Jolly Old Saint Nick

At the first ecumenical council of the Christian church in 325 A.D., Nicholas, a bishop at the time, had no qualms at punching out the lights of another theologian, Arius, They were arguing about whether Jesus was or was not God in human form.

Arius said he was defending the fundamental truth that there is only one God -- monotheism. So how could Jesus be God too?

Biff - Bam!

Pugilistic Nicholas was first reprimanded and stripped of his bishopric, then later made a saint.

The Nicene Creed, a Christian recitation of faith, came out of this council meeting in which the Emperor Constantine founded something close to a state religion. Arius and all the other theologians who did not agree with the Emperor-backed theology had to flee for their lives.

This story indicates to me that what is now called orthodox Christian belief came through the knot-hole here, founded upon an emperor's quest for power, no room for dissent, leaving all other thought on the other side of the knot-holed wall. Of course true Christians (the orthodox) will disagree, saying "God's will was working here so that the only true theological doctrine was saved, preserved -- what matter that it was preserved through a man's ambition? God works in mysterious ways."

And so it goes. Everyone believes their belief is right else why would they believe it? And all are sure that at the end of time, their form of belief will be proven. And they will nod wisely and say I told you so as the others get hit by the Fist Almighty.