So: What caused the fall of the Roman Empire (if it wasn’t Christianity)?

[bluedragon]

You pretty much got it right.
Over expansion and dwindling military power and increasing powerful enemies would be contributing factors. Rome itself was more or less abandon with the heart of the Empire moving to Constantinople.

As far as the United States do not look for it to fall anytime soon.

I would put most weight on your observations. Simple, they ran out of Romans and depended on foreign soldiers to fight for the empire. Augustas made a speech admonishing Roman Men of practicing gay lifestyles while their wives aborted their children. The Romans did this to themselves ....

 

[nedsk]

The rationale given below is based on “Europe Between the Oceans,” by the eminent archaeologist Barry Cunliffe. However, he might not agree entirely with my thrust.

The Roman Empire can be divided into three overlapping sectors: an economic sector (responsible for all goods and services), a military sector (responsible for the safety of the empire), and a government sector (responsible for strategy, funding, and taxation).

Starting around the 4th century, the government sector began consuming an increasing share of the total economic output, at the expense of the military sector, and it also increased taxation and money devaluation, which strained the economic sector. This shift in balance contributed to weakened defenses and eventually left the Roman Empire vulnerable to external invasions.

Although this situation was not the only problem Rome faced, it was the most serious. Finally, the legions were overwhelmed on the frontier, and Rome was sacked in AD 410. Of course, politicians blamed Christians and Christianity. In response, Augustine of Hippo penned a spirited defense of Christianity, “The City of God.”

The sorry fact was that Rome’s leaders did not behave as one would expect Christian leaders should (sound familiar?). They cared only about their own power, prestige, wealth, and sensual pleasures.

Although the Western Empire wobbled on another 50 years, it was all downhill, as the economic sector was no longer able to conduct as much of the needed business, and the legions were fragmented. At the end there was even civil strife, with legion vying against legion as rivals fought for control of the throne.

Given the parallels with current state of Western Civilization, it is not surprising to hear some say we are in a late Roman Empire stage.

Peace.

There's a story of Caligula wanting to make a horse a Roman senator. Today we have a supreme court justice who can't tell us what a woman is. It's not much of a difference. When debauchery is the norm this is the result. Truth has disappeared from the public square.

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

They had liberals back then so it was the liberals that caused Rome to fall as they mismanaged everything and whacked their leader like liberals today are wanting to whack Trump

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

Christendom’s foundational doctrine is not found in God’s word….nor did Jesus ever teach it.

OK, so where do you think the gospel can be found is not in God's Word?

Which modern day cult has the truth?

 

[nedsk]

OK, so where do you think the gospel can be found is not in God's Word?

Which modern day cult has the truth?

The real question is who has the most authoritve interpretation of God's word?