Did christianity accelerate or slow down humanity's progress? And beyond speed...

Did christianity accelerate or slow down humanity's progress? And beyond speed, did it have a positive or a negative impact on human civilization?

>Did christianity accelerate or slow down humanity's progress?
we have no idea what would have come into prominence in it's place had it not existed, so there's really no way of knowing.
>did it have a positive or a negative impact on human civilization?
sounds like a cop out, but i'd say it's a pretty big mixed bag, like most ideas.

well it depends on the alternative, and of course roman gods wouldn't have stayed around, rather when islam came around it would have taken over europe and drastically changed the fabric of everything we know in ways that are incomprehensible. yes

to much undefined what, where, when, who

>progress
user, history is chaostastrophe, and improvements are incidental.

It heavily contributed to the fall of Rome

>Did christianity accelerate or slow down humanity's progress?
Accelerate

And beyond speed, did it have a positive or a negative impact on human civilization?
Subjective

Islam draws inspiration mainly from Christianity. Muhammed in his teen was raised by a Christian priest.

The rise of Christianity was one of the symptoms of Roman weakness, not one of its causes.

How did it accelerate? You make it seem that you can objectively quantify progress, but impact is subjective and cannot be quantified.
>it accelerated human progress
>that acceleration is neither negative or positive
Pick one unless you can elaborate more. I would like you to tbqh

A rock is rolling down a hill. Is that a good thing or a bad one? Depends.

It increases in speed, has it accelerated? That is objective, and yes.

Shitty metaphors aside, the strength of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages provided stability in Europe, a system of order, that worked with the Feudal system to encourage powerful families, alliances, stronger governments (at least stronger than the Dark Ages) and eventually grew into the Renaissance and modern nation states.

Whether or not that's a good thing can be debated, and it probably would have evolved without the centralisation the Church provided, but it would have taken longer.

this meme

Acceleration is implying it is moving towards better, which is inherently good. If it is neither positive or negative progression, then it is not progression.
But thank you for clarifying

>The cultural influence of the Church has been vast. Church scholars preserved literacy in Western Europe following the Fall of the Western Roman Empire.[1] During the Middle Ages, the Church rose to replace the Roman Empire as the unifying force in Europe. The cathedrals of that age remain among the most iconic feats of architecture produced by Western civilization. Many of Europe's universities were also founded by the church at that time. Many historians state that universities and cathedral schools were a continuation of the interest in learning promoted by monasteries.[2]

>The Bible and Christian theology have also strongly influenced Western philosophers and political activists. The teachings of Jesus, such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan, are among the important sources for modern notions of Human Rights and the welfare measures commonly provided by governments in the West. Long held Christian teachings on sexuality and marriage and family life have also been both influential and (in recent times) controversial. Christianity played a role in ending practices such as human sacrifice, slavery,[5] infanticide and polygamy.[6] Christianity in general affected the status of women by condemning infanticide (female infants were more likely to be killed), divorce, incest, polygamy, birth control, abortion and marital infidelity.[7]

It had both positive and negative impacts, but on balance overwhelmingly negative.

Positive. Christianity was vital in Western European state formation. After The W. Roman Empire fell, it filled that vacuum. The first universities in Europe grew our of Christian monasteries which were centers of learning. The Church acted as a kind of proto-welfare state it opened orphanages, hospitals, schools.

Christianity transmitted the best of Greco-Roman civilization to the germanics and Christian ethics had a pacifying effect in terms of interpersonal relationships. It structured European society in such a way that paved the way for its future achievement.

"The dark ages" are a meme that no actual historian takes seriously anymore.

>Did christianity accelerate or slow down humanity's progress?
Yes

>And beyond speed, did it have a positive or a negative impact on human civilization?
Both

>Yes
Meant slow down

Christianity is what brought the barbarians all over Europe from the stone age into a decently civilized state after they destroyed the pillars of society.

Before Christianity, humanity stagnated for more than 2000 years.

>he bought a Veeky Forums pass