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If the first generation of anglo-saxon Christians did something good by abandoning the faith of their fathers for a better faith, that takes the punch out of the accusation that Hoff is abandoning the faith of his recent ancestors, if he is doing so for something better.
Pre-christian rome involved in many ways tolerated worship of other gods, and was polytheist with varied practices. Christianity was, as noted above, harsh on worship of any other gods. I'm not sure it's uniquely christian, exactly? I'm not familiar with the general works of tertullian, but priscillian practiced a heretical form of christianity, as opposed to rejecting it. Religious freedom in an expansive modern sense came later as christianity transitioned towards religious tolerance, and universalism, and then agnosticism, and there being negative reactions to executing a heretic doesn't change that given he was executed.
Eh, rome itself achieved its size and trade without christianity, there's no reason to presume it's necessary.
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