I think you have read some bad history. You need to find some unbiased accounts of the Inquisition and the Crusades...
...unfortunatly, as you’ll find out as you continue on in this FR Catholic forum, there are some abysmally informed people out there just itching to get their licks in against ‘the Papists’...from the outright bigots, like the individual who continuously links to some of the most vicious Catholic bashing screeds you can imagine, to the downright stupid, like the guy who accused me of being a recruiter of boys for deviant priests after I objected to every single priest being linked by association to the sex scandals...get ready for some excessive vitriol as you continue to proclaim your faith, for there is no lack of it here on FR...
I’m not worried about it. Often when people raise the strongest objections they are experiencing grace. It is human nature. They are afraid if Christians are telling the truth they may have to change their behavior. Change is difficult. God works in amazing ways. Consider what God did for the Apostle Paul, who persecuted Christians. Consider what God did for anti-Catholic Scott Hahn.
Even if every claim against the Church is true, I tell my non-Catholic friends not to let bad Catholics stop them from becoming Catholic.
People (including popes and bishops) often let us down, but Jesus never lets us down.
The real question is what is true? The real question is why is there anything at all? Did the universe create itself? Why are we here? Is it possible that we were created to be in communion with our creator?
Our hearts are restless til they rest in Thee. -St. Augustine
Free Republic has a Catholic Forum?