Why has Christianity killed over 100 million people in its history?

Question

No other religion can make that claim.

Answer 1

they are bloody hypocrites.

Answer 2

A couple of notes on this. First, that would make it, as an historical portion of the world's population one of the least bloody groups. The world has had approximately 12 billion humans on it. Considering that Christianity is approximately one third of the world's population that is actually a great record. It is a trivial death rate and probably below the US Army's historical death rates in combat which are quite good, the Civil War excepted.

Also a note to the above person that Catholics killed more than Protestants. That clearly shows that the reader is completely unfamiliar with the history of Protestantism and especially the reformers themselves. Calvin's Institutes in his preface actually recommends the execution of all non-Calvinists. Luther burned 20,000 baptists at the stake alive. The baptists were one of the bloodiest groups per capita in history. One of the reformers, who had been a member of the Inquisition was horrified at the torture methods used by the Reformation and wrote about it. While torture and executions were considered socially positive by all groups at the time, the Inquisition had rules limiting its methods to less than three hours and for only one time. The Reformation tortured people for days at a time and then might start again or kill them. That isn't to say that Catholics were a nice set of people at that time, it is just to point out that the Reformation was often significantly worse because they were conducting a violent revolution and they often did not have the legal restraints an authorized historic government would have imposed upon them. If you look at the period of the Reformation it is important to look at both Catholic and Reformed Christians as we would today look at members of the Taliban.

Further, much of that 100 million number would have been the German Civil War in which 1/3 of all Germans died and it was the primary religious war of Germany. I am not sure where you got the 100 million number as such numbers tend to be dropped at a hat without reference and without evidence the number is that high.

Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Jews, Muslims and Athiests kill people because as all religions attest, they are made up of very imperfect people and very imperfect societies.

I would argue that if you include Athiesm as a belief system rather than a religion or at least more appropriately the philosophical systems that are athiestic, they easily beat Christianity hands down last century alone.

Only the Peoples Republic of China and maybe India is larger than the Catholic Church. I think Catholicism is slightly larger than India. Given the Catholic versus Chinese birth rate, the Catholic Church will be the world's largest demographic group soon. If Orthodox Catholic reunion ever occurs and it should, then it would immediately become the largest single group of humans.

Still, that means that the largest group of soldiers will be Catholic, though right now they are athiest.

Answer 3

You are badly misinformed. You must be reading some of Jack Chick's spiritual poison, or the writings of some similar wierdo. The three major events in which a fairly large number of people died unjustly at the hands of Christians were the Inquisitions conducted by the Catholic Church; the witch hunts conducted by superstitious Protestants; and the mass executions conducted by John Calvin. A few thousand people died in each case.

The Inquisitions were simply a system of courts run by the Church for a few years in a few countries. Yet, the number of deaths attributed to this court system by Mr. Chick is about five times the total population of Europe at the time. In fact, many people accused of crimes begged to be tried by the Inquisitions, as they were generally far more reasonable than the civil courts of the time, which would sentence a man to be hanged for stealing a chicken.

The only time Christians killed a larger number of people was during the Crusades, but that after all was a war, waged to prevent hoards of ruthless "Mohammedans" from overrunning Europe. Just as many Christians died as Mohammedans.

Answer 4

This is an excellent question in that there is, indeed, a popular notion that Christianity has killed millions throughout history. But look at the reality here: Yes, much of the deaths have been in the name of Christ, but not truly at the hands of Christians qua Christian, but by Holy Writ from the Pope of The Catholic Church. It is the Catholics who are mostly resp0nsible for killing in Christ's name, so is it really fair to place the blame on non-Catholic Christians?

Answer 5

For pretty much the same reason as every other group of people, (no matter WHAT makes them a cohesive group), kills.

Lebensraum. Living space. Room to grow food, and make lots of babies who can grow up and grow food and make more babies.

And don't be ridiculous. Communism is every bit as much a "religion" as any faith. It is their Prime Article of faith that there is no god and that people exist solely for the benefit of the state. And THEY'VE managed to off a heck of a lot more people than Christianity. AND they did it in record time; less than a century. It took Christianity some 2 MILLENNIA to do the same. Communists did it deliberately. Christians did it haphazardly and without real planning. Stalin's mass purges were meticulously planned. As were Mao's.

GIMME A BREAK, BUB!

Answer 6

I think you have been decieved! But, that your choice to not wanting to learn. If you believe everything your told you in big trouble. Did you know you can jump from the top of a 50 story building when the wind is blowing at 35 miles per hour from the west and float to the ground?

Answer 7

How can it be said that Christians, who are followers of Christ, the Prince of Peace, killed over 100 million people? How can it be said that vegetarians dine on whoppers and big macs? Something is wrong with this picture, yes?

Counterfeit Christianity would be able to do such a thing, but Christians who follow the Prince of Peace, are not. Therefore, they must not have been true Christians.

Hannah

Answer 8

You cant make that claim, honestly. Of course, being part of the Godless left, that shouldn't bother you.

The atheist Communists killed that many people, world wide, in less than 100 years. Maybe that's who you're thinking of.

Answer 9

my my what a statistician... so now i guess all we have to do is make up a number and then ask people to comment on it...

well lets see. why is it that all infidels have killed over 100 billion people since the world began??? yeah I know that this is bogus since there have only been about 12 billion people in existence but I am sure that this guy who is making up this stupid statistic doesn't know that ...

Answer 10

under a million, no need to spout lies, and an atheist leader named pol pot of cambodia killed more than all the christian attrocities of 2000 years christian history in 1 war.

Answer 11

Who told you that !...how do you positively know for a fact in their heart that they are christians??? what's your proof???.....Are you a "Searcher Of Hearts Above GOD"!!!!!....somebody lied to you!......could be people who share your views who pose as christians who killed 100 million people in history!....