The Edict of Thessalonica, 380 AD – If you oppose it, you are a foolish madman
The Edict of Thessalonica, jointly issued by Theodosius I, Gratian, and Valentinian, ordered all subjects of the Roman Empire to profess the faith of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria, making Nicene Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. This is also when all other cults, gods, temples and even many different Christian sects were declared outlawed too.
This was really the end of any kind of religious freedom. And I think it was a very sad day for humanity.
There were many different Christian sects at that time, and the one which won, probably the least spiritual, mystical and inspirational one, made a pact with the State in order to outlaw everything else but themselves.
The Edict of Thessalonica has this to say about those who dared to refused to be Nicene Christians:
“We authorize the followers of this law to assume the title of Catholic Christians; but as for the others, since, in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of heretics, and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of churches. They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of the divine condemnation and in the second the punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will of Heaven we shall decide to inflict.”
Probably, the reaction of every normal person who read this Edict would have been: “WF is that! This Edict is so absurd and silly that it cannot last for long”.
It is 2016 AD and it is still surviving, if not really everywhere, then still in the mentality of many Christian believers.