Since the Muslims had already conquered 2/3 of the Christian world and were moving into Europe before the Crusades even started was it ok? Pope Urban ordered the first crusade because of a desperate plea from the Byzantine Empire that they were being overrun. Still unjustified? They did kill innocent Jews and Christians though so it wasn't all good.
2007-02-22 08:23:38 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Crusades, in concept, were completely justified. That some of the Crusaders committed atrocities against innocent populations is a matter that will haunt Christianity forever.
2007-02-22 08:27:27 · answer #1 · answered by mzJakes 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All parties involved were equally at fault... or not at fault, depending on your perspective. The Holy Land had been held by Jews, Romans, and various types of Muslims... so if the Muslims conquered and controlled it by the time of the 1st Crusade, the Christian European crusaders who sought to take the Holy Land had just as strong a moral case for doing so.
And as you said, the Muslims sought to overrun Europe prior to the 1st Crusade... and did take most of Spain... they tried for France as well, but were repelled.
And then, in the late Middle Ages, the Ottoman Turks did take Constantinople (now Istanbul, of course!) and some of southern Europe. So, modern-day historians who view the Christian crusaders as 'evil' and in the wrong are wrong themselves.
2007-02-22 08:33:46 · answer #2 · answered by Rissa 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The whole idea wasnt to kill muslims, but to take back the Holy Land from Sharia Law. B/c the land was the birth place of our religion and we wanted god birth place and future capital Jerusalem to be under free law.
Watch Kingdom of Heaven.
Its not completely factual, but it explains alot.
But in a sense it was a justified act.
The Turks had conquered a former Roman Province of Armenia, which was predominantly Christian. And the Province rebelled.
To quell the violence, the Turks killed 1.1mill Armenians, almost all of them Christian.
If the Christians would have killed 1.1mil muslims then the muslims would have declared a holy war of their own.
I guess Eryn missed the part where 1.1mil Christians were killed.
They didnt ''KILL" in the name of God. The crusaders led a Holy War to take back Jerusalem. that was the purpose, to take Jerusalem. All the crusades had one goal, "TAKE BACK JERUSALEM"!
And muslims did convert by the sword, deep in the heart of the muslim world, if you were a christian you had little to no rights and could be killed according to Sharia Law.
The medieval muslims were like the terrorists are today, wanting to convert the world to Islam, except on a much less fanatical level.
But the Turks were the worst empire ever, just read their history, Constantinople when it was about to fall was like being in Saigon before the Communists took it over.
There was mass chaos and pandemonium.
2007-02-22 08:29:03 · answer #3 · answered by Indio 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
You talking about the crusades way back in, like, the twelfth century? The one where the British Emire chucked themselves at the entire rest of the world in a very violent and bloody way? Cuz that's the only crusades I know about.
No! The Catholic church was corrupt and on a power trip and the church ran the government.
2007-02-22 08:59:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The crusades were a very neat way of finding work for the unemployed soldiers roaming around Europe creating chaos.
2007-02-22 08:30:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am a Christian and I say the Crusades where never, and never will be justified. They were run by a bunch of so called Christians who were a disgrace to the whole of christianity. They were greedy and arrogant, i mean, who gave them the right, to steal, loute, murder and who knows what else in the name of God!!!
No matte what anyone says, the Crusades where done for the desires of men only and if any one says it was in the name of God they are just as bad as the people who actually did it.
2007-02-22 08:29:36 · answer #6 · answered by Eryn v 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Of course not. Islam could conquer other places because it was a strong empire. Furthermore, Islam did not forcibly convert Christians, Jews and others; they converted over time.
2007-02-22 08:27:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Yes, they were unjustified b/c there goal wasn't just to protect and they used kids to do the fighting when they had no one else.
2007-02-22 08:27:36 · answer #8 · answered by Joel C 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A very good question. It could be answered either way by a reasonable person.
2007-02-23 04:00:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no justification for that type of senseless slaughter.
2007-02-22 08:28:48 · answer #10 · answered by Sun: supporting gay rights 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋