The Letter of Pliny's Intent (on Christians)

Pliny goes into such detail about the trials of the Christians and how he has dealt with them that it is almost impossible for this not to be aimed at 'leading the doubts' and 'instructing the ignorance' of the Roman people. He deliberately lays down every aspect of how to punish a Christian almost as if to make the Roman people treat them just as he has. He seems to want the Christians to be dealt with rather leniently, "dImittendOs esse putAvI" (line 22), unless of course they have no desire to repent. If they do, however, he wants them to be forgiven, "Ex quO facile est opInAri quae turba hominum, EmendArI possit, sI sit paenitentiae locus" (line 48-49). Pliny sees Christianity spreading and realizes the way to 'fix' it isn't by killing off all of them but by making them repent. It is clear he knows he won't be able to stop it by killing them, but he does think it is possible to correct it...
Pliny seems to believe the Christians are not a bad people. He says their rituals are "prOmiscuum tamen et innoxium" (line 34), so he must not hate them. If you hadn't had any direct contact with the Christians and had only read Pliny's letter, you wouldn't think Christians are that bad and would get the impression that Pliny isn't scared of them either. I think Pliny is trying to lessen the fear Romans have for Christians and make Romans realize they can't just go and kill all the Christians because that won't work. Pliny is trying to make the Romans feel how he feels so that this may be corrected, not worsened. Pliny is very smart.