Help required for my 10 year olds Religious Studies Vs History.?

Question

Can anyone help me, my 10 tear old daughter has asked me a question which, quite frankly, I cannot answer. She states that when she was in Primary School she was always taught and believed that God is all merciful and gentle and forgiving etc. The problem is, now she is doing History at school, specifically the Crusades, you can see where a 10 year olds mind is going to take this cant you. She asked, "If God is really so good why did he send soldiers to kill people just because they believed in another God" I am afriad I do not know enough about the Crusades to answer her, and as her Dad I should know everything shouldnt I, so help anyone.

OK all good answers, but this ia a 10 year old!! Its ok saying it wasnt God but man, all she will say is "why didnt God stop them, he is God after all"

Remember this is the mind of a 10 year old, not mine.

Last line there emmapee, that makes sense.

Answer 1

God did not send anyone on the Crusades. That was not his idea.

Answer 2

The answer is that the Word of God was twisted by fanatical leaders. They used the excuse of the Bible to loot the city of Jerusalem (which is what they really wanted) all the time hiding behind a veil of religious devotion.
You may want to find a Bible and discuss the idea of free will and the fallen world. When Adam and Eve sinned, the whole world fell, and so humans began to develop free will- the ability to decide our own actions. The Bible also teaches tolerance towards other religions. So the Crusades, although they were for a religious purpose, were really an excuse for rich knights and their soldiers to satisfy their blood lust.
The lord God will then punish wrongdoers in Hell for their crimes- that is the sign of a loving and just God.

Answer 3

Although the Catholics called what they were doing in Gods name. There is certainly no evidence that God ordered this violence.

Muslims call what they are doing in Allah's name, but there is no evidence that God has ordered them to do these things.

Now, does God order violence? Very much yes, and the Books of the old testament are full of stories of elimination of ungodly people. All the violence in the old testament will seem tame compared to the violence and blood shed that is yet to come.

In the new testament in the book of Revelation is bloodshed and violence uncompared to anything we have read about in history and seen during our lifetimes here on earth.

So, God while he is certainly merciful and gentle and forgiving, and patient. He is also rightous, and certain punishments still have to come to pass. The patience of God is the time we are living in right now, so it seems calm and quiet compared to old testament times, but when the time is come for God to judge, the relative calm and peace that we see will come to an abrupt end and we will see destruction and bloodshed greater than any before.

It is like a child getting away with something for so long that they begin to believe that they will never be caught and punished. But the time is coming and the punishment will be handed out.

Answer 4

Because God didnt send the soldiers... man did. Because sometimes people do things in the name of God that God would not approve of. Because man saying that something is Gods will takes the responsibility off man, no one would question Gods will where they would questions Mans will..... Does that help? history is full of evil man doing "Gods will" (the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust) and uneducated people believed those in power when they said that God wanted them to do evil because they did not know any better (some still dont)

Answer 5

It's a hard question. Many things have been done in the name of God. The Jews fought for land that was theirs in the name of God. Many times the battles the Jews fought were against a people that did human sacrifices. Queen Mary had many killed in the name of the Catholic Church. The Church burnt witches at the stake. Many many things were done in the name of Christianity. But Christ never told people to fight a battle. He said he didn't come to conquer. Some day He will, but the Crusades was not that day. Although things had to be done in history or we wouldn't have ended up the way we did. Colonists would never have left for religious freedom, if they already had it. Battles never would have been fought, if there was religious freedom. Man is sinful and until we get to heaven there will always be wars and rumors of wars.

Answer 6

Well, it is important to remember that the nation of Islam was proclaiming wrath on the infidel even then, so the Crusades actually started out as a self defence that got WAY OUT OF CONTROL. Some would suggest not dissimilar to what is taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan today. Could the Crusade era have started out in a similar way? Interesting thought anyway.

Here is what I shared with my daughter at this time in her education:

Just because someone calls themselves a Christian doesn't mean they are really praying and seeking God in all they say and do. This is what happened at this time.

There were rulers and leaders who thought that they could just slaughter everyone into accepting Christ. That was not what Christ taught, therefore they had lost sight of who their Savior was and were trying to do things in their own strength.

Let us pray that those who profess Christ in their lives today never lose sight of His face and ever try to do things on their own, causing such horrors as the Crusades ever again!

Answer 7

It was the European kings who sent the soldiers in. They thought they were God's work, but I've noticed a lot of people say that when what they're doing is probably the furthest thing from God's work. The Pope at the time wanted the kings to take the Holy Land back.

Answer 8

Your daughter is right when she said that God is merciful and gentle and stuff.
The Crusades on the other hand have nothing to do with God. They fought in the Name of God not for God. Sadly many wars have been fought in the same way.
God doesn't need or want us to fight his wars with weopons at all, its not biblical.
The Crusades was religion. God never once in the Bible said that He wanted religion, instead he wants a relationship with the people.

Answer 9

This is where it started for me, but I went to a Catholic school and we had religion crammed down our throats.
Soon all the inconsistencies and contradictions will add up and if she's switched on she'll question it more.
She'll realise that mankind has become the spokesperson for God, that everything we learn is some guy's opinion and not the truth.
My bet is, God is mighty annoyed at all these righteous types telling others what He likes and dislikes, twisting everything to suit their own prejudices.....
Just remember, God is untouchable. Don't let mankind's deeds corrupt her views. Make the distinction clear - people use "God" to justify whatever they want.

Answer 10

There's no reason why you should know everything. It was logic like that that lead to the invention of religion in the first place, and clearly it's religion that has caused your daughter's confusion. Why anyone would teach a 10 year old about god is beyond me, but if you're looking for a simple answer to her question, just tell her that it wasn't God who sent the soldiers, but men claiming to be acting on His behalf. It's important that she see the harm caused by religion, especially if you insist on having her learn about God at such a young age.

Answer 11

Maybe she should be teaching you about religion instead of the other way around. Her young mind is trying to make sense of the world, and has discovered a contradiction between what she was previously taught and what she is now being taught. Rather than letting her realize the previous teachings were BS, you are asking for advice on how to whitewash away the obvious contradictions.