February 24, 303 Revisited XIII

The Romans had done persecutions before. What was the difference? Diocletian helped calm down the stress of financial difficulties.

He increased taxes, built up the army, made it into a military state which were all things that worked before.

What was the difference which caused the persecution of the Catholics?

Two things caused the hatred of the Catholics-first, the stress of the people being on the edge of the decline of the civilization.

Second, the return to rejuvenate the glory that was Rome was based on a conservatism, of a system which was outdated, as the new system emerging was feudalism, which was local government, a new idea, as the empire idea was passe.

Rome was twice the size of the old USSR. The empire model was ending fast, the imperial system was old and weary, whereas the local systems were growing.

The Senate was made up of local Roman families, not world travelers, like the emperors or the army.

CC BY-SA 3.0 File:Europe 180 ad roman trade map.png Uploaded by Adhavoc Created: 27 September 2010

Rome was reliant on the supply lines, corn from Egypt, and other far in distance, trade routes. Over-centralization of bureaucracy and over reliance on imports killed Rome-Rome could not re-invent itself.

A city like Rome has never existed since then, never. A real center of politics, technology, trade, it was increasingly reliant on charismatic leaders like Diocletian. The inside was crumbling. Therefore, a scapegoat had to be found.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

Stress is now in the West. I see it and I feel it. 

The Catholics.........the Catholics became the scapegoats as the largest minority group. They were at least 20% to 30% of the population. They were seen as a threat to the old common good.

There were many Catholics in the military. And, they could command armies, and even become emperor.

They were THE threat to the world order; a huge system which was NOT pagan threatened the system.

Yes! We are on the edge now, dear readers.

It has all happened before.....

Catholicism could not be adopted by the pagans, as other cults were. Catholicism could not be put into the melting pot. Catholics were not eclectic or gnostic. They were and are real focused people in a real world. Their Church is bigger than any empire, nation, country, city, area.

And the separation of church and state is ending in countries which have had this, as the states will create a religion of secularism.

Are you getting ready? (Originally written and published in February, 2014)