They were deceived by Satan.
Don't you think it is too thin of an answer? All these people, including the infallible Popes, are deceived by Satan? And all deceived to the point that not a single cry of dissension is recorded?
You have a strange view of the Roman Empire. Mutiny was common; the age of "heresies" lasted for centuries. People dared and has mental and intellectual fortitude to discuss such fundamental, subtle and socially dangerous issues as the nature of Christ. Satan did not deceive them completely, and certainly not all of them, to have an opinion on these and any other matter that arose in the course of 1700 years. But when it came to persecution of the Jews, starting with the "deceived" first Christian emperor, not a single person found it to be non-Chrstian. Likewise, when Isabella expelled all Jews and Roma in 1492 --- about 10% of the population; just imagine expulsion today of about 30 million Americans --- not only did not anyone object, but she has become an EMBLEM of Christianity: as I mentioned in the previous post, she became known as Isabella the Catholic. Deception by Satan? All of this?
As you know, the expulsion resulted from the 1492 law prohibiting the settlement of Jews in Spain. Do you know when that law was repealed and taken off the books? In 1992. They were tolerated starting only in late 1800s. Most remarkably, Franco gave refuge to about 25,000 French and other European Jews who managed to escape to Spain. Isn't it interesting, that today there are about 14,000 Jews in the entire Spain --- 500 years after expulsion --- and about 10,000 in Munich alone, 50 years after the greatest catastrophe ever that befell the Jews? And that is in Munich, the birthplace of Hitler's movement.
Thus, Spanish Cristians have been deceived by Satan for one half of a millennium. Moreover, this has remain unnoticed by the Papal authorities: not a single Pope has ever raised objections. The same is true with respect to Britain, wherefrom Jews were expelled in 1190 and did not reappear until mid 1500, when the new level of general religious tolerance has permitted that. During all this time, however, none of the Church leaders has even raised the issue. Actually, Jews were expelled at least once from all Papal States in mid 1500s (I don't recall more precisely). All these people were deceived by Satan?
Satan is really powerful, then: he marshals to his side the greatest thinkers and leaders of the Church --- and does so for almost two millennia without any difficulties. Where is G-d, then? Aren't you shortchanging His power?
Or, perhaps, those unopposed persecutions were not really non-Christian, as you claim. Perhaps, it is the interpretation of Christianity in modern times that has changed: Christians used to kill Christians en masse, too, and stopped only recently, after the Thirty-year War. But the sacred books did not change. Nor, as far as I know, did Christ visit this world in the last 1900 years. So, if there is a change, its roots must lie outside the religion itself.
You've got to think about all this, Joe. Attributing consistent actions, taken for almost 2000 years without any dissension, to Satan seems a bit disingenuous and certainly disrespectful to G-d, who in this picture sits idle and does nothing. Think about that Joe.
Regards, EP.