[redmenace]

http://www.crisismagazine.com/april2002/cover.htm

I think this is a questionable source, but I think some credit can be given to him. But, it is questionable because of the fact that he comes from a catholic university and therefor biased.

But, the reason I am posting this is to make the point that no one should frame the crusades as a bunch of dudes saying lets start some ****. One should try to understance that many people were threatened and for good reason.

[brozozo]

Good link. I thought it was accurate and well worth the read.

As someone who is fascinated by that time period in history, I can only wish that people could have a better understanding of it.

[Sandwich]

Don't have time to read it all, but I admit I'm "guilty" (if, in fact, there is any guilt to go around) of thinking that the Crusades were a horrible period of ridiculous and unjustified aggression by power-hungry whatevers in the name of converting all to Christ or some such nonsense ("nonsense", meaning the sword and force are not any sort of way to show God's love to someone, but that's besides the current point).

The author's statement that the Crusades were basically Christianity striking back at the encroaching Muslim hordes makes perfect sense to me.

[neoterran]

All religion is utterly ridiculous because it's just NOT TRUE ! God doesn't exist (at least not in the form we think he does) and he certainly doesn't give a crap what goes on on some small mudball around the tiny dwarf star Sol with all of the expanse and power in the universe...

[Mefustae]

All religion is utterly ridiculous because it's just NOT TRUE ! God doesn't exist (at least not in the form we think he does) and he certainly doesn't give a crap what goes on on some small mudball around the tiny dwarf star Sol with all of the expanse and power in the universe...

I suggest you look up the meaning of 'tact' in a dictionary, I really do.

[neoterran]

Hey, you can agree with me or not, but it needs to be said.

Look at all the violence, bigotry, intolerence, war, death, destruction, hatred, and hurt that are a direct result of the mass brainwashing known as religion on this planet and hopefully when you realise what's going on and reject the views forced upon you as a child, views that only serve to confuse and enslave the masses in the guise of eternal redemption (and threat of eternal damnation if you resist) you'll come to see that more people should throw their 'tact' away and rise up against it whenever and whereever they can.

[Mefustae]

Yes, but shouting "God does not exist!!11!1!" isn't really all that helpful, and will solidify feelings against you, compromising your position when you engage in later debate on the issue. Honestly, man, tact!

[Darius]

But we should be mindful that our medieval ancestors would have been equally disgusted by our infinitely more destructive wars fought in the name of political ideologies. And yet, both the medieval and the modern soldier fight ultimately for their own world and all that makes it up. Both are willing to suffer enormous sacrifice, provided that it is in the service of something they hold dear, something greater than themselves.

Whether or not God exists is not the point of this article. It's an attempt to educate people on why the Crusades happened as they did, and why so many thousands of soldiers went off to war.

Hundreds of years later, people may well be yelling "Democracy and freedom does not exist!!" and disgusted at the millions of lives lost fighting for political ideologies.

[Ford Prefect]

Hey, you can agree with me or not, but it needs to be said.

Look at all the violence, bigotry, intolerence, war, death, destruction, hatred, and hurt that are a direct result of the mass brainwashing known as religion on this planet and hopefully when you realise what's going on and reject the views forced upon you as a child, views that only serve to confuse and enslave the masses in the guise of eternal redemption (and threat of eternal damnation if you resist) you'll come to see that more people should throw their 'tact' away and rise up against it whenever and whereever they can.

As I have argued many times in the past, just because religion is used as justification for various atrocities does not mean it's actually the cause of them. The "violence, bigotry, intolerence, war, death, destruction, hatred, and hurt" lie at the essence of human existence. We do cruel things to one another because it's natural, just as the religious impulse is natural.