How were Jews and Christians mistreated?

Answer 1

In early Roman imperial times, conquered races were required to worship the Graeco-Roman gods. However, the Jews were treated as an exception in respect for the perceived antiquity of Judaism, and their decision not to pay homage to the Roman gods was tolerated. As a Jewish sect, the early Christians seem to have been provided the same tolerance. At this stage, the Romans did not distinguish between mainstream Jews and Christians. The Jewish uprisings of the late 60s and 130 CE resulted in punitive Roman responses, but these was not based on religious issues. They did, however, sour relations between the Jews and the Roman authorities. In the mid-first century, Nero is said to have blamed either the Jews or the Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, but there is no direct evidence of this. There is clearer evidence of a period of significant persecution of Christians by the Romans around the end of the first century. Mistreatment or persecution continued sporadically during the second and third centuries, usually depending on the person of the Emperor. In the third century, some Church property was transferred to the pagan temples. Some fundamentalist Christians seem to have sought to encourage their own martyrdom to gain entry into heaven. The Church had to discourage this practice. Once the Christians became dominant in the Roman Empire at the end of the fourth century, the position became reversed. All pagan temples and pagan property was transferred to the Christian Church. The Christian Church began a long period of persecution of pagans and Jews. Perhaps coincidently, this was the beginning of the period known as the Dark Ages. The Muslim conquerors generally tolerated Jews and Christians and did not demand conversion to Islam, as long as they paid a poll tax, which was based on the older Roman poll tax on non-Roman citizens. Followers of most other religions were forcibly converted. While life for Jews in the Muslim domains was far from perfect, a comparison with the mistreatment they faced in Christian Europe during the Middle Ages can be gauged by the mass migration of Jews from Christian Rome to then-Islamic Spain.

Answer 2

Well, the Roman government (and basically everyone else) thought that Jesus was bad because he claimed (truthfully) to be the Son of God, and even though he didn't do anything wrong, they hated him so much that they killed him. A lot of the Jewish leaders thought he was blaspheming God.

So, all the people who followed him got in trouble and beaten. Paul, one of Jesus' followers, was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned, and all this other stuff. Millions of Christians were killed for their beliefs. They are known as martyrs.

Both groups (until Constantine's conversion in 314 C.E.) were minority religions and thus subject to fewer rights, less protection, and less safety. Typically this meant that they were tortured, beaten, attacked, imprisoned, and executed for their beliefs. It had little to do with Jesus's message or Judaism's message and had everything to do with the idea in Ancient Times that homogeneity was desirable and the "different" should assimilate or die.

Answer 3

That depends heavily on where and when.

If you're talking about ancient Rome (around when christ was suposed to have existed) they were often slaves or low born people, and in some places they were persecuted heavily. In some parts of the world today you could be killed for saying you're a christian. (these are mostly very remote areas where they have been raised to believe christians are the enemy)

Answer 4

Much, much more than is possible to list. Attached is a Related Link with a partial listing, the great majority of which was perpetrated by Christians.