Please don't judge Christians and Christianity by what you see posted on FR. This forum is a self-selected group of vocal people who come to FR for reasons of their own and is in no way representative of Christianity any more than it is representative of the silent majority of conservatives.
As to Northern Ireland, are those really religious problems or a historical political fight dressed up in religous clothing for cover by people seeking power?
Were the Crusades religious violence or a response to an Islamic invasion of Europe? Was the Inquistion really a witchhunt or a response to injustices and depredations occuring in the feudal and civil courts at the time?
A great many beliefs about historical Christianity are misguided or propaganda by those who dispise the idea of a Creator God and those who worship Him.
There is a lot of unhistorical history being taught these days.
Who, then, would you say is representative of Christianity. There are many who consider themselves Christians here. I take their word for it.
As to Northern Ireland, are those really religious problems or a historical political fight dressed up in religous clothing for cover by people seeking power?
The answer is both. The roots of the situation occurred when England separated itself from the RCC. That created both religious and political tension, which is still being expressed.
Were the Crusades religious violence or a response to an Islamic invasion of Europe? Was the Inquistion really a witchhunt or a response to injustices and depredations occuring in the feudal and civil courts at the time?
Again, the answer is both.
The reformation occurred in response to certain abuses of the Roman Catholic Church during one of its periods of needing more money. That split was the beginning of the fractionalizing of Christianity.
For this discussion, I am ignoring the Eastern church, which is, today, relatively irrelevant.