Had Christianity never existed, do you think it would have given place to another major religion? Would pagan cultures have remained pagan? Would the non-existence of Christianism prevent the existence of anything similar to Islam?
>>503439
Had it never existed we could've been either jewish or buddhist I think....
>>503476
I don't see Judaism getting wide spread since it's genereally something you don't convert into.
I think it's more likely we would just continue having paganism, much like shinto in Japan.
>>503476
Buddhism would be very sucessful in the mysticism-loving Hellenistic world. A Buddhist Medieval Greece would be even more 'oriental' to Westerners than it actually was.
>>503439
Pagan religions likely would've reformed and become something completely different, the way Persian paganism became Zoroastrianism and Hellenic paganism became Mystery Cults (or the Imperial Cult, following Augustus).
Sometimes I like to fantasize that Norse paganism would've just bitten Snorri Snorrisson's bullet and declared the gods were just legends of ancient kings... And then continued to worship them. You'd have powerful kings and heroes claiming descent from Odin or Thor, and relics would start popping up. Eventually, some holy sites would be declared birthplaces. This would probably continue into the modern day, due to the Nordic predisposition to liberalism and secularism. They would just say that the ancient kings aren't to be worshiped, but emulated, and that their stories have lessons for us still.
I'm spic though, so we'd probably get UN sanctions for human sacrifice. :(
Cult of Mithras probably would have taken its place
Does Islam have any chance of spreading through Europe like Catholicism in this scenario?
>>503439
We would probably worship the cool Greco-Roman gods.
Obviously without Christianity Islam would not exist as Islam is just a branch of Christianity.
>>503525
Basically some form of monotheistic religion was going to happen anyway. If you have unpopular emperors and the pontifex telling you that he's in charge because the gods, the gods can become unpopular too...
The Deus Sol Invictus straight out of the paganism, a mysteric cult turned into a mass religion, another supposed Jewish Messiah, anything could have replaced the pagan religion(s).
I really do not think the empire was going to stay polytheistic all the way into the 7th century and wait to join Caliphate under Allah's banner.
Islam spreads in Europe as long as it doesn't encounter a symmetric, monotheistic, anti-polytheistic religion that can keep together what's left of the empire.
Europe might have very well had a Mohammed of its own, everybody wants a monotheistic faith, it's cooler than a list of gods.
A monotheism is what was needed for the national monarchies to come. It's a historical transition that was bound to happen.
Ultimately what made Jesus successful is that he came with the best possible message, as it is found agreeable to nearly all traditions and cultures (Hellenistic, Dharmic, etc.), and at the best possible time: the massive historic clusterfuck that was the 1st Century.
without Christianity there would be no Islam either so definitely.
>>503439
We'd probably all be speaking German right now. And Muslim. We'd be Islamic, German Communists.
geep Grist in Gristmaas :-DDDDD
>>503525
No clearly not. Islam is based on Christianity, so it wouldn't exist.
>>503558
I doubt we would worship greco-roman gods except for Greece and Italy of course. Everyone had their own pantheon.
>>503648
Sure but eveyone, in Europe pretty much, got invaded by the Romans.
>>503776
Slavs weren't.
>>503598
>Islam is based on Christianity
Muhammad didn't even know Christianity was a separate religion until some of the Levantine Jewish tribes told him
>>503826
But what was important was that the ideas Christianity propagated and made popular were necessary for the formation of Islam. Without them Mohammed never could have had the knowledge himself or a receptive enough audience who had some kind cultural familiarity with it's ideas. Islam simply takes to much from Judaism and Christianity to exist in a vacuum without them.
>>503493
>don't see Judaism getting wide spread since it's genereally something you don't convert into.
Modern Talmudic Judaism probably wouldn't have arisen without Christianity. Since many types of ancient Judaism promoted conversion, it might have become a more powerful force, but also maybe not.
>>503942
>Modern Talmudic Judaism probably wouldn't have arisen without Christianity.
It's the destruction of the Temple that gave rise to rabbinic Judaism.
>>503826
>Muhammad didn't even know Christianity was a separate religion until some of the Levantine Jewish tribes told him
In other words you are saying the founder of islam was aware Christianity was a separate religion.
You may have had a point if you had said that the Fourth Caliph discovered this a century after Mohammad or something.
Not to mention the obvious fact that Muhammad could base Islam on Christianity without even being aware that Christianity was a separate religion. You need to try engaging logical thought processes, lad.
>>503525
Islam requires Christianity because a large part of the Quran involves Mary and Jesus.
In all liklihood, the world would have embraced Zoroastrianism.
