Changes

===Roman Empire===

===Roman Empire===

While pagan Rome evidenced that it yet retained a strong adherence many basic moral values, it gods themselves (mainly being forms of Greek deities) were immoral, and the Roman Empire followed the path of moral degeneration that would be its ruin. The moral deterioration of the Empire is seen to have attained its highest point in the dissolute age of the immoral Roman Emperors,<ref>Prof. Kurtz's church history, p. 25 (1889)</ref> almost all of which were active [[homosexuals]].  

While pagan Rome evidenced that its people had retained a somewhat strong degree of adherence to many basic moral values for much of its history, without which it could not have been a great empire, their gods themselves (mainly being forms of Greek deities) were immoral, and the Roman Empire followed the path of moral degeneration that would be its ruin. The moral deterioration of the Empire is seen to have attained its highest point in the dissolute age of the immoral Roman Emperors,<ref>Prof. Kurtz's church history, p. 25 (1889)</ref> almost all of which were active [[homosexuals]].  

J.W. Shepard states,  

J.W. Shepard states,  

 

{{Cquote|The religion of the Romans had no power to cope with the degeneracy of the times. The philosophies of the Greeks failed. None of the philosophies could meet the deep moral needs of the times. The emperors were monsters of crime.

<blockquote>The religion of the Romans had no power to cope with the degeneracy of the times. The philosophies of the Greeks failed. None of the philosophies could meet the deep moral needs of the times. The emperors were monsters of crime.

Thousands of lives were sacrificed in the arena to furnish entertainment for the Emperor and a bloodthirsty population. Luxury was beyond description. The horrible character of vice and crime is witnessed to by the excavated objects of Pompeii.  

Thousands of lives were sacrificed in the arena to furnish entertainment for the Emperor and a bloodthirsty population. Luxury was beyond description. The horrible character of vice and crime is witnessed to by the excavated objects of Pompeii.  

Paul gives a picture in the Roman epistle of a people who had departed from the God revealed in nature and conscience, to set up for themselves, through vain independence, gods like unto creatures. From this idol worship they had gone on into moral degeneracy and crime until they were lost in a world of darkness and destruction.  

Paul gives a picture in the Roman epistle of a people who had departed from the God revealed in nature and conscience, to set up for themselves, through vain independence, gods like unto creatures. From this idol worship they had gone on into moral degeneracy and crime until they were lost in a world of darkness and destruction.  

This was the condition of the world morally when Jesus came, who was to "overcome the world" with His Gospel."

This was the condition of the world morally when Jesus came, who was to "overcome the world" with His Gospel.<ref>J.W. Shepard, "The Christ of the Gospels" Reprint, p. 15 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982)</ref>}}

 

<ref>J.W. Shepard, "The Christ of the Gospels" Reprint, p. 15 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982) </ref></blockquote>

Alfred Edersheim (1825-1889) adds,  

Alfred Edersheim (1825-1889) adds,  

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

''See also [[Roman Homosexuality]]  

''See also [[Roman Homosexuality]]

===The United States===

===The United States===