Christianity was originally the religion of the oppressed classes, the slaves and the poor.  The oppressed people realized they were unable to change their own lives, so they looked to ‘the Redeemer of the world’ to improve their lives.  The Christian religion quickly became popular among the people.  The Roman State persecuted Christians since they refused to respect the Emperor as God.  The Christians suffered the cruelest persecution under the rule of Emperor Diocletian.  Under Emperor Constantine Christianity became the state religion.  Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians and declared their religion equal with other religions.  Since then this religion has always supported the state and the rule of oppressors over the oppressed.