[RedStateRocker]

That and the genuine belief that no worshiping the Roman gods would bring misfortune on the entire community.

Yes, the Romans could not care less if someone worshiped Christ (Or Mithras, or ISIS), but you had to also worship their gods. That’s why the question of ‘are Christians Jews’ was so urgent. ONLY the Jews could get away with not worshiping the emperor, and that only because the Romans esteemed antiquity, and Judaism was OLD.

[Antoninus]

Yes, the Romans could not care less if someone worshiped Christ (Or Mithras, or ISIS), but you had to also worship their gods.

Exactly. And part of worshiping the Roman gods was worshiping the deified emperors, dead and living, which made the Roman religion a state cult. Not worshiping the emperor was seen by many Romans to be the equivalent of treason.