Were pagans evil

Answer 1

Answer
You can argue both sides. In my opinion, yes, but that's only one opinion.
Answer

If we are talking about the ancient pagans of Rome, let's have a look at the record, side by side:

Antisemitism

• The pagan Romans accepted the Jewish religion and did not persecute the Jews for practising it. There was no officially sanctioned antisemitism.
• The Christian empire, from the time of Constantine, began the persection of Jews and created antisemitism.

Persecution

• It has been said that in almost three hundred years under pagan Roman rule, Christianity suffered only 12 years of widespread, official persecution.
• From the time of Constantine forward, paganism suffered increasing and persistent persection, until less than one hundred years later public pagan worship was banned. There was no letup in persecution until paganism was wiped out.

Theft of property

• Many of the Christian churches and other property were appropriated without compensation under Emperor Diocletian. Some pagan officials ignored the imperial edict and protected the churches, or merely closed them down, without handing the churches over or selling the property. The pagan temples themselves took little or no part in this crime, which was committed under imperial edict by a wide range of citizens purely for financial gain. The property was returned after the time of Diocletian, or fair compensation paid.
• From the time of the first Christian emperor, Constantine, the accumulated wealth of the pagan temples was plundered by Christians. In some cases, this was turned over to the state, but in other cases, and towards the end almost always, the loot was kept in the possession of the Church. The Christian Church used force to take over the numerous pagan temples of the empire as their own property. Compared to the earlier pagan attitude, few Christians sought to protect the pagan temples and their property from these excesses.

Slavery

• Pagans kept slaves.
• Christians kept slaves. At the fourth-century Christain Council of Nicaea, there were even limits placed on the number of slaves each bishop could take in his entourage.

Both pagans and early Christians committed crimes, but on the above evidence, which was more evil?