Polytheists were called pagans by the early Christians. The Polytheists
largely practiced tolerance of all beliefs, whereas the early Christians preached
intolerance of polytheistic beliefs. It was mainly because their intolerance
was an insult to the established gods, and a threat to religious peace and freedom, that the
Christians were banned and therefore persecuted. Sadly, intolerance won out, resulting in the rise
of the Christians, the forced closing of the Pagan temples, the fleeing of the intellectuals
from Rome, the Crusades,
the Jihads, the Inquisition, the burning of heretics, the Salem witch trials, and countless
religious wars and persecutions.
It was only after the tide of intolerance reached the nadir of the Holocaust that
western civilization began to practice religious freedom, and laws against
pagan beliefs were finally struck down in England. It wasn't until 2006 that worship of
the ancient Greek gods was once again permitted in Greece. Sadly there are still countries
where intolerance is written into law and conversion to pagan beliefs can be punished by death.
