Hermeneutics Constantine is a hero of
Christian faith just because he stopped feeding them to lions and supposedly converted to being a Christian. His children had a tutor named Lactantius who I often quote in regards to those who would lie or "forge" in pursuit of power through religion. He should know from first hand experience to be sure. The Council of Nicaea was site of greatest achievement of Constantine who many scholars credit as primary creator or editor of Bible and what is basis of Roman Empire to this day.
“The influence of great Alexandrian Schools had not helped early Christians in their work of propaganda. While Church of Rome held up Jewish Bible as sole authority upon every subject, Gnostic Schools of Alexandria and Ephesus had turned out thousands of students who recognized absurdity of such a claim. The scattered communities of orthodox Christendom, echoing church in Rome, were teaching that Jewish Scriptures were only revelation of God, and therefore not to be compared with Scriptures of other nations. But three prominent Jewish scholars had already proved similarity between Laws of Moses and philosophies of Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras. Christians claimed that Jesus was a unique character, while entire pagan world knew that legends surrounding Jesus' life were identical with those of pagan gods. Students of comparative religion recognized their similarity to traditions of great spiritual Teachers who had preceded Jesus.
The Church now found herself in conflict not only with 'religious' ideas of her self-chosen adversaries, but with their 'scientific' views as well. The orthodox Church Fathers declared that God made world out of nothing. The Gnostic Fathers denied this unphilosophical assertion and held that universe was result of a gradual unfoldment from within without. {As Above, So Below} Christianity asserted that earth was flat, and against this theory was pitted that of Aristarchos of Samos, who had been a member of Alexandrian School in 280 B.C., and had taught sphericity of earth as Pythagoras had taught it before him.
In fourth century, Science and orthodox Christianity came to a deadlock, bone of contention being idea of sphericity of earth. Criticizing ancient theory of roundness of earth, Lactantius, one of most polished rhetoricians among Christians, indignantly inquired:
‘Is it possible that men can be so absurd as to believe that crops and trees on other side of earth hang downward, and that men have their feet higher than their heads? If you ask them how they defend those monstrosities, how things do not fall away from earth on that side, they reply that nature of things is such that heavy bodies tend toward center, like spokes of a wheel, while light bodies tend from center to heavens on all sides. Now I am really at a loss what to say of those, who, when they have once gone wrong, steadily persevere in their folly and defend one absurd opinion by another.’
But this statement, although written by a prominent member of their own faith, was objected to by Christians themselves. When had they ever claimed that there 'were' people on other side of earth? {Indeed their maps often indicate there was no China. This is a corollary to Flat Earth fiction. It was reason they touted Marco Polo discoveries, even though they had Nestorian priests in China when Genghis Khan arrived and we now have Byzantium coins from archaeology in Chinese digs dated to 5th century as we have shown, etc.} The Bible stated that only persons who survived Flood were three sons of Noah, and their work was clearly described. Shem had repopulated Asia, Ham had done same for Africa, and Japhet was ancestor of European peoples. Therefore to quote St. Augustine: ‘It is impossible that there should be inhabitants on other side of earth, since no such race is recorded in Scriptures among descendants of Adam.’ {This is from a man self-confessed as a sexual deviate and who as a Manichean said Scriptures were only fit for children. When I say he is a deviate I'm being kind. The American Psychoanalytical Association says more in his book "Confessions".)
As if that were not enough of an argument to convince any thinking man, St. Augustine offered another which was certainly irrefutable! It would be impossible, he said, for men to be on other side of earth, for in that case ‘in Day of Judgement, men on other side of earth would not be able to see Lord descending through air.’
By sixth century, flatness of earth had been definately established by Christian Church. In his great work, 'Christian Topography', Cosmos Indicopleustas {He was a mariner who traveled to India, and his word would carry some weight as a seafarer. Thus a little thing led to him getting a Nestorian priesthood as a reward for putting Pope officially on map, at center of Universe.} describes earth as a quadrangular plane, extending four hundred day's journey east and west and exactly half as much north and south. {No wonder Khan offered to make all of China Catholic, if Marco Polo could get Catholic scholars to debate his scholars. This event never happened because two Catholics who set out with Polos returned under protection of Templars, almost as soon as they got their first slaves.} This quadrangular plane he said to be enclosed by mountains, upon which sky rests. As mountain 'on north is larger than others, it intercepts sun's rays and produces night. The plane of earth is not exactly horizontal, but inclines slightly from north. Therefore rivers like Tigris and Euphrates, which run southward, have a rapid motion, while Nile, which runs northward, naturally moves more slowly.’
In addition to pagan and idolatrous religions of "heathen" and their absurd scientific views concerning sphericity of earth, there were teachings of great pagan philosophers which had to be refuted also if Christian Church were to become ruling force of day. The orthodox Fathers devoted all their time and energy to this task. But in spite of their best efforts, Pagans laughed quietly at Christian ignorance. The Church was in a quandary. {Can you imagine this kind of writing being read in a school that taught history, today?} How could she continue to refute pagan doctrines unless she understood theories she was trying to combat?
{By bafflegab and co-opting, great steps were taken and Council of Carthage in 397 AD had made woman slave to man, so it was just a matter of making salvation easy to get. Then men could sin and pay no heed as they confessed each Sunday if they went to church at all.}
In self-defence, Church decided to adopt new tactics. She would establish a School of her own in Alexandria, city of Schools. {They also struck a deal with Celtic Church which never accepted reduction of women, but thought it would be able to make more inroads working from within rather than without. Bangor in Ireland became a leading university for Catholic scholars like Columbanus.} This School would serve two purposes: first, it would enable her to introduce Christianity into this hotbed of heresy; {Where they later succeeded in whipping up a frenzy against smartest woman of her time. Hypatia of Alexandria was killed by tearing her arms and legs out of their sockets and her body was displayed all over city of light and spirit.} second, it would give Church Fathers an opportunity to study pagan doctrines, and thus give a greater appearance of authority to their Refutations. As Reverend Father Stebbing points out, this School
