Breakdown:

1. Introduction: Questioning the Origins of Christianity
   • Brief overview of the traditional understanding of Christianity’s origins.
   • Introduction to the idea that the Romans, not the Jews, may have created Christianity as a tool for political control.
2. Reason 1: The Roman Empire’s Dominance and Religious Control
   • Explanation of how the Romans monitored and controlled religions within their empire to maintain power.
   • Discussion of why a religion like Christianity, which preached obedience to Roman authority, would benefit the empire.
3. Reason 2: Jewish Revolts and the Messianic Expectation
   • Analysis of the Jewish revolts against Roman rule, driven by the belief in a coming Messiah.
   • Consideration of how the Romans might have used the creation of a pacifist Messiah like Jesus to quell these revolts.
4. Reason 3: The Lack of Evidence for Jesus and Christianity Before 70 CE
   • Examination of the historical record and the absence of evidence for Jesus or Christianity before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.
   • Discussion of the implications of this gap in the historical timeline.
5. Reason 4: The Late Appearance of Christian Texts
   • Overview of the dating of Christian texts, which mostly appear in the second century.
   • Discussion of the anonymous authorship of these texts and the implications for their authenticity.
6. Reason 5: Contradictions in Christian Scripture
   • Exploration of the numerous contradictions in the Christian Bible, such as the differing genealogies of Jesus and the resurrection accounts.
   • Analysis of how these contradictions weaken the credibility of the Christian narrative.
7. Reason 6: The Professional Deception of Religious Organizations
   • Argument that the spread of Christianity, based on anonymous and contradictory texts, suggests deliberate deception.
   • Exploration of who benefits from this deception, leading to the conclusion that it was the Romans, not the Jews.
8. Reason 7: Christianity’s Greek Language and Influence
   • Examination of how Christianity was written in Greek, the lingua franca of the Roman Empire, and incorporated Greek philosophy and pagan practices.
   • Discussion of how this aligns with the idea of Christianity being a Roman creation.
9. Reason 8: The Roman Foundations of the Christian Church
   • Reference to Irenaeus’s claim that the oldest Christian church was founded in Rome.
   • Exploration of how this supports the theory of Roman authorship of Christianity.
10. Reason 9: Jesus and Paul’s Pro-Roman Teachings
    • Analysis of how both Jesus and Paul’s teachings support Roman authority, such as Jesus telling Jews to pay taxes to Caesar and Paul urging obedience to rulers.
    • Consideration of how these teachings align with Roman interests.
11. Reason 10: The Anti-Jewish Nature of Christianity
    • Exploration of how Christianity’s teachings and history are consistently anti-Jewish.
    • Discussion of how this fits with the Roman agenda of suppressing Jewish rebellion and identity.
12. Reason 11: The Roman Promotion of Christianity
    • Examination of how the Roman Empire, especially after Constantine, aggressively promoted Christianity.
    • Discussion of how this aligns with the idea that Christianity was a tool of Roman control.
13. Reason 12: The Myth of Christian Persecution and Martyrdom
    • Debunking the traditional narrative of widespread Christian persecution by the Romans.
    • Argument that these myths were created to bolster the credibility of Christianity and explain the early deaths of its leaders.
14. Reason 13: The Roman Replacement of Judaism
    • Analysis of how Christianity served as a Roman replacement for Judaism, neutralizing the rebellious aspects of Jewish belief.
    • Discussion of how Jesus, as the Roman version of the Messiah, fit this strategy.
15. Conclusion: Reassessing the Origins of Christianity
    • Summary of the 18 reasons presented.
    • Reflection on the implications of this theory for our understanding of history and religion.
    • Call to question the traditional narratives and consider the possibility of Christianity as a Roman invention designed to control and pacify the populations within the empire.

This structure allows for a thorough exploration of the provocative theory that Christianity was a Roman creation, presenting the reasons in a logical and compelling manner.