The Piety of the Persecutors

As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. (Daniel 2:34 ESV)

Originally, the Romans persecuted Christians out of their belief that Christianity was a "superstition" or "atheism". Actually, Christianity is a dangerous religion. Roman beliefs, religion and culture were involved in an existential struggle with Christianity. If Christianity win, the Roman gods and Roman culture will die. Christianity did win and Rome and its gods died.

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The Roman Empire was generally quite tolerant in its treatment of other religions. The imperial policy was generally one of incorporation - the local gods of a newly conquered area were simply added to the Roman pantheon and often given Roman names. Even the Jews, with their one god, were generally tolerated. So why the persecution of Christians?

In order to understand the Roman distrust of Christianity, one must understand the Roman view of religion. For the Romans, religion was first and foremost a social activity that promoted unity and loyalty to the state - a religious attitude the Romans called pietas, or piety. Cicero wrote that if piety in the Roman sense were to disappear, social unity and justice would perish along with it.

The early Roman writers viewed Christianity not as another kind of piety, but as a "superstition." Pliny, a Roman governor writing circa 110 AD, called Christianity a "superstition taken to extravagant lengths." Similarly, the Roman historian Tacitus called it "a deadly superstition," and the historian Suetonius called Christians "a class of persons given to a new and mischievous superstition."
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Robert L. Wilkin, "The Piety of the Persecutors" Christian History, Issue 27 (Vol. XI, No. 3), p. 18

Now Christianity is involved in existential struggle with China. If Christianity wins, China and the Chinese culture and beliefs as we know it will cease to exist. Like the Romans, the Chinese are aware of this and they are trying very hard to stamp out Christianity.

In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever. (Daniel 2:44 BSB)