Early Christianity: "Do not conform to the world..."

I am taking a Church History class from Schola Classical Tutorials (the teacher is Wes Callihan: the teacher who has taught me the most in my schooling years) and we are reading through Phillip Schaff's eight-volume History of the Christian Church. We recently finished the Apostolic Age, and are well into reading and discussing about the Christian church in the Roman Empire. This is an exhaustive subject (it took Schaff 866 pages to deal with the major issues), but I made an observation as I was reading that really struck me.

Christianity was the first major religion to have no tolerance for any other religion, and thus it was the first and only to be rejected and hated by the Romans.

This, in itself, may not seem significant. Of course Christianity is not tolerant. But until Pentacost and the official beginning of Christ's church on this world, it was every man for himself when it came to having a deity. The Romans, after conquering a nation, were perfectly fine with allowing the conquered to keep their gods and goddesses, as long as they acknowledged Caesar as ruler (and at some points in history, god as well.) Many times the Romans would mix the gods of the barbarians into their own culture. This, essentially, demonstrates a deep and true lack of sincerity. If the Romans truly believed that Jove should be worshipped above all gods, then they would have enforced that. But instead, they held the value of civilization above their gods, and would sacrifice anything for the sake of "civilization." It worked the other way, too. The conquered barbarians, though humbled by it, usually submitted to this rule and acknowledged Caesar as god along with their countless other deities. They never even considered suffering persecution for keeping their gods over the Roman ones. Heck, it was just a few more.

Ironically, some Roman historians and philosophers actually lament the fact that their people had turned away from the gods and neglected them for world dominon and political squabbles. But what it essentially comes down to is that if you do not worship and love the one true God, then your worship and love of another god is a sham, and cannot be sincere no matter how much you sacrifice or pray.

Then comes Christianity. And unlike the rest of the world, they refused to bow the knee to Caesar, Jove, Juno, the Republic, etc. They worshipped this dead "god," Jesus Christ, who claimed to be man and God at the same time. And the absolute refusal to partake of accepting other gods by the Christians infuriated the Romans. It was a simple request; no other nation or people had baulked at it before. But the Romans did not realize that this was the beginning of Christ's indestructible and eternal church, and that it would grow no matter what they did to it. And they tried to snuff it out. Everyone knows about the terrible things Christians suffered under the hands of Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Arelius, and Nero. But from the blood of the faithful, spilt by wild beasts and torturers, grew a more and more influential and power Church. Christianity shattered the trend of conformity with their spiritual strength. It thus proved itself to be the one and only true religion, worshipping the one and only true God, with followers that would not just add other deities to their "list." Instead, they devotedly followed the one they loved, worshipped, prayed to, and owed their lives to. Christ was the one to follow, and His followers will be the only ones who populate the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Romans 12: 1-2 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.