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Christians did not set out to threaten the Roman government, but the Roman leaders were worried that Christianity threatened the security of the state. This led to sporadic persecution of the Christians, undertaken in an attempt to force them to return to the traditional religion.

The Romans believed that they were favoured by all the gods because they were so devoted to them. In line with this attitude, they encouraged all conquered peoples to continue to worship their traditional gods. In special cases, they even took the statues and sacred objects of some gods back to Rome, and they worshipped them there, as well.

Christianity undermined that fundamental self-understanding of their military and political success. Christianity taught that all people should abandon the old gods, and worship God alone. Therefore, the Romans had a continuing concern that Christianity threatened the state because it did not respect the traditional gods of the Romans or of the conquered peoples.

While the Jews also taught that there is only one God, their religion was officially permitted from the time they were first conquered. This permission was not lost, even after the Jewish temple was destroyed in AD 70, since Judaism was the ancient religion of a conquered people. This fitted nicely into the Roman idea of their special kind of piety, namely to respect the traditional religions of conquered peoples.

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Christians did not set out to threaten the Roman government, but the Roman leaders were worried that Christianity threatened the security of the state. This led to sporadic persecution of the Christians, undertaken in an attempt to force them to return to the traditional religion.

The Romans believed that they were favoured by all the gods because they were so devoted to them. In line with this attitude, they encouraged all conquered peoples to continue to worship their traditional gods. In special cases, they even took the statues and sacred objects of some gods back to Rome, and they worshipped them there, as well.

Christianity undermined that fundamental self-understanding of their military and political success. Christianity taught that all people should abandon the old gods, and worship God alone. Therefore, the Romans had a continuing concern that Christianity threatened the state because it did not respect the traditional gods of the Romans or of the conquered peoples.

While the Jews also taught that there is only one God, their religion was officially permitted from the time they were first conquered. This permission was not lost, even after the Jewish temple was destroyed in AD 70, since Judaism was the ancient religion of a conquered people. This fitted nicely into the Roman idea of their special kind of piety, namely to respect the traditional religions of conquered peoples.

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Q: Why did Christianity threaten the Roman government?
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Why did the roman government mistreat the minority Christianity population?

because christian values undermined roman morals and because people liked Christianity it threatened roman rule so they had to eradicate it or else they would face destruction.


Under the reign of which emperor did Christianity become the official religion of the Roman Empire?

Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.


What Roman Empire Studied Christianity?

There was only one Roman Empire. Moreover, the Roman Empire did not study Christianity. An empire cannot study. The Roman Empire was where Christianity spread from Judea (which was a part of the Roman province of Syria). Both Catholic and Orthodox Christianity developed in the Roman Empire. Originally the were called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the dominant form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the dominant form of Christianity in the eastern part of this empire. There were also dissident Christian doctrines and sects.


What is the connection between ancient Rome and the spread of Christianity?

Christianity developed from a religion among a small group of Jews (who lived in Judea, which was part of the Roman Empire) into a mass religion in the Roman days. It spread around the Roman Empire. It became state religion. Catholic Christianity and Orthodox Christianity developed during the Later Roman Empire. They were originally called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the main form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the main form of Christianity in the eastern part of the Roman Empire.


Who is the roman empire who legalized Christianity and legalized the edict of milan?

Constantine I

Related questions

What best describes the roman government attitude toward the early christians?

The Roman government saw Christianity as a threat.


Why did roman government fear the spread of Christianity?

The Roman government feared the spread of Christianity because the Romans thought that if people who became Christians would stop worshipping the Roman gods. Early Christians also refused to pay homage to the Roman Emperor as divine, which was seen as challenging the Roman government.


Why did Christianity seem threatening to the roman government?

Cause the romen rulers tried to stamp out Christianity by killing its followers.


Why did the Romans fear the spread of Christianity?

The Roman government feared the spread of Christianity because the Romans thought that if people who became Christians would stop worshipping the Roman gods. Early Christians also refused to pay homage to the Roman Emperor as divine, which was seen as challenging the Roman government.


Why did the roman government mistreat the minority Christianity population?

because christian values undermined roman morals and because people liked Christianity it threatened roman rule so they had to eradicate it or else they would face destruction.


Why did the Roman government tolerate Judaism but not Christianity?

The Roman government tolerated Judaism but not Christianity because Jews respected old religious traditions and Jewish traditions forbaded worshipping more than one god. Thanx! !!!!!!!!


In what ways was Christianity a unifying force in the Roman Empire?

in what way was Christianity a unifying force in the roman


Did Rome govenment believe in jesus?

The Roman government in the time of Jesus and the early church was pagan. There were Roman conversions to Christianity but the Romans worshiped many gods.


Under the reign of which emperor did Christianity become the official religion of the Roman Empire?

Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.Theodosius I was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.


What part of Christianity was appealing to Roman government?

No particular aspect of Christianity appealed to the Roman government. Constantine the Great, who was brought up by a Christian mother, favoured Christianity. His sons who succeeded him were brought up as Christians. After a brief rule by the pagan Julian, another Christian, Valentinian I became emperor. The other emperors of the Valentinan dynasty Gratian, Valentinian II and Valens were Christians. Grantian and his co-emperor, Theodosius I, issued an edict that made mainstream Christianity the sole legitimate religion of the Roman Empire and banned dissident Christian doctrines, which were branded as heretic. Therefore, it was the religion of these emperors which determined the endorsement of Christianity by the imperial government.


What Roman Empire Studied Christianity?

There was only one Roman Empire. Moreover, the Roman Empire did not study Christianity. An empire cannot study. The Roman Empire was where Christianity spread from Judea (which was a part of the Roman province of Syria). Both Catholic and Orthodox Christianity developed in the Roman Empire. Originally the were called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the dominant form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the dominant form of Christianity in the eastern part of this empire. There were also dissident Christian doctrines and sects.


What religion celebrate Easter?

Chiefly, Christianity especially the Roman Catholic church.