Arguments of Celsus Porphyry and the Emperor Julian Against the Christians

Celsus (c. 180 CE): Celsus in his work The True Word criticized Christianity as irrational and incoherent. He accused Christians of being superstitious and of rejecting traditional Roman religious and civic values. He also dismissed the idea of Jesus' divinity arguing that Christian claims lacked historical and philosophical credibility. Porphyry (c. 234–305 CE): A prominent philosopher Porphyry's critique focused on contradictions in Christian scripture and questioned the legitimacy of prophecies attributed to Jesus. In his Against the Christians he also challenged the moral authority of Christian teachings compared to classical pagan ethics. Julian the Apostate (331–363 CE): As a Roman emperor who tried to restore paganism Julian’s writings (notably Against the Galileans) argued that Christianity was a corruption of Judaism and inferior to the traditional Greco-Roman religions. He criticized the Church's hierarchical structure and its rejection of classical cultural traditions.