Debunking the DaVinci Code Book

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religion was sun worship-the cult of Sol Invictus, or the Invincible Sun-and Constantine was it’s head priest. Unfortunately for him, a growing religious turmoil was gripping Rome. Three centuries after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Christ’s followers had multiplied exponentially. Christians and pagans began warring, and the conflict grew to such proportions that it threatened the rend Rome in two. Constantine decided something had to be done. In 325 A.D., he decided to unify Rome under a single religion. Christianity.”5

FACT: Constantine grew up with a mother who was a Christian and a father (who ruled the western part of the Roman Empire) who highly favored Christianity. Upon his father’s death, the Roman soldiers immediately declared Constantine as his father’s successor. Constantine would then march on the central Roman Empire, controlled by Maxentius, who was a pagan and a tyrant. On the eve of a very critical battle at the Milvian Bridge, Constantine had a dream in which he was instructed to place the image of the cross on his soldier’s shields and in the name of this symbol, go forth against the enemy. Constantine did just that and won a stunning victory. Maxentius was killed during battle, freeing Constantine to march on Rome. Upon taking it, he declared himself the supreme Ruler of the Roman Empire. Constantine immediately legalized Christianity. He did so to honor the God that gave him victory. That God seemed to hear and answer prayers.

Constantine was not without his faults. He had grown up in a pagan world. He, like many of us, gradually allowed the faith to clean up his life and he made mistakes along the way. However, overall, Constantine was a great friend to the church.

He did the following during his rule:
- Returned all property and church buildings confiscated by Emperor Diocletian to the Christians.
- Abolished various customs and traditions offensive to Christians such as the gladiatorial games.
- Contributed liberally to the building of churches.
- Erased the heathen symbols of Jupiter, Apollo, Mars and Hercules from the imperial coins and tore down old pagan shrines and temples.
- Called the Council of Nicea to settle the Arian controversy that was splitting the church.

He was baptized at the end of his life. Why at the end? Baptism was seen as a way to be cleansed from all your sins. Doing it at the end of your life gave you a better chance not having a particular sin keep you out of Heaven.

Historian Philip Schaff fills in his final days: “After the solemn ceremony he promised to live thenceforth worthily of a disciple of Jesus; refused to wear again the imperial mantle of cunningly woven silk, richly ornamented with gold; retained the white baptismal robe; and died a few days after, on Pentecost, May 22, 337, trusting in the mercy of God, and leaving a long, and fortunate, and a brilliant reign, such as none but Augustus, of all his predecessors, had enjoyed.”6

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