Roman Empire (27 BC 476 AD)
Okay, so I at least got that right.
And if I'm correct, Rome had previously worshipped other gods which, as a part of their ceremony, practiced all manner of what we recognize as being unwholesome and beyond the pale.
So the Catholic church came to being in that environment.
And people are people.
#TheHumanCondition
Don’t be a jerk.
While I understand what you are saying, the early Church was very strict about conversion and it usually took a couple of years before you were a full member and could fully partake in the Sacraments. If you backtracked into paganism, you were cast out. Because they understood they were in a pagan environment, they kept secret what needed to be kept secret. To understand what they were up against, read Pliny the Younger’s letter (circa 111 AD) to Trajan. He asks what to do about this cult which has popped up in his district.