Poll: Did Christianity have anything to do with the Crusades?

[Amused]

What do you think?

I'm of the opinion that Christianity was an important cause of the Crusades and is still a cause for much of the intolerance we see around the world. The Crusaders committed their crimes in the name of Christianity. Much of the animosity towards the Church of Rome in Catholic countries is based on religious ideas that religious infidels should not be in Catholic areas and that Islam is at odds with Christianity.

 

[SlickSnake]

Just tell me what to vote and where and who to sign my sanity away to, so we can get this over with, will ya?

I think Westboro Baptist church caused the crusades.

()

 

[Craig234]

A difference is, 9/11 was an attack by a tiny radical group, Al Queda, against the larger Muslim world, trying to cause an invasion of a Muslim nation and to get Muslims to support Al Queda; while the Crusades were ordered by the head of the Catholic Church and the Catholic kings.

But I'd say similarly to 9/11 that it had little to do with 'the religion' and a lot more to do with power and wealth/land and killing 'the other guys' and similar things.

 

[StageLeft]

The Crusades is commonly mis-characterized. In fact it was not so much a desire to cover the world with Christianity as a desire to defend against the onslaught of Islam. I did actually read a book on it a few years ago

From wiki "The Crusades originally had the goal of recapturing Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule and were launched in response to a call from the Christian Byzantine Empire for help against the expansion of the Muslim Seljuk Turks into Anatolia."

I know the common man thinks it was just a campaign to run amok in the world and convert everyone to Christianity by the sword, however.

 

[Red Dawn]

The Crusades is commonly mis-characterized. In fact it was not so much a desire to cover the world with Christianity as a desire to defend against the onslaught of Islam. I did actually read a book on it a few years ago

From wiki "The Crusades originally had the goal of recapturing Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule and were launched in response to a call from the Christian Byzantine Empire for help against the expansion of the Muslim Seljuk Turks into Anatolia."

I know the common man thinks it was just a campaign to run amok in the world and convert everyone to Christianity by the sword, however.

Probably due that actually happening. On the way to the Holy Lands those Christian Armies practiced on villages of Jews and other non believers.

 

[PeshakJang]

Probably due that actually happening. On the way to the Holy Lands those Christian Armies practiced on villages of Jews and other non believers.

The difference being that Christianity actually woke up from its ancient brutality, whereas Islam has yet to have that transformation.

 

[Tom]

takes two to Tango.

 

[ZaneNBK]

The crusades ended 700 years ago. It's kind of funny that people continually use that as an excuse for the behavior of any other religion/group of people.

 

[dainthomas]

Probably due that actually happening. On the way to the Holy Lands those Christian Armies practiced on villages of Jews and other non believers.

But they actually killed lots of other Christians, so I don't know how effective that would be at spreading the faith.

 

[Red Dawn]

The crusades ended 700 years ago. It's kind of funny that people continually use that as an excuse for the behavior of any other religion/group of people.

No excuse then as there was no excuse on November 18, 1978.

 

[Zedtom]

The motivation for some recruits into military service is a need to fulfill some kind of religious commitment. This is revealed in testimonials where soldiers feel that 9/11 was a wake up call to action. Patriotism in the defense of one's country in no sin, however the undercurrent of payback for a crime perpetrated for a cause of Islam is similar to the motivations behind the Crusades.

 

[Phokus]

The Crusades is commonly mis-characterized. In fact it was not so much a desire to cover the world with Christianity as a desire to defend against the onslaught of Islam. I did actually read a book on it a few years ago

From wiki "The Crusades originally had the goal of recapturing Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule and were launched in response to a call from the Christian Byzantine Empire for help against the expansion of the Muslim Seljuk Turks into Anatolia."

I know the common man thinks it was just a campaign to run amok in the world and convert everyone to Christianity by the sword, however.

Heh, tell me why the Christians wiped out Jews (even killing their babies) during the crusades.

 

[Murloc]

I think religion played the biggest role.
If Jerusalem hadn't any importance to christianity, christians wouldn't have went there.
Anyway they wanted complete control of the holy land and were unwilling to share it with jews and muslims.

 

[QuantumPion]

Heh, tell me why the Christians wiped out Jews (even killing their babies) during the crusades.

Probably for the same reason why the Romans went around feeding christians to lions. It was a 1000 years ago and life was brutal and miserable.

 

[her209]

But they actually killed lots of other Christians, so I don't know how effective that would be at spreading the faith.

Clearly, they weren't Christian enough.

 

[ElFenix]

i think christianity was the grease of the wheels in the crusades. but if it hadn't been christianity it would have been something else. the fact of the matter is that until very recently life was a brutal existence regardless, and so going to war and pillaging was not too much more risk. especially for what is now thought of as the western world (sulla and pompey went east, after all, and constantine moved the empire's capital that way). wealth lay to the east, and so that's the direction people went for millenia.

one of the crusades did nothing but sack contantinople (signalling the final phase of the byzantine empire).

 

[her209]

i think christianity was the grease of the wheels in the crusades. but if it hadn't been christianity it would have been something else. the fact of the matter is that until very recently life was a brutal existence regardless, and so going to war and pillaging was not too much more risk. especially for what is now thought of as the western world (pompey went east, after all).

What if you're a Christian and didn't support the Crusaders?

 

[Orignal Earl]

I'm on episode 4 of The Pillars of the Earth.
Good show.

 

[woolfe9999]

A difference is, 9/11 was an attack by a tiny radical group, Al Queda, against the larger Muslim world, trying to cause an invasion of a Muslim nation and to get Muslims to support Al Queda; while the Crusades were ordered by the head of the Catholic Church and the Catholic kings.

But I'd say similarly to 9/11 that it had little to do with 'the religion' and a lot more to do with power and wealth/land and killing 'the other guys' and similar things.

Religion may not have been the key issue for the rulers who decided to pursue the crusades, but it was and is key to getting the general population to participate in something that innures to the material benefit of the rulers. Religion is the opiate of the masses.

- wolf

 

[OCGuy]

Who gives a shit? We are talking about radical goat-fucking cave-dwellers from this century.

 

[ElFenix]

What if you're a Christian and didn't support the Crusaders?

i didn't see that option in the poal

 

[Sclamoz]

Who gives a shit? We are talking about radical goat-fucking cave-dwellers from this century.

Now that's not nice a nice way to talk about southerners.

 

[werepossum]

What if you're a Christian and didn't support the Crusaders?

Then you are really, really old. Is that you Helen Thomas?

The Crusades were an attempt to retake Christian lands (remember, even Egypt and Ethiopia were once Christian lands) that had been conquered and forcibly converted by Islam. Somewhere along the way (as in almost immediately) those in control branched off to other, less spiritual tasks, like looting every city they passed and wiping out Genoa for the benefit of Venice (if I remember correctly, too lazy too look it up.) So Islam and Christianity both played into causing the Crusades, as did secular interests like needing someplace to send excess warriors and noble causes for younger sons.

 

[Jaskalas]

Probably had something to do with Islam conquering Europe up until Battle of Tours. So close to Paris that they could have tasted the extinction of the western religions.

Yes, of course Christianity was a major factor, though I'd say their near death experience was a pretty good excuse.

 

[peonyu]

This is a dumb question. The Muslims started the Crusades by invading Christian lands, if Muslims did not wage Jihad against Christians everywhere they could then the Crusades never would have happened...

All your poll does is repeat the lame pollitcally correct version of the Crusades that we hear so much of today...Its silly to think the Muslims were less violent back in those days and were not rampaging around on a Jihad high [which they were]. If Muslims never invaded and force converted the populations of Egypt, the Middle east and the rest of North Africa...The Crusades never would have happened.

The Muslims made it very obvious that they were a threat to Christian Europe since they raped North Africa and the Middle east so thoroughly [and force converted most of the population].

And of course the fact that Muslims invaded European Christian lands prior to the Crusades, such as - Spain/Portugal/Sicily/Southern Italy/Southern France...kinda helped to convince the Pope that the Muslims are not exactly peaceful people and that he should counter attack while he can.

New Poll option should be-
Muslims started it.