How did the early Church deal with people who continued practice of pagan religion?

Question

How did the Church "convert" the Pagan populations especially in Central and Eastern Europe?

Answer 1

They usually killed pagans that didn't convert, but they also created holidays that were at the same time of year as various pagan holidays. This way the locals could still do their celebrations for the summer and winter soltice, Samhain, and the like we know these holidays in the christian world as Christmas, Halloween/All Saints Day. However that's not to say the church wasn't brutal in in tactics, but you can't have any power if you kill everyone, so they killed the most outspoken and allowed the quiet ones to keep to themselves or at least live and do slave labor.

Answer 2

By torture and imprisonment usually. oh and brainwashing. You should look into how Pagan's dealt with the early Church. When people like the celts were invaded, it was the Pagan's who provided the labour to build the churches, but look at some of the churches, Gargoyles, Gothic arches (symbol of fertility). they didn't give in easily

Answer 3

What time frame are you talking about when you say early? The answers that you have gotten are not exactly uh accurate. You will have to dig around a bit for whatever time frame you are talking about. Many people like to jump on the "they just executed everybody" bandwagon and say that.

Answer 4

First, the question is misconceived. It's the state, not the church that 'deals with' people.
Paganism fell without much of a struggle. It had nothing going for it. So vague was its structure that no one had any assurance of a reward for continued practice. And the Church made Christianity easier for them by popularising cults of saints and giving religious festivals a Christian content.

Answer 5

They called them Witches and burnt them alive.
Fry or genuflect - easy choice.

Answer 6

Executed them