Back When Christians were Called Atheists
With every passing moment, the West is becoming increasingly secular. And with that transition comes a rising disdain for historic Christianity and its long-held values. We see examples of this derision rising up in all pockets of society.
Just recently, the San Antonio airport banned Chick-Fil-A — a Christian operated organization — for its traditional Christian values. City councilman Roberto Travino stated, “San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.”
What was the cause of concern? Only that Chick-Fil-A donated over a million dollars to the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes — organizations that have a long history of doing good for society but have recently found themselves on the LGBTQ naughty list for not being sexually inclusive.
This example is only one in thousands where society scorns Christians for their religious convictions. What we’re finding is that the West wants to rid society of any vestige of Christianity in the name of progress. That is to say, the culture sees Christianity as a real threat to human flourishing.
Interestingly, there’s a long history of cultures viewing Christianity as a hurdle for human progress. This perception dates all the way back to the movement’s origins. The difference is that the culture today wants to rid society of religion altogether in order to become more secular. In the first two centuries of Christianity, however, the culture scorned Christians for their lack of religion. So much so, they thought Christians were atheists! Allow me to explain.
THE TEMPLES ARE EMPTY!
In the early second century (AD 112), Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan asking for his advice on how to handle the growing influx of Christians in his area. More than that, he was concerned about how the pagan temples had all but been deserted because of Christianity’s influence. His initial reaction was to persecute them for their anti-Roman behavior. But to make sure he was doing the right thing, he sought the advice of the emperor. Here is a portion of his letter where he describes the Christians’ effect on the culture:
For there are many (Christians) of every age, of every rank, and of both sexes, who are now and hereafter likely to be called to account, and to be in danger; for this superstition is spread like a contagion, not only into cities and towns, but into country villages also, which yet there is reason to hope may be stopped and corrected. To be sure, the temples, which were almost forsaken, begin already to be frequented; and the holy solemnities, which were long intermitted, begin to be revived. The sacrifices begin to sell well everywhere, of which very few purchasers had of late appeared.1
Notice Pliny’s primary concerns. The temples “were almost forsaken” and people had stopped offering sacrifices to the Roman gods. Pliny tells us that after persecuting the Christians — of which he executed many — he tells us that the temple business started burgeoning once more. To be sure, money was a motivator in Pliny’s persecution. Fear of the Roman gods, however, was a bigger factor.
You see, for Pliny and every other Roman, pleasing the gods stabilized the social structure of the Empire. It was the Roman gods who determined whether the Empire succeeded or not. So it comes as no surprise that Romans believed that Christians were unpatriotic and despisers of Roman society for their refusal to participate in the cultural religious practices. After all, Christians were recklessly endangering the empire. This is probably why Tacitus, an early Roman historian, charged Christians with “a hatred of mankind.”2
AWAY WITH THE ATHEISTS!
We find another example of the anti-religious perception of Christians with Polycarp. Once a disciple of the apostle John and later a bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp faced martyrdom inside a stadium before hundreds of onlookers. The account of his trial reads:
The proconsul began trying to persuade Polycarp to make a denial, saying, ‘Have respect for your age,’ along with other related things they customarily say, ‘Swear by the fortunes of Caesar, repent and say, ‘Away with the atheists.’… The proconsul became more insistent and said, ‘Take the oath and I will release you. Revile Christ.’ But Polycarp response, ‘For eighty-six years I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me?’3
Doing his best to persuade Polycarp to renounce his faith, the proconsul ordered Polycarp to cry out, “away with the atheists.” For modern ears, that order is a bit perplexing. Yet, when you consider that the Romans believed the early Christians were atheists because they didn’t worship the multitude of pagan gods, it makes perfect sense. Thus, the Roman proconsul was simply pressuring Polycarp to denounce his fellow Christians before the onlookers. Boldly, Polycarp remained steadfast, and so they burned him at the stake.
Here with Polycarp, we find one more example where Christians faced persecution for not being religious enough.
IT’S ALL THE CHRISTIANS FAULT!
When we read accounts like this one of Polycarp, it’s easy for us to see the Romans as overly demented and blood thirsty — as if they enjoyed torturing Christians. It’s quite evident, though, that the Romans had a rationale for seeking to squash the movement. They wanted Rome to flourish, and they believed Christians’ refusal to pay homage to their gods was an impediment to their success.
Thus, when anything went wrong, the “unpatriotic” Christians typically got the blame. The Roman gods must not be happy with them, after all. We see this blame with the great fire the burned down half of Rome in AD 64. Despite the common knowledge that Nero was responsible, he laid blame at the Christians feet and burned many of them at the stake to light up his garden.
Tertullian writes of this general blame elsewhere. He speaks of Christians being the Roman scapegoats anytime natural disasters occurred. He retorts:
If the Tiber rises as high as the city walls, if the Nile does not send its waters up over the fields, if the heavens give no rain, if there is an earthquake, if there is famine or pestilence, straightaway the cry is, ‘Away with the Christians to the lions!’4
Despite his sarcastic tone, a lot of truth exists in Tertullian’s statement. Because of how religious the Roman Empire was, it believed Christianity’s refusal to worship the pagan gods brought natural disasters such as draughts, earthquakes, and pestilence.
CHRISTIANITY IS A HARM TO SOCIETY
This brief survey demonstrates that Romans persecuted Christians, not for being too religious, but for not being religious enough. That is, Rome persecuted Christians because they would not worship the pagan gods in addition to worshipping Jesus.
Throughout the centuries, Christians have endured ridicule and opposition, but for various reasons. Unlike modern times, when it’s a secular culture that scorns Christianity, in the early centuries, it was a religious culture that scorned the Christians. So much so, they called Christians atheists. How’s that for irony?
- www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline
- Tacitus, Annals 15.44.
- Mart. Pol. 9.2-3.
- Tertullian, Apolitically. 40.2.
