Was pagan europe really just agnostic?

it seems europe never really was religious before Christianity desu

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this also explains why it was so easy for Christians to convert them. C
Christians were the only ones at the time who took their religion seriously

not in the slightest, these sort of pseudo-atheistic/agnostic ideas typically come in a later stage of a civilization
Romans were extremely religious especially during their ascending phase, even Greek writers remarked their piousness and very strict adherence to the rites; Cicero remarks that if Romans were in all other things equal or even inferior to other people, in one thing they were vastly superior, their religiosity

When civilization falls people become less religious.

I always found romans and greek pagan much more interested in philosophy than religion desu.
which is why platonism for example was very widespread.
>Greek writers remarked their piousness and very strict adherence to the rites
source?

I also notice that they never had strict laws against blasphemy or heresy etc. aswell.
or at least the state laws were taken way more seriously. they didnt have a religious clergy that was represented above the law either. (unlike in christian europe when the church basically dictated everything)

>easy to convert
You mean all the wars and violence and making practices illegal burning down places of worship etc?

of course there were bloodshed, but like 95% converted by the hands of missionaries.
every single kingdom that replaced the roman empire after it collapsed also decided to keep Christiantiy instead of going back to paganism

Not really. Christianity was unique because it asserted that there was only one god. Pagans believed there were many gods. Here is a good article on the topic by a respected agnostic scholar.

history.com/news/inside-the-conversion-tactics-of-the-early-christian-church

I can't exactly recall the quote right now, it was some Greek historian remarking that it was a key element of their ascending power and strength, I'll post the quote if I can find it.
In any case, once again you have to take into account the particular era you are talking about. The more you go back to their ascending phase, the more was "religio"(which for ancients was something more related to the correct observance of rites in order to effect the pax deorum, not so much mental subservience to some specific doctrine) important. Priests in Rome were definitely very influential, the highest ones had to be drawn from the noblest families, were subject to strict rules and enjoyed a high degree of respect while administrating the proper and timely execution of rites.
For Romans(but Germanics too), the favor of the gods in order to win a battle was as important as material conditions.

by the time of aurelius it was basically agnostic, but not always

Alexander the Great built religious shrines everywhere and literally believed that the gods had made him invincible.

Julius Caesar fell to his knees in front of one of Rome's many shrines to its deities and begged for forgiveness from the god of luck.

Stop being a fedora.

also, one must remark that things like Platonism/Aristotelianism would not be something your average plebeian would be familiar with, just like your average middle ages christian wouldn't really conceive christianity through Thomism, it's important to distinguish between the (often esoteric, especially in antiquity) doctrines reserved to the elites/literate and the more exoteric aspects of it, which ideally should be in perfect harmony

Oh, also:

>pagans

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Good article. I read it. Definitely recommended.
I may also add an additional point: the reason why Jesus became very special compared to the pagan gods is because he actually existed as a historical figure. He actually lived on planet earth as a human, at a specific time, in a specific place, which was also within the roman empire's borders. and when he had all these miracles etc. attributed to him, he became much "desirable" than just some gods that had simple been written as myths and legends rather than historical people.

But the pagan gods also walked the earth at some time.

He also claimed to he descended from Zeus. His tomb was also a very popular site for pilgrimage. Well, until the Christians destroyed it.

>of course there were bloodshed, but like 95% converted by the hands of missionaries.

>Source: bro i swear this priest told us

I mean, if you burn their temples, all their history, manage to also burn their ancestors tales because they weren't Christian, thus they were "bad loool" at some point they will eventually convert, they don't know who they are anymore, that's practically Jewry in a nutshell.
>every single kingdom that replaced the roman empire after it collapsed also decided to keep Christiantiy instead of going back to paganism

Indeed, that's what separated Barbarians from Pre Imperial Romans, how easy it is for them to believe anything.

LARPers always existed I guess.

"at some time"?
at what year? and in which place? and what was their purpose for being on earth?
this is what made Jesus very "unique" compared to pagan gods.

That's a good point.

Fake quote to begin with.

Everyone who lives IS religious

When your religion is a gathering of primitive beliefs around essentially human idols and gods, and society progresses spiritually and begins to ask the right questions, religion becomes incompatible with the spirit of civilization. The most well-known classes abandon it, and the people gradually follow this pattern. Either they either adopt a belief closer to the truth, or they arrogantly put themselves in the place of The Creator.
The Romans adopted a monotheistic faith, although wrong in the details, correct in the substrate. I fear that the contemporary West is moving vigorously towards the alternative - arrogance, nihilism, and the cult of the individual.

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I heard that Zeus was born in Crete.

Also what was the purpose of Jesus, to die?

New Atheism appeals to those who are smart enough to question theism, yet they are not smart enough to believe in it again using reason.

Sacrifice

How was Jesus a sacrifice?

Am I the only one that finds Marcus Aurelius unbearable? He sounds like a pretentious high schooler

Aurelius believed in the roman gods and a kind of universal god of the kosmos.

Every politician in the world today, even the most noble ones, are complete whores compared to person like Marcus Aurelius.

Five good emperors were on a whole different level.

how are you this uneducated on christian doctrine? lol. Jesus sacrificed to save humanity from eternal damnation. its a pretty fundamental teaching of Christianity

How was he a sacrifice I don't understand. He was just dead for 3 days it's not a big sacrifice at all. Also Jesus is God he sacrificed nothing at all.