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Myth of Early Christian Persecution
- Early Christians were not an illegal religion nor systematically persecuted in the first two centuries.
- The idea of Christians hiding in catacombs and using secret signs like the fish symbol is a myth.
Nero's Persecution Was Scapegoating
- Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome and executed them brutally, but not for being Christian by law.
- Christians were scapegoated due to their perceived antisocial behavior of not worshiping Roman gods.
Persecution Rooted in Political Worship
- Pliny the Younger describes a process where Christians were allowed to renounce their faith to avoid execution.
- The main issue was Christians refusing to worship Roman gods, threatening social and political order.