query: which nation was the first to accept christianity

pos: Armenians non-Chalcedonian church, which is also the world's oldest national church. Christianity began to spread in Armenia soon after Jesus' death, due to the efforts of two of his apostles, St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew. In the early 4th century, the Kingdom of Armenia became the first state to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Armenian is an Indo-European language. It has two mutually intelligible and written forms: Eastern Armenian, today spoken mainly in Armenia, Artsakh, Iran, and the former Soviet republics; and Western Armenian, used in the historical Western Armenia and, after the Armenian Genocide, primarily in the Armenian diasporan

pos: History of Armenia fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC by King Argishti I at the western extreme of the Ararat plain. Erebuni has been described as "designed as a great administrative and religious centre, a fully royal capital." The Iron Age kingdom of Urartu (Assyrian for Ararat) was replaced by the Orontid dynasty. Following Persian and subsequent Macedonian rule, the Artaxiad dynasty from 190 BC gave rise to the Kingdom of Armenia which rose to the peak of its influence under Tigranes II before falling under Roman rule. In 301, Arsacid Armenia was the first sovereign nation to accept Christianity as a state

pos: Religion in Asia Only six countries are predominantly Christian: Asian Russia which is predominantly the Russian Orthodox Church ;Cyprus, which is predominantly Orthodox; the Philippines, which is the third-largest Roman Catholic nation in the world; Timor Leste, which is the most overwhelming Christian (99.6%) and Roman Catholic nation in Asia (97.6%) ; Armenia, which was the first state to adopt a Christian denomination as its state religion; and Georgia. Christianity also accounts for 29.2% of South Korea's population (54.5% of its religious population) and is now the predominant religion in South Korea, Christianity is also a large minority religion in Lebanon accounting for

pos: Pope Francis the Christian faith of the Armenian people and how Armenia became the first nation to accept Christianity as its official religion, even while persecutions under Emperor Diocletian were prevalent in the Roman Empire. The Pope also gave thanks for the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church and the steps they have taken "for the sake of coming to share fully in the Eucharistic banquet." In February 2017, the Pope met with Coptic bishops at the Vatican to discuss the violence against and persecution of Christians in the Middle East. Gregory Venables, Anglican Bishop of Argentina and

pos: Armenia public secondary schools than those who prefer Russian (44%). Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, an event traditionally dated to AD 301. The predominant religion in Armenia is Christianity. The roots of the Armenian Church go back to the 1st century. According to tradition, the Armenian Church was founded by two of Jesus' twelve apostles – Thaddaeus and Bartholomew – who preached Christianity in Armenia between AD 40–60. Because of these two founding apostles, the official name of the Armenian Church is Armenian Apostolic Church. Over 93% of Armenian Christians belong to the Armenian

pos: Ashkhen Gregory while during his imprisonment. While her brother ordered the persecutions of Christians, Ashkhen and Khosrovidukht most probably had already accepted Christianity through the efforts of the Hripsimeyan nuns and others in the Armenian Christian underground. There is a possibility that Ashkhen and Khosrovidukht may have protected Christians from religious persecutions. After Gregory with brought to Tiridates III, he was miraculously cured of his illness in 301. Tiridates III was persuaded by the power of the cure, proclaimed immediately Christianity as the official religion of the state in Armenia. Thus Armenia became the first nation to officially adopt Christianity and

pos: Gregory the Illuminator on March 23. Gregory the Illuminator Saint Gregory the Illuminator (classical ; "Grigor Lusavorich") ( – ) is the patron saint and first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He was a religious leader who is credited with converting Armenia from paganism to Christianity in 301. Armenia thus became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion. Gregory was the son of the Armenian Parthian nobles Anak the Parthian and Okohe. His father, Anak, was a Prince said to be related to the Arsacid Kings of Armenia or was from the House of Suren, one of the

pos: Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator Saint Gregory the Illuminator (classical ; "Grigor Lusavorich") ( – ) is the patron saint and first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He was a religious leader who is credited with converting Armenia from paganism to Christianity in 301. Armenia thus became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion. Gregory was the son of the Armenian Parthian nobles Anak the Parthian and Okohe. His father, Anak, was a Prince said to be related to the Arsacid Kings of Armenia or was from the House of Suren, one of the seven branches of

pos: Christianity in the Middle East mainly found in countries like [[Jordan]], [[Israel]], [[State of Palestine|Palestine]], [[Lebanon]], [[Syria]] and to a lesser degree in Yemen, Oman, Egypt and Libya. There is also the [[Armenian Church]] with its divisions: Armenia, historically, was the first state to accept Christianity. There are small numbers of Russian Orthodox and Assyrian Christians in Armenia also. Armenian Christians are also to be found in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf states as expats. The [[Kurdish Christians|Kurdish-Speaking Church of Christ]] (The Kurdzman Church of Christ) is an [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] church with mainly Kurdish adherents. The [[Episcopal Church in

pos: Christianity in the 4th century empire had witnessed. The persecution ended in 311 with the death of Diocletian. The persecution ultimately had not turned the tide on the growth of the religion. Christians had already organized to the point of establishing hierarchies of bishops. In 301 the Kingdom of Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity. The Romans followed suit in 380. In April 311, Galerius, who had previously been one of the leading figures in the persecutions, issued an edict permitting the practice of the Christian religion under his rule. From 313 to 380, Christianity enjoyed the status of being a legal religion

pos: Caucasus the dominant religion of the region; however, the region would go through two other religious transformations. Owing to the strong rivalry between Persia and Rome, and later Byzantium, the latter would invade the region several times, although it was never able to hold the region. As the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia (an eponymous branch of the Arsacid dynasty of Parthia) was the first nation to adopt Christianity as state religion (in 301 AD), and Caucasian Albania and Georgia had become Christian entities, Christianity began to overtake Zoroastrianism and pagan beliefs. With the Muslim conquest of Persia, large parts of the

pos: Battle of Avarayr Armenian history. The commander of the Armenian forces, Vardan Mamikonian, is considered a national hero and has been canonized by the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Kingdom of Armenia under the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia was the first nation to officially convert to Christianity, in 301 AD under Tiridates III. In 428, Armenian nobles petitioned Bahram V to depose Artaxias IV (Artashir IV). As a result, the country became a Sassanid dependency with a Sassanid governor. The Armenian nobles initially welcomed Persian rule, provided they were allowed to practise Christianity; but Yazdegerd II, concerned that the Armenian Church was hierarchically dependent

neg: Bryan Fischer [Islam], or Judaism, or infidelity... so the purpose of the First Amendment was most decidedly NOT to “approve, support, (or) accept” any “religion” other than Christianity." Fischer has suggested Jews and Muslims are not included in religious freedom protections in the US, saying: “I have contended for years that the First Amendment, as given by the Founders, provides religious liberty protections for Christianity only.” He later wrote: “We are a Christian nation and not a Jewish or Muslim one.” He affirmed this belief as well in a 2018 article regarding the First Amendment rights of prisoners to practice their religion

neg: American Family Association purpose of the First Amendment was most decidedly NOT to "approve, support, (or) accept" any "religion" other than Christianity." Fischer has suggested Jews and Muslims are not included in religious freedom protections in the US, saying: "I have contended for years that the First Amendment, as given by the Founders, provides religious liberty protections for Christianity only." He later wrote: "We are a Christian nation and not a Jewish or Muslim one." In a 2015 press release denouncing Fischer's views, the AFA stated "AFA rejects the idea expressed by Bryan Fischer that "Free exercise of religion" only applies to Christians.

neg: Saugeen First Nation Kegedonce took the Christian name Peter and became known as Peter Kegedonce Jones. He told Peter Jones he would accept Christianity if Chief Wawanosh from Sarnia did. In the directory of "First Nations Individuals in South Western Ontario 1750-1850," by Greg Curnoe, Kegedonce is recorded as telling Rev. Peter Jones that he wanted to settle at Saugeen and accept presents at the mouth of the Red River-Goderich. Chief Kegedonce Jones was found murdered near Goderich in 1831. His wife and family moved to the Owen Sound village, "to escape Kegedonce's enemies" (Mullin 1997). His son, also named Peter Kegedonce Jones,

neg: Christianity and Paganism culture that conversion necessarily meant massive cultural change that was hard to accept. Their sophisticated theology was also a bulwark against an immediate and complete conversion to Christianity. The conversion of Æthelberht, king of Kent is the first account of any Christian bretwalda conversion and is told by the Venerable Bede in his histories of the conversion of England. In 582 Pope Gregory sent Augustine and 40 companions from Rome to missionize among the Anglo-Saxons. “They had, by order of the blessed Pope Gregory, brought interpreters of the nation of the Franks, and sending to Æthelberht, signified that they were

neg: Eastern Christian monasticism the first sovereign nation to officially accept Christianity as a state religion. The Armenian Apostolic Church eventually became a great defender of Armenian nationalism. In 451 the Armenian church rejected the Council of Chalcedon. and today is a part of the Oriental Orthodox communion (not to be confused with the Eastern Orthodox communion). The first Catholicos of the Armenian church was Saint Gregory the Illuminator. St. Gregory soon withdrew to the desert to live as a hermit, and his youngest son, Aristakes, was ordained a Bishop and appointed head of the Armenian Church. In the 5th century, the Sassanid Shah

neg: Catholic Church in Kongo devoutly Christian nation and were more tolerant of local custom, many wrote harsh denunciations of local practice. So much so that Axelsen portrayed their relations with the Kongo as something akin to a war until the mid-eighteenth century, when dwindling numbers of foreign clergy allowed the local religious actors to reassert themselves. Because of this literature, many scholars have argued that Kongo did not really accept Christianity, or simply masked their true beliefs behind show conversion. However, the missionary reports strongly suggest a syncretic understanding of Christianity on the part of the Kongo rural poor as well as the nobles,

neg: Christianity at least the 4th century, Christianity has played a prominent role in the shaping of Western civilization. Constantine was also instrumental in the convocation of the First Council of Nicaea in 325, which sought to address Arianism and formulated the Nicene Creed, which is still used by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglican Communion and many Protestant churches. Nicaea was the first of a series of ecumenical councils which formally defined critical elements of the theology of the Church, notably concerning Christology. The Assyrian Church of the East did not accept the third and following Ecumenical Councils, and are still

neg: Sun Yat-sen of Hong Kong) in 1892. Notably, of his class of 12 students, Sun was one of only two who graduated. In the early 1880s, Sun Mei sent his brother to ʻIolani School, which was under the supervision of British Anglicans and directed by an Anglican prelate named Alfred Willis. The language of instruction was English. Although Bishop Willis emphasized that no one was forced to accept Christianity, the students were required to attend chapel on Sunday. At Iolani School, young Sun Wen first came in contact with Christianity, and it made a deep impression on him. Schriffin writes that Christianity

neg: Religion in Finland not accept church membership resignations sent via the Eroakirkosta.fi service. Religion in Finland Finland is a predominantly Christian nation where some 73% of the 5.5 million overall population follow Christianity; the vast majority being members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (Protestant), 26.3% are atheists, having no religious belief at all, and 1.6% follow other religions like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, folk religion etc. There are presently two National churches (as opposed to State churches): the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (Protestant), which is the primary state religion representing 70.9% of the population by the end of 2017, and

neg: Wasagamack First Nation by the Wasagamack Education Authority. The education authority oversees the everyday operation of the local school and manages other programs such as adult education program and other post-secondary funding services. Both Midewiwin and Christianity are observed in the community. There are three church denominations in the community: a Roman Catholic Church, a United Church and a Full Gospel/Pentecostal Church. Wasagamack First Nation Wasagamack First Nation is an Oji-Cree First Nation band government in Manitoba, Canada. As of December 2014 the registered population of the Wasagamack First Nation was 2,017, of which 1,823 lived on their own reserve. Their most populous

neg: God-fearer of Thyatira and the Ethiopian eunuch. In Paul's message of salvation through faith as opposed to works, many God-fearers found an essentially Jewish group to which they could belong without the necessity of their accepting Jewish Law. Aside from earning Paul's group a wide following, this view was generalized in the eventual conclusion that converts to Christianity need not first accept all Jewish Law (see Apostolic Decree), a fact which was indispensable to the popularity of the early Christian movement and which would eventually lead to the distinction between Judaism and Christianity as two separate religions. God-fearer God-fearers (, "Phoboumenos

neg: First Bulgarian Empire gods, for their power is great. As a proof, we who worship them, have conquered the whole Roman state". Yet, despite all measures, Christianity continued to spread, reaching the members of the Khan's own family. Omurtag's eldest son Enravota, seen as pro-Christian, was disinherited and eventually converted to Christianity. After refusing to renounce his faith, he was executed by orders of his brother Malamir c. 833 and became the first Bulgarian saint. The attitude of the Bulgarian rulers to Christianity is seen in the Philippi Inscription of Khan Presian: By 863 Presian's successor Khan BorisI had decided to accept Christianity.

neg: First seven ecumenical councils Catholic, and Roman Catholics, all trace the legitimacy of their clergy by apostolic succession back to this period and beyond, to the earlier period referred to as Early Christianity. This era begins with the First Council of Nicaea, which enunciated the Nicene Creed that in its original form and as modified by the First Council of Constantinople of 381 was seen by all later councils as the touchstone of orthodoxy on the doctrine of the Trinity. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church accept all seven of these councils as legitimate ecumenical councils. The Oriental Orthodox Churches accept only

neg: Slovak National Party (historical) assembly of Slovak politicians also accepted the "Declaration of the Slovak nation" (also called "Martin declaration"), in which their will to politically join the Czech nation was expressed. During the years of the first Czechoslovak republic, the nationally oriented party was facing an ideology, which did not accept the existence of a Slovak nation, only a Slovak branch of one Czechoslovak nation – Czechoslovakism. The ideology was supported by a majority of the relevant Czechoslovak political parties and by the President Tomáš Masaryk. SNS not only demanded an acceptation of the Slovak nation's existence, but also a political autonomy for

neg: John MacCormac behalf of the colonial government of Sierra Leone. MacCormac was eager for the Temne to reject Islam and accept Christianity and some historians have stated that this bias is reflected in MacCormac's decisions as a representative of the Crown Colonial Government of Sierra Leone. After suffering financial ruin, MacCormac became a pious convert to Christianity and became a Free Will Baptist. MacCormac was the founder and first pastor of Church of God, Regent Road, which was initially located at MacCormac's mansion at the corner of Rawdon and Oxford Streets. MacCormac left an endowment for the church in his will and

neg: History of Christianity in Romania ceremony before the Christianization of Bulgars and Slavs. The territories between the Lower Danube and the Carpathians were incorporated into the First Bulgarian Empire by the first half of the 9th century. Boris I (852–889) was the first Bulgarian ruler to accept Christianity, in 863. By that time differences between the Eastern and the Western branches of Christianity had grown significantly. Boris I allowed the members of the Eastern clergy to enter his country in 864, and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church adopted the Bulgarian alphabet in 893. An inscription in Mircea Vodă from 943 is the earliest example of the

neg: Conversion to Christianity Conversion to Christianity Conversion to Christianity is a process of religious conversion in which a previously non-Christian person converts to Christianity. Converts to Christianity typically make a vow of repentance from past sins, accept Jesus as their Savior and vow to follow his teachings as found in the New Testament. Different sects of Christianity may perform various different kinds of rituals or ceremonies on a convert in order to initiate them into a community of believers. The most commonly accepted ritual of conversion in Christianity is through baptism, but this isn't universally accepted among Christian denominations. A period of instruction

neg: Shilluk people large part of their economy; however, agriculture and fishing were more significant than usual, and most were sedentary. The Shilluk people created the Shilluk Kingdom which existed in Southern Sudan since (1454 to Present). Most "Shilluk" have converted to Christianity, while some still follow the traditional religion or a mixture of the two; small numbers have converted to Islam. The Shilluk pride themselves in being one of the first Nilotic groups to accept Christianity, the other being the Anuak people. The Episcopal Church of the Sudan which dates the event to the late 19th Century when the Church Mission Society

neg: Logos (Christianity) if the essence of the Father were divided; as all other things partitioned and divided are not the same after as before they were divided: and, for the sake of example, I took the case of fires kindled from a fire, which we see to be distinct from it, and yet that from which many can be kindled is by no means made less, but remains the same.In his "First Apology", Justin used the Stoic concept of the Logos to his advantage as a way of arguing for Christianity to non-Jews. Since a Greek audience would accept this concept, his

neg: History of Christianity in Slovakia History of Christianity in Slovakia The beginnings of the history of Christianity in Slovakia can most probably be traced back to the period following the collapse of the Avar Empire at the end of the 8th century. Slavic principalities emerged in the territories that had up to that time been under Avar control, and in time their rulers were ready to accept Christianity. The first Christian church erected in Slavic lands seems to have been the one consecrated for a local ruler named Pribina in Nitra around 830. The second half of the 9th century witnessed the first flourishing of

neg: Non-Chalcedonianism Non-Chalcedonianism Non-Chalcedonianism is a religious doctrine of those Christian churches that do not accept the Confession of Chalcedon as defined at the ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451. The doctrine contrasts with Chalcedonian Christianity, which accepts the doctrines of the first seven Ecumenical Councils. Some Christian denominations do not accept the Confession of Chalcedon, for varying reasons, but accept the doctrines of the previous council at the Council of Ephesus in 431. The most substantial non-Chalcedonian tradition is known as Oriental Orthodoxy. Within this tradition are a number of ancient Christian churches including the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the

neg: Non-Chalcedonianism and onwards, Nontrinitarian and Unitarian Christians are necessarily non-Chalcedonian with having their own separate traditions, different nontrinitarian theologies, and polities. The largest such groups are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormons"), Jehovah's Witnesses and the Iglesia ni Cristo. Non-Chalcedonianism Non-Chalcedonianism is a religious doctrine of those Christian churches that do not accept the Confession of Chalcedon as defined at the ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451. The doctrine contrasts with Chalcedonian Christianity, which accepts the doctrines of the first seven Ecumenical Councils. Some Christian denominations do not accept the Confession of Chalcedon, for varying reasons, but accept

neg: Eric IX of Sweden Abbot Gerhard of Alvastra Abbey. An early 13th-century source adds that he made donations to Nydala Abbey in Småland. Legend also attributes Eric with the initial spread of the Christian faith into Finland, "which at this time was pagan and did Sweden great harm". In an effort to conquer and convert the Finns, he allegedly led the First Swedish Crusade east of the Baltic Sea. "Then Eric the Saint asked the people of Finland to accept Christianity and make peace with him. But when they refused to accept it, he fought against them and conquered them by the sword, avenging

neg: History of Christianity in Romania (salvation) and "pildă" (parable). Several theories exist regarding the origin of Christianity in Romania. Those who think that the Romanians descended from the inhabitants of "Dacia Traiana" suggest that the spread of Christianity coincided with the formation of the Romanian nation. Their ancestors' Romanization and Christianization, a direct result of the contact between the native Dacians and the Roman colonists, lasted for several centuries. According to historian Ioan-Aurel Pop, Romanians were the first to adopt Christianity among the peoples who now inhabit the territories bordering Romania. They adopted Slavonic liturgy when it was introduced in the neighboring First Bulgarian Empire

neg: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it will not accept a prior LDS baptism as evidence of Christian initiation, as it will baptism by other Christian groups, such as the Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches. The LDS Church does not accept baptisms performed in any other churches, as it teaches that baptism is only valid when it is conducted through proper priesthood authority. Nevertheless, the LDS Church differs from the many other churches within contemporary Christianity, and many people do not accept the church as part of Christianity. The faith itself views other modern Christian faiths as having departed from true Christianity via a general apostasy

neg: Christianity in the Middle Ages In the 9th century AD, a controversy arose between Eastern (Byzantine, later Orthodox) and Western (Latin, later Roman Catholic) Christianity that was precipitated by the opposition of the Roman Pope John VIII to the appointment by the Byzantine emperor Michael III of Photius I to the position of patriarch of Constantinople. Photios was refused an apology by the pope for previous points of dispute between the East and West. Photius refused to accept the supremacy of the pope in Eastern matters or accept the filioque clause. The Latin delegation at the council of his consecration pressed him to accept the

neg: Conversion to Christianity and study almost always ensues before a person is formally converted into Christianity, but the length of this period varies, sometimes as short as a few weeks and possibly less, and other times, up to as long as a year or possibly more. Most mainline Christian denominations will accept conversion into other denominations as valid, so long as a baptism with water in the name of the Trinity took place, but some may accept a simple profession of faith in Jesus as Lord as being all that was needed for true conversion. Other Christians may not accept conversions performed in

neg: Conversion to Christianity God". His analysis is that these individuals responded not so much out of a sense of guilt, but from their awe, reverence, and holy fear of God's presence. The pattern, he writes, begins with God taking initiative in the individual's life. Then, the person responds by acknowledging and confessing personal lostness and sinfulness, and then accepting a call to holiness. Conversion to Christianity Conversion to Christianity is a process of religious conversion in which a previously non-Christian person converts to Christianity. Converts to Christianity typically make a vow of repentance from past sins, accept Jesus as their Savior and vow

neg: Mormonism and Christianity Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Mormons practice baptism and celebrate the Eucharist, but they also participate in religious rituals not practiced by traditional Christianity. Focusing on differences, some Christians consider Mormonism "non-Christian"; but Mormons, focusing on similarities, are sometimes offended at being so characterized. Mormons do not accept non-Mormon baptism nor do non-Mormon Christians usually accept Mormon baptism. Mormons regularly proselytize individuals actually or nominally within the Christian tradition, and some Christians, especially evangelicals, proselytize Mormons. Some view Mormonism a form of Christianity, but distinct enough from traditional Christianity so as to form a new religious

neg: Christianity in the United States Christ is the fifth-largest denomination, the largest Pentecostal church, and the largest traditionally African-American denomination in the nation. Among Eastern Christian denominations, there are several Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, with just below 1 million adherents in the US, or 0.4% of the total population. Christianity was introduced to the Americas as it was first colonized by Europeans beginning in the 16th and 17th centuries. Going forward from its foundation, the United States has been called a Protestant nation by a variety of sources. Immigration further increased Christian numbers. Today most Christian churches in the United States are either

neg: Christianity and transgender people that the inclusion of a eunuch represents a sexual minority similar to some of those who are included under today's category of transgender, in the context of the time. Modern Christian denominations vary in their views, but some are accepting. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion with roots in liberal Christianity, and it was the first denomination to accept openly transgender people as full members with eligibility to become clergy, and the first to open an Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns. In 1988 the first openly transgender person was ordained by the Unitarian Universalist Association. In 2002

neg: Mainstream business sectors to coordinate a unified program, while generally overlooking a policy-planning network that can perform this function. "Mainstream Christianity" is a term used to collectively refer to the common views of major denominations of Christianity (such as Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Protestantism) as opposed the particular tenets of other Christian denominations. The context is dependent on the particular issues addressed, but usually contrasts an orthodox majority view against a heterodox minority view. In the most common sense, "mainstream" refers to Nicene Christianity, that is the traditions which accept the Nicene Creed. Mainstream American Protestant churches (also called

neg: Eastern Christian monasticism of the most ancient monastic communities in the history of Christianity continue to be inhabited to this day. A number of Coptic monasteries have also been established in the New World. Ethiopia was one of the first nations to accept Christianity, officially converting in 341. King Abreha became the first sovereign in the world to engrave the Sign of the Cross on his coins. From the year 341 it was subject to the Patriarch of Alexandria, gaining its independence only in 1959. The church is officially known as the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. In 480 the Nine Saints came from

neg: Ora-Igbomina Ora-Igbomina Ora-Igbomina is an ancient Igbomina town in Ifedayo Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. With Oke-Ila Orangun, it constitutes the two major towns in the local government area. The conjoining boundary town among Osun, Ekiti and Kwara States, this historical town was the first town to accept Christianity(ref.: and invariably Western education in Igbominaland. Christianity was brought to Ora in 1895 by CMS missionaries led by a son of the soil - a returnee from the slave trade named Pa Olasehinde. St. Stephen Anglican Church was established in 1895. The first primary school in Igbominaland - stretching from present-day

neg: The Book of Ahania the story, her lament is in response to the fighting between Urizen and Fuzon, which is similar to the grieving widow, Lorma, within the Ossian poems. This is taken up once again in "Europe a Prophecy". "The Book of Ahania" was the first work of Blake's to mention his Tree of Mystery. The Tree symbolically connects Christianity with Druidic belief, and makes the argument that Christianity is a continuation of previous customs. The image is also connected to Edmund Burke's describing of the English nation as connected to the English oak. Those, like Blake, that were revolutionary minded believed that

neg: Young John Allen the ways in which the Review appealed to a broad, scholarly audience was through its discussion of current events and economics. During the First Sino-Japanese War period of 1894–1895, essay titles included: "International Intercourse, by a descendent of Confucius," "How to Enrich a Nation, by Dr. Joseph Edkins," "The Prime Benefits of Christianity, by the Rev. Timothy Richard," and "On the Suppression of Doubt and the Acceptance of Christ, by Sung Yuh-kwei." The articles attributed practical applications to the Christian faith and portrayed Christianity as a useful concept for the Chinese, one that Allen and his contributors intended to portray

neg: Logos (Christianity) writes, "Christ Himself, therefore, together with the Father, is the God of the living, who spoke to Moses, and who was manifested to the fathers." Post-apostolic Christian writers struggled with the question of the identity of Jesus and the Logos, but the Church’s doctrine never changed that Jesus was the Logos. Each of the first six councils defined Jesus Christ as fully God and fully human, from the First Council of Nicea (325) to the Third Council of Constantinople (680–681). Christianity did not accept the Platonic argument that the spirit is good and the flesh is evil, and that therefore

neg: Flag of the East India Company was viewed as a symbol of Christianity, which the Japanese had banned in 1614. The Lê dynasty in Tonkin banned the Company from using the flag, believing the cross on it to be an endorsement of Christianity, promotion of which the Tonkinese had prohibited. The Company's trading rivals, the Dutch East India Company, argued on the Company's behalf that the cross was a symbol of the English nation and not of Christianity, but the Tonkinese insisted on banning the flying of the flag unless the cross was removed. In 1673, when the Company attempted to restart trade with Japan, they

neg: Doubravka of Bohemia between Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke of Bohemia, and Mieszko I of Poland was concluded. In order to consolidate the agreement, in 965 Boleslav I's daughter Doubravka was married to Mieszko I. There was a difference of religion between the spouses; she was a Christian, he was a pagan. Two independent sources attribute to Doubravka an important role in the conversion to Christianity of Mieszko I and Poland. The first is the chronicles of Thietmar, who was born two years before the death of Doubravka. He wrote that the Bohemian princess tried to persuade her husband to accept Christianity (even

neg: Expulsion of Jews from Spain of a nation that consents to the presence of different religious communities" with which it "becomes a nation like the rest in Christendom European". "The University of Paris congratulated Spain for having carried out an act of good government, an opinion shared by the best spirits of the time (Machiavelli, Guicciardini, Pico della Mirandola)... [...] it was the so-called medieval coexistence that missed Christian Europe. Julio Valdeón affirms that the decision of the Catholic Monarchs, who "showed themselves, in their first years of rule, clearly protective of the Hebrews," was due to "pressure from the rest of Christianity" and to

neg: Ahmed Osman (author) states that the reason mainstream Egyptologists do not accept his ideas is because "Egyptologists have established their careers on their interpretations" and that to accept other theories could give them less authority. Ahmed Osman (author) Ahmed Osman () (born 1934) is an Egyptian-born author. He has put forward a number of theories, some revisionist in nature, about Ancient Egypt and the origins of Judaism and Christianity. His first hypothesis was that Joseph was the father-in-law of Amenhotep III, Yuya. In 1987 this claim provided the basis for his first book, "Stranger in the Valley of the Kings". Osman identified the

neg: History of Christianity Father and the Son, rather than the Father alone. In the 9th century AD, a controversy arose between Eastern (Byzantine, Greek Orthodox) and Western (Latin, Roman Catholic) Christianity that was precipitated by the opposition of the Roman Pope John VII to the appointment by the Byzantine emperor Michael III of Photios I to the position of patriarch of Constantinople. Photios was refused an apology by the pope for previous points of dispute between the East and West. Photios refused to accept the supremacy of the pope in Eastern matters or accept the "Filioque" clause. The Latin delegation at the council

neg: Battle of Bạch Đằng (981) Hành and Đinh dynasty was replaced by Early Lê dynasty . Immediately, he made the nation ready to face the invaders, deploying army, boat and archers and send the envoy to show the peace letter to Song dynasty and said that he will be the next ruler of nation. Song dynasty did not accept it and they just regarded only Đinh dynasty was the legitimate government of Đại Cồ Việt, thus Song refused to accept the letter. Failing to save peace, Lê Đại Hành must let war happening. Song nominated set up Military expedition in which Hou Ren Bao was

neg: Temagami First Nation annual Band Council elections. The Band Council of Temagami First Nation is currently composed of Chief Arnold Paul, 2nd Chief Joe Katt, and Councillors Alice Becker, Sherwood ("Woody") Becker Sr., Leanna Farr, Donna Mattias, and Marty Pridham. The Temagami Indigenous people built homes on Bear Island in the 1880s in addition to homes on their own family lands. In 1943, Bear Island was purchased by the Department of Indian Affairs from the Province of Ontario, for the sum of $3,000.00, in order to be designated as a permanent reserve. The Temagami First Nation refused to accept Bear Island as a

neg: Armenian Native Faith history, and the conditional acceptance of the Armenian Apostolic Church as a national institution. Christianity is criticised for having destroyed the rich and highly developed ancient Armenian culture, replacing the values of courage, martial spirit and honour with those of humility, obedience and modesty, thus causing the collapse of Armenian statehood and condemning the nation to centuries of subordination to foreign powers, migrations, persecutions and massacres. According to the strongest accusations, Christianity is responsible for the "first genocide of the Armenians", which coincided with its forceful introduction in the fourth century. At the same time, the Armenian Apostolic Church is

neg: Sculpture was slower to do so than painting. Women sculptors took longer to appear than women painters, and were less prominent until the 20th century. Aniconism remained restricted to Judaism, which did not accept figurative sculpture until the 19th century, before expanding to Early Christianity, which initially accepted large sculptures. In Christianity and Buddhism, sculpture became very significant. Christian Eastern Orthodoxy has never accepted monumental sculpture, and Islam has consistently rejected nearly all figurative sculpture, except for very small figures in reliefs and some animal figures that fulfill a useful function, like the famous lions supporting a fountain in the Alhambra.

neg: Roman Dmowski Dmowski, what the Poles needed was a "healthy national egoism" that would not be guided by what Dmowski regarded as the unrealistic political principles of Christianity. In the same book, Dmowski blamed the fall of the old Commonwealth on its tradition of tolerance. While at first critical of Christianity, Dmowski viewed some sects of Christianity as beneficial to certain nations, through not necessarily Poland. Later in 1927 he revised this earlier view and renounced his criticism of Catholicism, seeing it as an essential part of the Polish identity. Dmowski saw all minorities as weakening agents within the nation that needed

neg: Letter to a Christian Nation 'mysticism is a rational enterprise; religion is not.'" The following books have been written in response to "Letter to a Christian Nation": Letter to a Christian Nation Letter to a Christian Nation is a book by Sam Harris, written in response to feedback he received following the publication of his first book "The End of Faith". The book is written in the form of an open letter to a Christian in the United States. Harris states that his aim is "to demolish the intellectual and moral pretensions of Christianity in its most committed forms." The book was released in September

neg: Religion in China in China. What Westerners referred to as Nestorianism flourished for centuries, until Emperor Wuzong of the Tang in 845 ordained that all foreign religions (Buddhism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism) had to be eradicated from the Chinese nation. Christianity was reintroduced in China in the 13th century, in the form of Nestorianism, during the Mongol Yuan dynasty, which also established relations with the papacy, especially through Franciscan missionaries in 1294. When the native Han Chinese Ming dynasty overthrew the Yuan dynasty in the 14th century, Christianity was again expelled from China as a foreign influence. At the end of the Ming dynasty

neg: Ho Feng-Shan 200,000 Austrian Jews. The only way for Jews to escape from Nazism was to leave Europe. In order to leave, they had to provide proof of emigration, usually a visa from a foreign nation, or a valid boat ticket. This was difficult, however, because at the 1938 Évian Conference 31 countries (out of a total of 32, which included Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) refused to accept Jewish immigrants. The only country willing to accept Jews was the Dominican Republic, which offered to accept up to 100,000 refugees. Acting against the orders of his superior Chen Jie (陳介), the Chinese

neg: Catholic Church in Croatia the region connected with Christianity. It was able to gain influence first among some of the Dalmatian Jews living in the city. St. Titus, a disciple of St. Paul the Apostle and the subject of the "Epistle to Titus" in the New Testament, was active in Dalmatia. Indeed, in the "Epistle to the Romans", Paul himself speaks of visiting "Illyricum", but he may have meant Illyria Graeca. The Croats arrived in the area of present-day Croatia during the early part of the 7th century AD. They came in touch with the Christian natives and started to slowly accept Christianity. Byzantine

neg: Hank Hanegraaff in its most natural form—historical narrative...it actually gets worse: Hanegraaff also denies there was a literal serpent in the Garden of Eden that audibly spoke to Eve...Christians like Hanegraaff wholeheartedly accept many secular humanistic ideas like long-age geology and the big bang. When they accept these competing (anti-biblical) claims and mix them with their Christianity, something always has to give. Most people give up what the Bible plainly says..." In his 1993 book "Christianity in Crisis", Hanegraaff charged the Word of Faith movement with heretical teachings, saying that many of the Word of Faith groups were cults, and that those

neg: African Americans most of these Africans were converted to Christianity during the era of American slavery. During the twentieth century, some African Americans converted to Islam, mainly through the influence of black nationalist groups that preached with distinctive Islamic practices; including the Moorish Science Temple of America, and the largest organization, the Nation of Islam, founded in the 1930s, which attracted at least 20,000 people by 1963, prominent members included activist Malcolm X and boxer Muhammad Ali. Malcolm X is considered the first person to start the movement among African Americans towards mainstream Islam, after he left the Nation and made the

neg: Transgender admissions policies at women's colleges is admitted and decides to transition to male during their tenure at the college, they will be permitted to continue their studies and graduate from Spelman. Spelman College is one of only two Historically Black Women’s Colleges in the nation. Bennett College, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, is the only other Historically Black Women’s College in the nation and adopted a similar policy in January 2017. Although Spelman College and other women’s institutions across the country do not accept trans men, Mills College, the first women’s institution to adopt “a formal admissions policy regarding transgender and transitioning,” does accept trans

neg: Mar Thoma Syrian Church who joined them were Jews. But in Kerala this name was replaced by the word 'Christians' in the 20th century. The earliest families within the Jewish community to accept the path of Christianity through St.Thomas, later intermarried with the ethnic local community and Brahmins of the 6th century. This led to the upbringing of marginal class or 'sambandham' brahminic family clans like Pakalomattom, Sankarapuri and Kalli to a different socioeconomic status, they are now widely accepted as the first families who adopted an emigre way of life or 'Christianity' in Kerala. According to recent DNA research by Dr. Mini Kariappa,

neg: Religion in Ethiopia country, most of them belonging to some form of Protestantism. The Kingdom of Aksum was one of the first nations to officially accept Christianity, when St. Frumentius of Tyre, called Fremnatos or Abba Selama ("Father of Peace") in Ethiopia, converted King Ezana during the 4th century AD. Many believe that the Gospel had entered Ethiopia even earlier, with the royal official described as being baptised by Philip the Evangelist in chapter eight of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 8:26–39). Orthodox Christianity has a long history in Ethiopia dating back to the 1st century, and is dominant in northern and

neg: Christianization of Bulgaria Boris told the German king he was willing to accept Christianity and Byzantium had to forestall him from taking up Christianity from Rome. A Rome-dependent Bulgaria in the hinterland of Constantinople was a threat to the Byzantine Empire's immediate interests. Before any actual military engagements took place, Khan Boris was forced to sue for peace due to being unprepared for war because of Bulgaria being badly affected by crop failure and earthquakes that year, which Boris may have taken for a sign to convert according to the eastern rite. Negotiations were set up and Boris promised to convert to Eastern

neg: Christianity in Zambia 3 May 2001 an attempt to impeach Chiluba was made to the Zambian parliament and backed by 158 MPs. The next day Chiluba, "announced 'I will leave office at the end of my term. Let's take national interests into consideration, this is in the best interest of the nation'… his presidency of Zambia as a Christian Nation ended with his reputation both as a Christian and as a democrat in ruins." He handed over power to the newly elected president Levy Mwanamasa, the leader of the MMD, in December 2001. In his first address to the Nation, the new president

neg: Hólar Holar University College in 2003. Near the end of the 10th century, King Olaf I of Norway convinced all of his subjects to accept Christianity. He then sent missionaries to Iceland to convert them to Christianity which they quickly accepted. Around 1000 Iceland made a peaceful decision that all should convert. Despite this the "godar" or ruling class of Iceland, still maintained their power. Some built their own churches, and others were ordained. Holar was the Episcopal see for northern Iceland (whereas Skálholt served the same function for southern Iceland), and a cultural and educational centre for almost seven centuries

neg: Kandava the town. Botanist Theophil Joachim Heinrich Bienert was born in Kandava. Kandava Kandava (; ; ) is a town in Latvia. Territory of the modern Kandava was inhabited by Finnic tribes until 10th century when Curonian expansion to the north started. Settlement grew around Kandava hillfort which was important centre in the curonian land of Vanema. As a settlement ("villa Candowe"), it is first mentioned in 1230 in a peace treaty between the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, citizens of Riga and the Curonian residents of the Abava valley. Local residents kept their lands but was forced to accept christianity,

neg: Christianity in Afghanistan from the Parthian Empire (which included parts of western Afghanistan) were present at Pentecost. According to Eusebius' record, the apostles Thomas and Bartholomew were assigned to Parthia. Legend based on the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas and other ancient documents suggests that Saint Thomas preached in Bactria, which is today northern Afghanistan. An early third-century Syriac work known as the "Acts of Thomas" connects the apostle's ministry with two kings, one in the north and the other in the south. According to the "Acts", Thomas was at first reluctant to accept this mission, but the Lord appeared to him in a

neg: Theological College of Lanka namely Sinhala and Tamil. Nationalism became very prominent in Sri Lanka after independence. This situation forced Christians to inculturise Christianity. The task of inculturising Christianity became a difficult exercise, due to the Western culture and theology which prevailed among Christians. They found it difficult to accept and think along with their Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim friends. If there had been no English influence, this process would have commenced long before, but now it came too late and was too little. The inculturisation process was not able to baptize the Sri Lankan culture and make a significant impact upon societies influenced

neg: White Croats hill near his fort pantheon of Slavic gods; Perun, Hors, Dažbog, Stribog, Simargl, and Mokosh, but as he converted to Christianity in 988 one of the probable reasons Vladimir attacked Croats in 992 was because they didn't want to abandon their old beliefs and accept Christianity. Some scholars derived Croatian ethnonym from the Iranian word for Sun - "hvar". Paščenko argued possibility that in the ethnonym of the Croats could be seen archaic religion and mythology - the worship of the Slavic solar deity Hors (Sun, heavenly fire, force, war), which is of Iranian origin. The legend about five brothers

neg: Kandava Kandava Kandava (; ; ) is a town in Latvia. Territory of the modern Kandava was inhabited by Finnic tribes until 10th century when Curonian expansion to the north started. Settlement grew around Kandava hillfort which was important centre in the curonian land of Vanema. As a settlement ("villa Candowe"), it is first mentioned in 1230 in a peace treaty between the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, citizens of Riga and the Curonian residents of the Abava valley. Local residents kept their lands but was forced to accept christianity, pay annual tribute and participate in crusading campaigns against pagans. However

neg: Inyathi High School omen by the hosts. Secondly, failure of the missionaries to respect rituals and traditions of the Matebele meant that they were viewed with suspicion and their preaching unwelcome. Thus, the first Matebele convert to come into the Christian fold in 1892, Mathambo Ndlovu was killed by locals who could not stand for his "conversion". Establishment of Inyathi Mission School in 1896, 40 years after the mission station was first established has to be a clear measure of slowness with which Christianity first spread amongst the Matebele. With the Matebele nation having fallen in 1893 it is little wonder then that

neg: Duchy of Pomerania were ruled by Ratibor's brother Wartislaw I and his descendants (House of Pomerania, also called Griffins, of which he was the first ascertained ancestor) until the 1630s. The terms of surrender after the Polish conquest were that Wartislaw had to accept Polish sovereignty, convert his people to Christianity, and pay an annual tribute to the Polish duke. In several expeditions mounted between 1102 and 1121, most of Pomerania had been invaded by the Polish duke Bolesław III Wrymouth. From 1102 to 1109, Boleslaw campaigned in the Netze (Notec) and Persante (Parseta) area. The Pomeranian residence in Belgard (Białogard) was taken

neg: Christianity and Judaism have been handed down to this day by apostolic succession. Christians refer to the biblical books about Jesus as the New Testament, and to the canon of Hebrew books as the Old Testament. Judaism does not accept the retronymic labeling of its sacred texts as the "Old Testament", and some Jews refer to the New Testament as the Christian Testament or Christian Bible. Judaism rejects all claims that the Christian New Covenant supersedes, abrogates, fulfills, or is the unfolding or consummation of the covenant expressed in the Written and Oral Torahs. Therefore, just as Christianity does not accept that Mosaic

neg: Religious views of Adolf Hitler who struggled against "the power and pretensions of the corrupt Pharisees" and Jewish materialism. While a small minority of historians accept these publicly stated views as genuine expressions of his spirituality, the vast majority believe that Hitler was skeptical of religion and anti-Christian, but recognized that he could only be elected and preserve his political power if he feigned a commitment to and belief in Christianity, which the overwhelming majority of Germans believed in. Privately, Hitler repeatedly deprecated Christianity, and told confidants that his reluctance to make public attacks on the Church was not a matter of principle, but a

neg: Religious aspects of Nazism Pharisees" and Jewish materialism. While a small minority of historians accept these publicly stated views as genuine expressions of his spirituality, the vast majority believe that Hitler was skeptical of religion and anti-Christian, but recognized that he could only be elected and preserve his political power if he feigned a commitment to and belief in Christianity, which the overwhelming majority of Germans believed in. Privately, Hitler repeatedly deprecated Christianity, and told confidants that his reluctance to make public attacks on the Church was not a matter of principle, but a pragmatic political move. In his private diaries, Goebbels wrote in

neg: Wales Millennium Centre the upstairs bar areas and is internally illuminated at night. The idea of this monumental inscription comes from Roman classical architecture. The Romans brought Christianity to these islands, along with the custom of engraving stone. The form of the Celtic cross embodies the cross-fertilisation of indigenous and Roman cultures, from which the Welsh nation first emerged. The monumental inscription is a familiar feature of Roman architecture. The inscription over the entrance of the Wales Millennium Centre is a revival of this classical tradition, and also a recognition of the formative influence of Roman culture upon our nation. We're lucky to

neg: Carantanians supported by Carantanians, the Carantanian principality was transformed into a Frankish march, and later emerged as the feudal Duchy of Carinthia. Carantanians were the first Slavic people to accept Christianity from the West. They were mostly Christianized by Irish missionaries sent by the Archdiocese of Salzburg, among them Modestus, known as the "Apostle of Carantanians". This process was later described in the memorandum known as the "Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum", which is thought to have over-emphasized the role of the Church of Salzburg in the Christianization process over similar efforts of the Patriarchate of Aquileia. Several rebellions of the Carantanians

neg: Black Robe (film) their leader asks LaForgue if he loves them, LaForgue thinks of the faces of all the Indians he has met on his journey, and answers "Yes". The leader then asks him to baptize them, and the Hurons accept Christianity. The film ends with a golden sunrise. An intertitle explains that fifteen years later, the Huron were massacred by the Iroquois, and the French mission was destroyed. Bruce Beresford had wanted to make a film out of Brian Moore's novel ever since it was first published. The rights had been acquired by Canada's Alliance Communications, which had signed another director. That

neg: Letter to a Christian Nation Letter to a Christian Nation Letter to a Christian Nation is a book by Sam Harris, written in response to feedback he received following the publication of his first book "The End of Faith". The book is written in the form of an open letter to a Christian in the United States. Harris states that his aim is "to demolish the intellectual and moral pretensions of Christianity in its most committed forms." The book was released in September 2006. In October it entered the "New York Times" Best Seller list at number seven. The underlying premise Harris takes is one

neg: Aleister Crowley Jason Josephson-Storm has argued that Crowley built on 19th-century attempts to link early Christianity to Paganism, such as Frazer's "Golden Bough", to synthesize Christian theology and Neopaganism while remaining critical of institutional and traditional Christianity. Both during his life and after it, Crowley has been widely described as a Satanist, usually by detractors. Crowley stated he did not consider himself a Satanist, nor did he worship Satan, as he did not accept the Christian world view in which Satan was believed to exist. He nevertheless used Satanic imagery, for instance by describing himself as "the Beast 666" and referring to

neg: Martyrdom in Judaism including the massacre at Blois, where approximately forty Jews were killed following an accusation of ritual murder: As they were led forth, they were told, 'You can save your lives if you will leave your religion and accept ours.' The Jews refused. They were beaten and tortured to make them accept the Christian religion, but still they refused. Rather, they encouraged each other to remain steadfast and die for the sanctification of God's Name. During the Spanish Inquisition, many of those executed were Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. Specifically, they were crypto-Jews, who had pretended to adopt Christianity

neg: Edwin W. Clark In 1894 Mulong became the center of missions to further the evangelization of the Naga tribes. Mulong is the first Christian village in Nagaland. Then in a later year Clark moved his mission center to Impur which is now known as Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang. In 1905 Clark saw a record one hundred and ninety baptisms. The work was truly blessed of God but Clark saw that better days were yet ahead. The Nagas were well aware that to accept Christianity would mean drastic changes in their social life. “Adherents of the old, cruel faith were quick to see that

neg: Philip the Arab and Christianity of such unfortunate ancestry. In his "Historia", Eusebius does not identify either Philip or Abgar V of Edessa (whom he incorrectly presumed to be the first Christian prince; he does not mention Abgar VIII, who was actually the first Christian prince), as Arabs. He does, however, identify Herod the Great as an Arab, thus tarring the Arab nation with the Massacre of the Innocents and the attempted murder of Christ himself. The Christianity of Provincia Arabia in the 3rd century also earns some brief notices: the heresy of Beryllos, bishop of Bostra, and his correction by Origen (6.33); the heretical

neg: Delaware Nation at Moraviantown Delaware Nation at Moraviantown Moravian 47 (Munsee: "Náahii", literally 'downstream') is an Indian reserve located in Chatham-Kent Ontario with an area of 13 km². It is occupied by the Delaware Nation at Moraviantown First Nation, a part of the Munsee branch of the Lenape, and is commonly known as Moravian of the Thames reserve. The resident registered population is 457, with another 587 band members living off the reserve. A group of Munsee became converted to Christianity by Moravian missionaries in Pennsylvania. They moved to Gnadenhutten, Ohio, under pressure from European settlers in the east. Many were killed by American

neg: Prussian Union of Churches in the US demanded to exclude persons of Jewish faith, before it definitely failed because the Nazi government expelled Siegmund-Schultze from Germany. In July 1933 Christian Germans of Jewish descent had founded a self-help organisation, first named Reich's Federation of non-Aryan Christians (), then renamed into "Paul's Covenant" () after the famous Jewish convert to Christianity (Sha'ul) Paul of Tarsos, presided by the known literary historian . In early 1937 the Nazi government forbade that organisation, allowing a new successor organisation "Association 1937" (), which was prohibited to accept members – like Spiero – with three or four grandparents, who

neg: Christianity and Judaism Life, and from the God who is Love embodied. Jews, Muslims, and members of other faiths, then, are expected to convert to Christianity in the afterlife. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which is not part of Eastern Orthodoxy) also holds this belief, and performs baptism for the dead, in which people are baptized in behalf of their ancestors who, it is believed, are given the opportunity to accept the ordinance. Judaism is not a proselytizing religion. Orthodox Judaism deliberately makes it very difficult to convert and become a Jew, and requires a significant and full-time effort in

neg: Mormonism and Christianity Mormonism and Christianity Mormonism and Christianity have a complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. Mormons express the doctrines of Mormonism using standard biblical terminology and have similar views about the nature of Jesus' atonement, bodily resurrection, and Second Coming as traditional Christianity. Nevertheless, most Mormons do not accept the Trinitarian views of orthodox Nicene Christianity, codified in the Nicene and Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creeds of 325 and 381; Mormonism is the largest nontrinitarian denomination within Christianity. Though Mormons consider the Bible as scripture, they do not believe in biblical inerrancy. They have also adopted additional scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, the

neg: Christianity in Malta Christianity in Malta In the small Mediterranean island nation of Malta the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. The apostle Paul's time in Malta is described in the Book of Acts (; ) tradition holds that the church was founded by its patrons Saint Paul the Apostle and Saint Publius, who was its first bishop. The Islands of St. Paul (or St. Paul's Islets), in effect only one island during low tide, are traditionally believed to be the site where Saint Paul was shipwrecked in the year 60 AD, on his way to trial and eventual martyrdom in Rome. According to

neg: Frank J. Rawlinson the individual, since the philosophies of Daoism and Buddhism did so, and Chinese family values were exemplary. He pointed out that the ancient Chinese had stated the Golden Rule long before Jesus. In short, a Chinese Christianity was possible but the main obstacle was Western refusal to accept Chinese as equals and recognize the strength of Chinese culture, The burden was on the Christian church to itself become Chinese: In the end, Rawlinson concluded that a Christianity naturalized to China would leave denominations and sectarianism behind and not even cling to Christian ideas of salvation. Rawlinson argued that Christianity could

neg: Paul-Louis Couchoud The methodology followed by contemporary historians, from Ernest Renan to Alfred Loisy, in trying to understand the figure of Jesus and the origins of Christianity, faced two major obstacles: First, one cannot accept that after one generation or even less, an ordinary man could be deified, and, secondly, that Jesus's life could have escaped the attention of historians, because of missing documentation. In Couchoud's opinion, the doubtful "Testimonium Flavianum" (the famous passage in Josephus's "Antiquities of the Jews", III, iii, 3 which mentions of Jesus "He was the Christ") is an entire interpolation. Everything in the Talmud concerning Jesus is

neg: Christianity in Zambia reaffirmed his commitment to the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation. Pentecostal churches have managed to distance themselves to such a degree they were largely unaffected by Chiluba's fall. The instigation of the NCC by Mumba provided many with a safe method of switching allegiances without abandoning the concept of the Christian nation. Phiri says of Zambian political affairs that it, "has not fallen into the pattern of one party that supports the Christian Nation, contesting with another party which opposes it. Zambian politics has come increasingly to be played out between supporters of the Christian Nation." Following Mwanamasa's

neg: Christianization of Poland accept Christianity. While the spread of Christianity in Poland took centuries to finish, the process was ultimately successful, as within several decades Poland joined the rank of established European states recognised by the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. According to historians, the baptism of Poland marks the beginning of Polish statehood. Nevertheless, the Christianization was a long and arduous process, as most of the Polish population remained pagan until the pagan reaction during the 1030s. Before the adoption of Christianity in modern- day Poland, there were a number of different pagan tribes. Svetovid was among the most widespread pagan

neg: Decennium Dum Expletur freedom, which is lamentable, in light of her many assistances to the Polish nation during the war. The time of persecution is not over. He reminds the bishops on the glorious Polish history, rich with heroism but also with pain and suffering. But in thousand years of Christianity, the Polish people never became unfaithful to Jesus Christ and his Church. He hopes that the many Polish sacrifices will eventually lead to the peace of Christ and material well being for this great nation. He concludes with his Apostolic Blessing "to this great nation, which We love so dearly". Acta Apostolicae

neg: Theistic rationalism rationalists believe natural religion, Christianity, and rationalism typically coexist compatibly, with rational thought balancing the conflicts between the first two aspects. They often assert that the primary role of a person's religion should be to bolster morality, a fixture of daily life. Theistic rationalists believe that God plays an active role in human life, rendering prayer effective. They accept parts of the Bible as divinely inspired, using reason as their criterion for what to accept or reject. Their belief that God intervenes in human affairs and their approving attitude toward parts of the Bible distinguish theistic rationalists from Deists. Anthony

neg: Third Way (magazine) Os Guinness in his 1973 book "The Dust of Death": 'How often in the contemporary discussion a sensitive modern man knows that he cannot accept either of the polarised alternatives offered to him. In Christianity, however, there can be a Third Way, a true middle ground which has a basis, is never compromise and is far from silent.' "Third Way"'s first editor was Derek Williams. In 1978, he was succeeded by Alex Beale, later Alex Mitchell, who moved the magazine to its current monthly publication schedule. "Third Way" reviewed films, music, books and television. It also carried features on social