Religion

Cue (NZERS), 1 June 1944, Page 8

Religion

Religious toleration was a feature of the pagan world. All citizens were obliged to pay respect to the genius of the Divine Emperor whose bust; appeared in all templesmuch as the portrait of a modern dictator. Great lattitude was allowed in the case of national religions, such as that of the Jews who received every consideration on account of their* then well-known ’’difficult” make-up. Christians, equally intolerant to Roman eyes, had no. such nationalistic excuse and so came periodically under suspicion. The priestly colleges of the many cults were much like London guilds and worshipful companies— of each other and upholding many sound virtues and qualities. All tastes were catered for from the most austere, to those of the happy votaries of Dionysius, Isis: and Venere Fisica, whose followers were disorderly to the extent of exciting the wrath of Tiberius, who was compelled, after examining the lists of distinguished devotees, to stay his hand

and suppress the names. The old paganism bf Rome’s origin was a natural and healthy thing, but the pagan cults of the oversophisticated Roman Empire were often characterised by loose morality.