Gosh, Ben, I just don'ts the kind of evidence in the historical record though that you would need to make this anything other than a wild idea. Why the Romans saw were Christians crucified on crosses throughout the empire. It was not made easy and simple to be a Christian - yet many flocked to this new religion. Sio yes, I think something was gong on here, and yes, somehow a mania for Christ was sujugated by the state. But, at the same time worship of many other divinities was rampant in Rome - Isis and Cybele, two examples. Devotees of Cybele castrated themselves to join her cult. So I don't buy your premise "The masses always buy he disneyfied presentation" - at least not as I am understanding your use of the term.