Marty,
I don't believe you're being deceptive. I'm just more apt to believe the Bible than secular history, especially during the dark ages. I'm just as skeptical of secular history as you are of the Bible lol. Secular history is highly opinionated, mostly politically motivated, many times misinterpreted, and generally only serves the pride of men. You have to understand that, just as the Spirit gave men visions of the future, so also did men write the Bible as inspired by the Spirit. You're never going to find any meaning in the history of Christianity because the Bible is not a religion. Christianity wasn't spread around the globe by historical figures, it was spread by the Spirit according to the will of God. You have to study the Bible from God's perspective. It is God's Word and it delineates a historical account of how mankind has always rebelled against Him. The first lesson it teaches you is you're not God, you're not in control of anything, especially your own vanity, and without His mercy and forgiveness none of us would have a reason to exist. The Bible is not just a book of rules or a philosophy for better living. The Bible is God tapping you on the shoulder and saying, "Hey, I created you for a reason..."

Dom,
Consider Cain and Abel.. brothers and sons of Adam yet Cain rebelled. In Noah's day everyone knew how many generations removed they were from Adam and Eve yet they still rebelled. At the tower of Babel the flood was still fresh in everyone's mind. So, to say there were many false religions before Jesus is redundant. Why do you think He came? Do you honestly believe any man on this Earth could stand before God with a legitimate excuse today? I don't. But even if there are people who have never heard of Christ, that's what the 144,000 witnesses are for. God thinks of everything...