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Celsus Philosopher

Celsus, philosopher Epicurean Greek of the ^second century , is the author of a work record and articulate, (in Greek: written around 178. It was a work in which he attacked Christianity by nascent weapons of reason and ridicule. The original text is lost but much was received by the extended extracts quoted by his great opponent Origen in his work The Refutation. Celsus was acquainted with Lucian , who dedicated his or Alexander the false prophet.

The "true speech"

The real speech, sometimes called the is one of the oldest works of criticism against the Christianity. In his day, few people seem to have been interested in detail at this end of religion Judaism , divided into numerous sects and having a bad reputation, as stated in its introduction.

Celsus do not oppose religion Greek or Roman traditional as it is, but a syncretic religion based on a supreme being whose pagan gods of the pantheons are only representations and associated with the teaching of the great Greek philosophers, so that n is not the monotheism itself that accuses the Christians (and Jews) but rather to appropriate the Supreme Being for their own benefit.

If Celsus does not lend little credence to the gossip about secret Masses, he believes that religion is dangerous religious, political and social.

From a religious standpoint, he refutes the claims Christian (and Jewish) to be the only true religion. He rejects the status of Jesus of Nazareth in Christianity and says this is a mere mortal, band leader, whose story was embellished by Christians in particular to the pagan myths. It is a criticism of the main founders of biblical stories and Christian theology.
From the perspective of philosophical and moral, he refutes the moral superiority of Christianity over pagan religions, declaring that Christian morality is not original, it is copied from the moral philosophers, but presented in a vulgar and stupid.
Beyond the purely religious and philosophical, it was his political and social aspect, for Celsus, represents the real danger of Christianity. Christianity was persecuted by the Roman empire for political reasons, Christians refusing to perform certain civic duties and accomplish the civil religion of the imperial cult.

In his book, Celsus says that Christians are in fact revolutionary who refuse to behave as good citizens and whose behavior endangers the empire and civilization if everyone became a Christian. He correctly predicted that the empire would fall well into the hands of barbarians. Similarly, he accuses the Christians of being, by their own admission, ready to seduce the Roman emperors or potential winners of the latter.

Excerpts

"There is a new race of men born yesterday, homeless or traditions, united against all religious institutions and civil prosecution by the justice, universally noted with infamy, but glorying in the execration common: they Christians are (...).

In recent times, Christians have found among the Jews a new Moses who has seduced even better. He goes with them to the son of God and is the author of their new doctrine (...). We know how it ended. Alive, he could do nothing for himself; dead, you say, he rose and showed the holes in his hands. But who has seen it all? (...)

Support the Emperor of all your strengths, share with him the defense of law; fight for him if the circumstances require help him in command of his armies. To do this, stop you escape the civil duties and military service, take your share of public functions, if necessary, for the salvation of the laws and the cause of piety. "