Suppose a messianic cult based around Jesus of Nazareth had never sprung up in 1st and 2nd century Palestine, spreading around the Roman Empire over the next several centuries. Do you think Judaism, as a religion and national identity, still would have survived to this day as it has? After all, there were literally scores of other regions conquered by the Romans, and dozens of regional and tribal religions assimilated/wiped out in that Roman way. And pretty much without exception, those other local religions are gone. We certainly don’t see many Mithraists or Sol Invictus worshippers today, after all, but there are still Jews all over the world. Is any of this to do with the fact that Christianity was such a smashing success, and helped keep alive the Jewish scriptures, history/myths, and tribal identity as the chosen people?
While rather useless in helping to answer such an interesting historical question, my answer (as a Christian) is that the scenario you propose couldn’t happen, since Jesus and the rise of Christianity was preordained from the moment of creation (or perhaps even before) and no other option was possible. One might as well ask “What if ‘this statement is true’ is actually false?” It just can’t happen, so there’ no real sense in arguing about what it would mean.
But it’s an interesting question nonetheless, so carry on.
Well, Judaism had survived the Babylonians, the Persians, and the Greeks, so I think it would have been all right. If Judaism managed, in the real history, to survive Christianity, which was, for the most part, hostile to it, it would have survived the Romans, who, for the most part, weren’t.
Who knows, maybe the Roman Empire might have converted to Judaism.
Not the same thing at all; one statement refers to coercion/manipulation/design of the universe by God, where he makes what he wants happen. One is a logical contradiction. One is logically possible; one is not. I also suspect that many or most Christians would disagree with you, since most of them believe in free will and your statement violates both our free will and God’s.
Back to the OP; I think Judaism would do just fine. A world would without Christianity would be likely a more tolerant, benevolent world, especially towards Judaism. It’s hardly likely that a religion more hostile to Judaism would arise. My guess is that is it would just be one religion among thousands, with no special hatred.
Rabbinic Judaism survived the diaspora in spite of Christian persecution, not because of Christian indulgence.
That, however, ignores the point that it might have been persecution that preserved Judaism. Would Judaism have maintained its identity without the pressure of oppression to continually slough off those who were not committed and to prevent assimilation?
I suspect that Judaism would have continued, (we have several hundred years of relative freedom from oppression in Mesopotamia to consider), but the question still remains interesting. I do not think that anyone would make an argument that Christianity “permitted” Judaism to survive, but the alternative that Judaism actually thrived in the face of persecution is worth considering. (As long as no nitwit makes the stupid claim that Jews should thank Christians for repeatedly imposing various persecutions through hundreds of years.)
The answer to your question depends on what religion(s) would ultimately come to dominate Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. Does Islam get started differently or at all? Do the the various pagan religions survive and become organized similar to what happened to the Hindu cults? Does Buddhism fill the gap (maybe coming in with the Mongol hordes)?
I could come up with many possible outcomes, but I have no way to choose which is more likely.
I have a vague memory of some early church leader saying just that, that the Jews should be forever tormented and not destroyed as an ongoing punishment for “Killing Christ” and not following him. The Christians certainly used them to do jobs they objected to like banking, and as a scapegoat.
Islam is derived from Christianity IIRC; without Christianity, I don’t think it would ever exist.
Islam also has roots directly from Judaism, without being filtered through Christianity. I could see a strong case that Islam would exist, but be different.
Of course, it could also not come about. I think a Buddhist (there was a long time when they actively sent out missionaries) Europe and polytheistic Arabia would make an interesting alternative history. How different would the world be then!?