dawny0826 said:
Can you cite examples throughout history (other than the persecution of supposed witches and beyond the writing of the OT) where Christians have murdered for the sake of Christianity and God?
During the First Crusade -- the sack of Jerusalem in 1099 AD is arguably the most regrettable instance. No wonder the Muslims are still peeved about it.
An excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Once the Crusaders had breached the outer walls and entered the city almost every inhabitant of Jerusalem was killed over the course of that afternoon, evening and next morning. Muslims, Jews, and even any remaining Christians were all massacred with indiscriminate violence. Many Muslims sought shelter in the
Al-Aqsa Mosque, where, according to one famous account in
Gesta, "
...the slaughter was so great that our men waded in blood up to their ankles..." According to Raymond of Aguilers "
men rode in blood up to their knees and bridle reins." Tancred claimed the
Temple quarter for himself and offered protection to some of the Muslims there, but he could not prevent their deaths at the hands of his fellow crusaders. The Fatimid governor withdrew to the
Tower of David, which he soon surrendered to Raymond in return for safe passage for himself and bodyguards to
Ascalon. They were the only ones to escape alive."
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_%281099%29)
This is only a bare bones account. The details would break your heart. They took babies and smashed their heads against the wall to kill them. Even their fellow Christians were not spared. It isn't just Muslim accounts that tell these tales -- Christian accounts corroborated this as well.
Some have argued that it was the worst massacre in military history.
Now, you and I both know that NO WAY did anything Jesus say ever justify any of this. But it has to be asked: what exactly happened in Christianity at the time that allowed this sort of behaviour?
The more you read about the Crusades, the more you'll see how off base things got.
So, y'know, if the Muslims are off base now and the environment in their religion makes terrorists possible, it's not like religions have never done this sort of thing before. Christianity was just over 1000 years old when this happened. Islam is also just over 1000 years old (in the 1300s, actually). Islam now is roughly the same age Christianity was when it went nuts.
Fortunately, you guys crawled back from that time, and I expect Islam will also. In the meantime, it's gonna be hell on wheels.
