This month Atheist Advocates of SF features Steve Thoreson speaking on "Bigger than Jesus," an examination of Early Christianity and how it by chance managed to dominate the world for centuries.
It's the most unlikely success story of all time. The Christians started as a splinter sect from a religion particular to a tiny population from an unimportant corner of the Roman Empire. Either ignored or persecuted for the next centuries, the Christians suddenly turn go mass market, dominating European thought and culture for over a thousand years.
The explanation of this success from the Christian perspective is simple: God, who is real, wanted it that way.
For the atheist, the story is much more interesting. When you can appreciate the coincidences and politically expediencies of these times, you can appreciate the great 'what ifs' of history. If things had happened a little differently, we'd be talking about the unlikely success of Sol Invictus and not Jesus.
What was going on in Rome when they abandoned their original religion in favor of monotheism, twice: first for Sol Invictus and then Christianity? Who was Constantine and why did he embrace the religion? What's a Milvian Bridge? "Bigger than Jesus" attempts to examine several of the most pivotal characters to the success of Christianity: Constantine, Paul, Alexander, Theodosius and Alaric. Without these people, the brief career of a historical Jesus would have obscure or forgotten.
Steve is the founder and Organizer of SacFan, the largest atheist group in Sacramento.
Please join us for this talk and the following discussion.
Afterwards we will go to dinner at a nearby reasonable Chinese restaurant.
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When: Sunday, October 6th at 3:00 PM. (Meeting will start promptly at 3:00.)
Location: Audre Lorde Room (Upstairs), Women's Building,[masked]th (at Valencia), San Francisco
Cost: $6 Renting a meeting room means we must charge admittance. We would appreciate exact change if convenient. Most of all we want you to join us for this talk.
Note: The Women's Building is three blocks from the Mission 16th St. BART. If you don't know the neighborhood we suggest that as you reach the top of the stairs from BART, turn right and walk a few yards to 16th. Then turn left on 16th Street and walk to Valencia, then turn left on Valencia to 18th St.
Parking: Garage at[masked]st Street (at Lexington)
Our next meeting will be on Sunday, November 10th.
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I love history. This promises to be a great talk.