Like all the back-and-forth when Constantine was trying to give Xianity a religious monopoly.
As most of us know, Xianity splintered into a gaggle of combative sects right from the start. Some had their own Holy Texts incorporating paganism, or Greek philosophy, or who knows what-all.
One of Constantine's biggest headaches came from Alexandria, Egypt, where two powerful church leaders battled for years over the nature of Christ. In those days, Alexandria was a power center of the Church, second only to Constantinople itself. (Rome was just one more Bishopric and not an especially influential one. Despite later propaganda to the contrary.)
In this corner: Athanasius. A truly nasty piece of work who organized gangs of thugs to attack his opponents on the streets of Alexandria. Claimed Christ was part of God.
And in that corner: Arias, who claimed Christ was separate from God and fully human.
That little squabble led to, among other things, the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed. Which settled everything - HA! - by simply stating that Christ was "of the same substance" as God. Whatever that substance is...
But even after the Creed supposedly settled everything, Constantine kept changing his mind. He sent letters to Athanasius telling him to go easy on Arias and his followers.
Everybody else was just as confused. Arias was branded a heretic at one church Council, exonerated by the next Council, then declared a heretic AGAIN at a third Council.
Maybe it's no wonder that when Arias finally died, one story says Athanasius publicly danced for joy thru Alexandria's streets.
In 641, a new god came to live in Alexandria. His name was Allah and he didn't give a damn about the nature of Christ. The former grand Church of Athanasius became the Attarine Mosque, which you can still visit in Alexandria today.
And to this day, Xians are still stuck with trying to explain the baffling Trinitarian bullshit in the Nicene Creed. Which serves them right.
/pedantry
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