Either the Bible is the Word of God or it is not. If it is, follow it. If it is not, then is there no God, is someone else God? If there is no God to follow, then you are reduced to following man. How did that work out for those who followed Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo, Mao, Stalin, et al? For anyone who brings up the “excesses” or “evil done in the name of Christianity” I can only point out those things were done contrary to the Scripture, not at its bidding. All of them, without exception. Those who would say otherwise are either ignorant of Scripture or intentionally misleading. If you do not follow God, you follow a man who follows the Prince of this World. Your own heart is your guide and you are in huge trouble.
“...those things were done contrary to the Scripture, not at its bidding”
Absolutely! Christ did not tell us to forcibly convert people, torture them into repentance, or any number of other things done falsely in His name.