Can anyone justify the Crusades?

Question

I have been reading/answering many ardent questions and professions of faith concerning Christianity. I respect your right to believe what you wish to believe but how do explain the Crusades. The sole aim being to wipe out ANY opposing view or faith other than Christianity. How do you justify this as a Christian? What excuse do you buy in terms of this? It was malicious and calculated in the name of Jesus, who wouldn't have condoned it. Thank you for your thoughts. As always, all thoughts are welcome.

Answer 1

Dear Yogini,

As a Christian i can say the Crusades was a terrible, terrible, thing-- that was wrongly done in the name of God in a way that God would not approve of. The men who lead the Crusades were not being lead by God to take those actions- because those actions contradict what God teaches.

Christianity is a religon based on God freely giving his love to people and the message is that people can freely give their love to God. Even had everyone been "converted" during the Crusades that is not the way that God would have people going about it- it's a message of love- not of tyranny and forced belief.

It is not justifiable and i guess it can be said though that in any group there are acts committed that do not represent the whole group. It's like asking a question like: Germans how can you justify what Hitler did? White people how can you justify slavery? (The point is that the Crusades although done in the name of Christ- has nothing to do with what Christianity teaches or represents). The Crusades were not Jesus' idea, and are not Christian ideas. It was people wrongly in the name of Christ-- which always results in bringing shame to Christ which he does not deserve.

I want all people to come to know Christ- but people have to make that choice for themselves.

Kindly,

Nickster

Answer 2

Before you ask for a blanket condemnation or justification you must clarify which crusades. I would assume the southern Crusades instead of the Northern ones which were nothing but an arm of the Inquisition.
The question with the first Crusade is it justifiable to fight a defensive war? If you were attacked would you fight back the first crusade was not invading territory that had been Muslim with a Muslim majority. At the time the Midge east was prominently Christian. rather you were talking about a counter offensive launched against the Seljuk Turks who had invaded the Eastern Roman Empire. The region that is now called Turkey was then
called Asia minor and had a Greek, Assyrian, Syriac and Armenian population. This changed due to the Turkish invasion.
While Palatine Syria and Lebanon and what is now Jordan were invaded by Muslims earlier the Seljuk Turks had invaded there as well and so that was selected as a site of a counter offensive.
The lands in question had been part of the Roman empire long before the Islamic conquest and according to some sources a majority of the people in those region viewed them selves as the subjects of the Caesar of Constantinople. Dose a country have the right to protect it's people? Now the way the crusades broke down had no justification as the Crusaders broke their oaths to the emperor which asked for two things...first to obey the emperor and act as his vassals and soldiers and two to place their priests under the local Greek Bishop. If they did these things Constantinople would provided them with as much finical support as possible the Crusaders broke this oath and started playing politics between east and west. Then the 4th crusade was not justifiable as the Crusaders looted the people they were supposed to be defending. the last southern crusade attempted was called to drive the Turks from Constantinople after the city fell in 1453 and was largely ignored by Roman Catholics.
One of the few leaders who even noticed the call was an Orthodox prince named Vlad III of Walachia also known as Dracula..mainly as he could use it as a means to get supplies and weapons from the west to fight a battle he had to fight any how, the defense of Walachia from the Turks.
Then there were what is known as the Northern Crusades and the Albigensian Crusade which were not defensive. The Northern Crusaded targeted Non catholic Slavs..both Pagans and Orthodox Christians.
The Albigensian crusade was an arm of the inquisition and directed at cathari in provonce France. While the southern Crusades were justifiable at first- though not necessarily all the tactics the northern ones were not.

Answer 3

If you only think of the Crusades in terms laid down by the Religious Leaders they make absolutely no sense at all. If you get out your Atlas and look at the trade routes then you can put together the real geopolitical war for control of trade routes and resources.
Notice that the war against the Muslims ended when Henry of Portugal figured out how to sail around the Horn of Africa and trade directly with the Far East.
After that the wars became Naval as all Europian Countries began to fight for control of the shipping lanes around the world.
The Spice Trade has done more to shape the modern world than anything else except for plagues and diseases.

Answer 4

Actually, that was not the purpose of the crusades. The purpose was to reclaim the holy land from those who had taken it by force.

The Crusades were a series of defensive wars against Islamic aggression in the Middle Ages and attempts to recapture the Holy Land from Muslim conquerors in order to allow safe pilgrimage and to protect and maintain the Christian presence there. Jerusalem had been Christian for hundreds of years when Caliph Omar seized it, and following that victory, Muslims warred their way into Egypt, other parts of Africa, Spain, Sicily, and Greece, leaving Christians dead and churches in ruins. They stole lands in the area now known as Turkey, destroying Catholic communities founded by St. Paul himself. They siezed Constantinople -- the "second Rome" -- and threatened the Balkans. They warred their way as far north as Vienna, Austria and Tours, France.

But there were those who were not Christian who joined the crusades to gain property and wealth. The Popes' noble, reasonable purposes for the war, became entangled with the purposes of those with secular interests and more interested in dynastic feuds, economic concerns over Mediterranean trade, or destroying the Eastern Roman Empire. Many "bad guys" jumped onto the Crusade bandwagon and evil was done by some of the Crusaders: the sacking of Constantinople (including the destruction of churches) and the murder of Jews along Crusade routes most definitely took place and are deeply lamentable. There is no excuse for such behaviors except human evil, but this evil was not sanctioned in any way by the Church, in no way reflects on Church teachings or her purposes for the Crusades, and resulted in the excommunication of many Crusaders responsible.

Answer 5

I have found that many Christians don't see it as important that the Crusades were a Christian campaign. They will freely admit that, yes, SOME Christians in the past have used the religion for ill. They don't find that this exploitation of religion as a driving force or tool for control diminishes the truth of the true message of Jesus.

People will always do bad things, even with good concepts. I find the current "me, me, me" focus of Christianity as a similar movement to exploit religion as a way to boost and promote oneself. This is a far less harmful exploitation, but a significant one, nonetheless.

Answer 6

I don't know, but apparently some people do think they were justified. There is a game out now, "Assassin's Creed"... the main character kills prominent figures during the Crusades... there was a little bit of fuss about it being an anti-Christian game... I thought... WHAT? So the Crusades are representative of Christian beliefs/values??

Answer 7

There is no justification for the crusades. Human history is loaded with many horrific acts that have been carried out "in Jesus name".

Christ himself said that not all who call him Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of Heaven. They will proclaim all that they have done in His name and He will reply "depart from me you evil doers, for I never knew you.

Answer 8

Look back at history. Who were *your* relatives, group, relgion, etc. Are you responsible for all that was done? Are you carrying out the same today? See how people, groups have corrected themselves. Do Chrisitians celebrate the Crusades?

Answer 9

A rose by any other name is STILL a rose! Mankind will always use the name of Christ to spur other's unto deeds that have little or nothing to do with Jesus Christ.

Isa 52:5 - "And now what do I have here?" declares the Lord. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock," declares the Lord. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.

Ro 2:24 -As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

Men of power use God as a "motivator", for many men will fight for what is dear to their hearts. Whether it is right or justifiable. The reason wars begin, or exist is because of the sin nature of man. Greed, and Power are the main reasons that those in power use whatever means they need to in order to accomplish that precious gain.
Look at any war, and at the heart of it, you will find that the "power" at work was not the average soldier, but the cold-hearted killers that have the conscience seared!
These "killers" are the ones that have no morality, they do NOT obey God in any way! They just use God's name to get those that DO have a relationship with Christ to follow them for what is supposed to be a "good cause".
Look at what SOME (not by any means ALL) white men did to Native Americans or Black people. Or look at Muslims and Jews. Or Germans and Jews. Or more recently...
Look at Vietnam, so many of our American men & women needlessly died, and those that came Home were scorned not because they were American's doing what their Country asked in the "name of Freedom"...but because the "powers" that were, decieved these people!
God is always saddened by mankind's lack of knowledge regarding Him, and He wants that NONE should perish!
However, just as Adam and Eve had a choice, so too are we in this Earthly life given a choice!

Ho 4:6 - my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

Jer 29:13 - You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

There is NO "justification" in regard to ANY of the past evils of mankind. All we can do is make our own individual choice...with hope that it will be done..WISELY, about what we want for our eternal future! We can SEE what sin brings...therefore do you want to spend eternity in a life such as we currently have?, although it will be even MORE dreadful that you can imagine...or....do you want to dwell eternally in a place that has NO sin..and only ALL goodness dwells! (More than we can Dream!)

Romans 8:19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved.

May you choose to be counted as one of the Glorious Children of God!

Answer 10

It was a way for Christian Kings to keep their Armies employed and they used religion as the hook. It's not much different from many of the wars done in the name of religion be it the IRA vs The Ulster Provo's, Al Quida trying to force radical Islam on others. Hamas Vs Fatah, Arabs Vs Jews all done in the name of their gods.