stomachs. Even those who were mildly sympathetic to the Christians’ plight assumed that the faith would die out. What religion could survive being forced underground and into the shadows? Christianity, however, held on and persisted in both the brave example of the martyrs and the cunning of those who ran and hid house churches. Two centuries later, the situation was turned on its head as Emperor Constantine I converted to Christianity.

Rise of Reason

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The belief that science and religion were mutually exclusive paths had to arise from somewhere, and it is likely that it took root during the Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment or Age of Reason gave birth to many great scientists who saw no conflict between religion and reason. That said, there was a growing belief at the time that faith and science moved in opposite directions. Deism took root and the field of secular philosophy grew. Slowly, religion was pushed back by secularism, and organized religion began to splinter as different groups tried to reconcile new scientific discoveries with traditional interpretations of the Bible and came to different conclusions. People began to believe that religion was beginning to fade away. It had served its purpose and was slowly being replaced by science and secular philosophy. Christianity remained strong, but for the first time in centuries, the church’s power was less than rock solid. This would appear to reverse with the invention of the printing press, Protestant Reformation and explosion of Christianity in the New World, but the damage had been done when it came to pitting science and religion against each other in the hearts of mankind.

Spread of Communism

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The creations of the Iron Curtain and spread of communism was a dark time for humanity. Stalin and Lenin are confirmed to have slaughtered more than 50 million of their countrymen, and they likely killed closer to a combined total of 100 to 150 million people. Mao Zedong, meanwhile, murdered at least 50 million Chinese while “purifying” his country during the so-called Cultural Revolution. Given that records have been deliberately altered, hidden and destroyed, his body count is likely far higher. These were the leaders of communism. They did their best to spread their ruthless control, and one of their greatest enemies was Christianity. The Bible teaches that a utopia is impossible to create on Earth because mankind is inherently fallible. This is the exact opposite of what communism teaches and claims to want to achieve. Religion and the church, meanwhile, provided a source of courage and strength to stand up against such vile dictators. As such, communism did its best to exterminate organized religion, and China today continues to oppress and persecute Christians. As communism appeared to have the upper hand for some time, people thought that perhaps this was the end of Christianity, at least in the East. Instead, more than a million Poles turned out to hear Pope John Paul II, and the oppressed Catholics cried out “We want God! We want God!” Less than a generation after it was raised, the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union dissolved, setting Eastern Europe free. Communism burned, but Christianity carried on.

Militant Atheism

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The division between science and faith in the modern day has been portrayed by some as a division between religion and reason. Phrasing it this way is clever as it implies that, since religion is supposedly pitted against reason, religion is illogical and insane. This makes it very easy for atheists to ridicule Christians and allows them to start off derision disguised as debate with Christians on the back foot. It also meant that many of them were self-righteously certain that poor, confused Christians would come to see that atheism was correct. Many of them worked hard to achieve that goal. They mocked Christianity relentlessly, calling it nothing more than fairy tales and dismissing 2,000 years of history, sacred belief and faith by comparing it to belief in the tooth fairy. With religion driven out of schools, it appeared that they might be right. Despite this, however, Christianity continued to survive. Children were not allowed to pray in school, so they met before class and prayed at the flagpole. Christians knew that attacks were coming, so they prepared logical defenses. A new era of Christian apologetics was born.

Decline of Christianity in the West

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Secular media outlets and triumphant atheists have been delighted to declare that Christianity is declining in the West. Fewer and fewer people attend church regularly. Young people are often pushed away from their faith while attending college, in no small part because many universities have cultures that are quietly hostile to Christianity. Religion has become a steadily smaller part of many people’s daily lives. To atheist zealots, this is a reason to rejoice. Faith is finally fading away. In the West, this is true in some ways. The Christian population is dwindling, even though many Christians remain who are deeply devoted and dedicated to their faith. Across the ocean, however, Christianity is growing. Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are both home to an explosion of growth in Christianity, and Latin America also remains determinedly Christian. The historic home of Christianity in Europe has faded in many ways, but that does not mean that the religion is on its way out. Instead, it is simply shifting locations.