[extropy-chat] POLITICS: terrorism and strategies

[Steve Davies]

>
> --> Chris Phoenix
>
> > Two thousand years ago, some anonymous person made one dead body
> > disappear.  That was enough to turn a small band of militants into a
> > rather successful cross-cultural religion, with many thriving offshoots.
>
> Just to be pendantic: there are many cults, but few huge religions. The
> success of Christianity can be pinned on the series of charismatic,
> competant, successful leaders who built/transformed a minor mystery cult
> into the official Roman religion. I don't think it had much to do with the
> nature or history of Christianity itself. We could be living in a Mithran
or
> Orphean western world if the balance of charismatic, competant, successful
> leaders had led any one of the myriad other sects, secret societies or
> cults.
>
> Reason
> Founder, Longevity Meme
>
 Quite right. I'd add to that though that Christianity benefitted from being
adopted by the Roman state as the official religion. The ultimate example of
a successful 'religious entrepreneur' has to be the Prophet Muhammad.