""dave-sounds like your reading of history accords with mine rather than dons.different sources maybe?.""

OK, here is the history.

Jesus died aged thirty three, and over one hundred years later the first written accounts of his life and death appeared.

The Christians were persecuted because of their insistence on separating Caesar and God (Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's).

The were hounded, imprisoned and executed in huge numbers until 300 years after Jesus' birth.

In 274 A.D. Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus was born at Naissus in modern day Serbia.

He became an Emperor of Rome in 306 A.D. and in 312 A.D. he defeated Emperor Maxentius at the battle of the Milvian Bridge over the Tiber, in which river Maxentius drowned. This led to the destruction of the Tetrarchy and Constantine's elevation to sole Emperor of the whole Roman Empire.

It was after this battle that he converted to Christianity, which, under his patronage and protection, rapidly became the dominant religion, and was firmly established as such by 337 A.D. when Constantine died.

All of which is easily verifiable historical fact.

Check it out Pete.

Don T.