Romans Empire - What Elements in the Roman Mentality of This Period Might Be Favorable to Christianity?

Are there any indications that the Romans might be receptive to Christianity when the new religion began to spread? What elements in the Roman mentality of this period might be favorable to Christianity? Which elements might prove hostile?

According to our text book, the triumph of Christianity was related to a corresponding decline in the vitality of Hellenism and a shift in cultural emphasis. There are some indications that mentioned that the Romans were quite tolerant of religions. The first Roman government did not interfere much with the Christian movement; however, it made a good contribution for the deployment of Christianity when it began to spread. In fact, benefited in many ways from its association with the Roman Empire. Christianity pretty much gave a new meaning to life of those Romans and offered new hope to disillusioned men and women. It offered solutions to the existential problems of life and death, religion demonstrated a greater capacity than reason to stir human hurts. Furthermore, Christianity offered the individual what the city and the Roman world-state could not: an intensely personal relationship with God, and intimate connection with a higher world, and membership in a community of the faithful who cared for one another. The downside of this new era, had many Romans that believed that Christians were enemies of the social order: like strange people who would not accept the state gods, would not engage in sacrifices to Roman divinities, stayed away from public baths and refused to honor the emperor as gods. As a result, the emperors started persecuting Christians, which they were imprisoned, beaten, starved, burned alive, torn apart by wild beasts in the arena for the amusement of the Romans, and crucified.