Muslims have done horrible things, have Christians ever done horrible things?

Question

I know that Muslims will say that those who do terrible things and claim they are doing it for Allah, are not true Muslims for whatever reason they find in the Koran -

But the fact remains, the Muslim terrorists ARE Muslims and they do use the Koran to justify and even demand their actions! Any BOOK that has enough leeway to justify murder or evil, at all - especially if the book claims to be a mandate from GOD, is an evil book.

The Holy Bible. Is it possible that the Bible can be used in the same way? If a man reads the Bible and uses it's contents to convince others that it is right to defend the religion of Christianity, even unto death and murder, is he not, at least in part, justified?

Sure, you can claim that these people are misguided and not TRUE Christians, and you can dam-sure quote a string of scriptures (which some of you inevitably will) that show how this fella is not a TRUE Christian,

But he can find an equal # of scriptures to fully support his views!

What's up

Answer 1

Have Christians ever done bad things??
Let's just say crusades.

Answer 2

On the most part, you are correct in your warning. However, it really has to do with accountability. Why doesn't the Islamic majority in the United Nation condemn the thousands of terrorist acts perpetrated by those of their faith? Because Muslims cannot judge other Muslims. Only Allah can judge them.

Yet when it comes to judging the infidel, there are no holds barred. They can set off bombs in buses and in markets, burn churches because of cartoons, sentence converts to death and thousands of other acts around the world--all with impunity.

Now, let us contrast this attitude with what the Bible teaches. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 "For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges."

This is the polar opposite to Islam. The Bible teaches that the Christian is to judge the actions of other Christians and call them on the carpet if they are doing ANYTHING unbiblical. However, those who are NOT believers, the Christian is to leave alone, that only GOD will judge them.

So if Islam chose today to standup and condemn every single act of terror and violence committed in the name of Allah, you would see this attitude change overnight.

Consider this relevant example, the Crusades took place because the Roman Catholic Church translated the Bible into Latin, locked it up behind gates and said, "Thus and thus is what God says." From this we got inquisitions, crusades, indulgences and the like.

When the reformation translated the Bible into German and English, the average person could stand up to the evil popery and say "No!" for the Bible says thus and thus. Then the killing and fleecing soon stopped.

Today, the Qu'ran cannot be translated because it is a high and holy form of Arabic. The teachers say the Qu'ran commands to make Jihad against the infidels. They honor woman and children blowing themselves up to kill the innocent. Is that what the Qu'ran truly teaches? Will someone stand up and say "No"?

Looks like history is repeating itself once more.

Answer 3

People from EVERY religion has used their religion as justification for terrible things, and Christians are certainly no exception - Christianity has been used to justify the wars of the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Holocaust, slavery, witch-hunts, child abuse, and much more.

But I think your question is more about definition - who gets to define what a religion is really about? If you have a peaceful, kind, law-abiding person and a hate-filled terrorist, and they BOTH claim to be a Muslim/Christian/righteous person/whatever, and they can both interpret the same text to justify their views, then who is right? who has the "true" interpretation?
Philosophically speaking, both people are correct, in their own interpretation, and an objective definition is impossible because there is no truly objective criteria.

Practically speaking, however, you have to admit that there are different definitions, and not mislabel anyone. An extremist/terrorist is one sort of Jew; a peaceful do-gooder is another sort of Jew. So you can't label the religion ITSELF as good or bad, because it is simply the tool people use to do good or bad things.

Answer 4

Here's a short article about some of the violence Christians have been a part of over history:

http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blfaq_viol_index.htm

The Inquisition, witch hunting, the crusades...all of these events were pretty recent in the grand scale of time. Check it out.

Answer 5

I imagine every race has had some sort of "rebellion" of sorts, acting holy, but being the anti christ. Heard of the inquisition? Type that in on the web, you will not like what you see. But it is his-tory. We are accountable only for our own actions, not our cultures'.

"What you do today will echo throughout a thousand tomorrows."- Deepak Chopra.

Answer 6

Christians, in the past, killed people in the Crusade.

Answer 7

Yes, Christians have done awful things in the name of God. (i.e. the Crusades) But, Christianity has been reformed and Islam is in much need of a reformation to survive in today's world.

Answer 8

It's always so hard when others show us the worst parts of ourselves.