Peace and Good to all of you in Jesus Christ.
I read this piece today in The Huffington Post, penned by Pastor Byron Williams, entitled Constantine Christianity or the Teachings of Jesus?. Here's an excerpt:
The warring factions that exist within Christianity have not been liberal vs. conservative, but Constantine Christianity vs. the teachings of Jesus.Pastor William's Manichaean rhetoric whose purpose is to polarize the People of God and create enough rage and confusion in order to advance their particular political agenda. They are the ones responsible for enshrining moral degradation as "liberation theology", and not the so-called "Constantine Christianity" (a not-so-veiled reference to the Catholic, and Orthodox Churches as well as conservative Evangelical churches whose members wish to influence the public debate).
Early Christianity was a rebellious underground movement until Roman Emperor Constantine made it his religious practice in A.D. 312. Constantine's conversion was based on what he viewed as a victorious sign from God prior to going into battle. His successor, Theodosius I, made it the official religion of Rome in A.D. 380. These events did more for the spread of Christianity than any proselytizing efforts conducted by the Apostle Paul.
But it was a religion that was subservient to the Roman Empire, bearing little resemblance to the radical teachings of Jesus. It has been this brand of Christianity, which has its roots in the Roman Empire, that has historically sided with some of the worst atrocities in human history. It is Constantine Christianity that stands as the self-appointed citadel in opposition to marriage equality.
Coining the term "Constantine Christianity" is a fig leaf to cover the Pastor's Anti-Catholicism He oversimplifies of the history of the Church and a distortion of its nature and mission. These lead to no better distorsions than those social injustices once accepted by some Churches as a matter of course - who, as a matter of fact, have moved away from these thanks to their own spiritual resources and not thanks to the demagogy the author of this piece credits for change.
Behold, the ridiculous conclusions that a too generous application of "liberation theology" can bring to our debates.