Saddle-Up your High Horse! Time to Shoot Down Myths about Crusades, Inquisition & War on Women

Aleteia ^ | February 8, 2015 | SUSAN E. WILLS

[NYer]

Conservative media were in an uproar last week over the President’s remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast. He said that we see “faith being twisted and distorted … sometimes used as a weapon” and “lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ."

Nearly everyone took the statement to mean “Catholic pot, don’t call the Muslim kettle black.” And they were quick to point out that the “terrible deeds in the name of Christ” were committed 600 to 1000 years ago when everyone was kind of “medieval” anyway. End of story. Only it’s not.

The Crusades

Were the Crusaders plunderers and butchers, distorting Christianity, as the popular view claims? No. Scholar Thomas F. Madden — historian of the Crusades and director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of St. Louis — has waged his own one-man crusade since 9/11 to debunk the popular myths about Catholic Church-sponsored “atrocities” of the 12th to 16th centuries.  
 

With enormous energy, the warriors of Islam struck out against the Christians shortly after Mohammed’s death. They were extremely successful. Palestine, Syria, and Egypt — once the most heavily Christian areas in the world — quickly succumbed. By the eighth century, Muslim armies had conquered all of Christian North Africa and Spain. In the eleventh century, the Seljuk Turks conquered Asia Minor (modern Turkey), which had been Christian since the time of St. Paul. The old Roman Empire, known to modern historians as the Byzantine Empire, was reduced to little more than Greece. In desperation, the emperor in Constantinople sent word to the Christians of western Europe asking them to aid their brothers and sisters in the East.

That is what gave birth to the Crusades. They were not the brainchild of an ambitious pope or rapacious knights but a response to more than four centuries of conquests in which Muslims had already captured two-thirds of the old Christian world. At some point, Christianity as a faith and a culture had to defend itself or be subsumed by Islam. The Crusades were that defense.
 

Madden describes the two goals set by Pope Urban II for the Crusades: to rescue fellow Christians in the Middle East who were living in slavery and servitude under Muslim rule and to liberate “Jerusalem and other places made holy by the life of Christ.” Far from being a distortion of Catholicism, the Crusades went to the very heart of the faith, he explains. Quoting a letter from Pope Innocent III to the Knights Templar: “You carry out in deeds the words of the Gospel, ‘Greater love than this hath no man, that he lay down his life for his friends.’”

The Inquisition

Pretty much everything we know about “the Inquisition” is also bunk. In 1998, Pope St. John Paul II, Madden explains, “opened up the archives of the Holy Office … to a team of 30 scholars from around the world.” Their 800-page report was released in 2004. It confirmed the discoveries of many historians from their earlier research in other European archives: “the popular view of the Inquisition is a myth.”

In the Middle Ages, heresy was a crime against the state, punishable by death. It wasn't the Church who put heretics to death; Pope Lucius III established the Inquisition precisely so that state claims of heresy would not be tried by civil judges who were ignorant of doctrine and indiscriminately found people guilty. Through the Inquisition, accused heretics could be evaluated by competent theologians and in almost all cases be spared a death sentence. While kings, according to Madden, saw heretics as traitors who questioned their authority by divine right, the Church saw them as “lost sheep who had strayed from the fold.”
 

Most people accused of heresy by the Inquisition were either acquitted or their sentences suspended. Those found guilty of grave error were allowed to confess their sin, do penance, and be restored to the Body of Christ. … Unrepentant or obstinate heretics were excommunicated and given over to secular authorities. … Despite popular myth, the Inquisition did not burn heretics. … The simple fact is that the medieval Inquisition saved uncounted thousands of innocent (and not-so-innocent) people who would otherwise have been roasted by secular lords or mob rule.

Much later, however, when Inquisitions were taken over by civil authorities, the forgiveness and mercy shown by the Church no longer prevailed.

“The War on Women” Redux

The “War on Women” is included here as the latest baseless canard against the Church. Because Catholic teaching opposes abortion and contraception, the Church has become the prime target of radical feminists, progressives, libertines, academia, the media, the Administration and others.

When Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI stated that condoms were not the solution to the AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, he was called “horrifically ignorant” and was blamed for the continent’s AIDS deaths (as if all AIDS deaths were occurring among observant Catholics who rejected condoms in obedience to Church teaching — the very group at lowest risk of AIDS as they'd be likely to abstain from sex before marriage and remain faithful to their spouse).

By opposing Obamacare’s assault on religious freedom by forcing Catholic institutions to provide contraceptives in their employees' health coverage, the Church is accused of waging a “war on women.” By opposing taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood — the country’s most prolific killer — the Church is accused of conducting a “war on women.”

In the last election cycle, candidates who defended the religious freedom of Catholic institutions and individuals to not be forced to provide “benefits” they considered immoral, on First Amendment grounds, were also part of the “war on women,” a false narrative that some believe will be resurrected in the next election cycle.

Obamacare, and not the Church, is in many ways the real villain in the “war on women.” Contraceptives, abortifacients and sterilization all serve to disrupt the healthy functioning of a woman’s reproductive system and carry numerous risks, not the least of which is this: A  2011 survey looking into “work/life balance,” found that the unhappiest profile among white-collar workers is “a 42 year old, unmarried woman with a household income under $100 thousand, working in a professional position (i.e. as a doctor or a lawyer).” Yet, the sterile career woman — unencumbered by husband and kids — is precisely the model to which that the National Organization for Women and the Fund for a Feminist Majority think women should aspire.

There’s another obvious reason why critics of the Catholic Church should find a different target for their vitriol. The Church is arguably the single largest charitable organization on planet Earth — feeding, clothing, sheltering, healing, educating, and ministering to the needy of the world for almost two millennia.

So is it too much to expect that the President and media would do a little fact-checking from time to time?

[Don Corleone]

Obama was parroting the Muslim mantras given him by Jarrett!

[Rinnwald]

Because someone was wrong with the church, shouldn’t have meant they were automatically wrong with the country.

Well, yes. That was the problem with secular authorities being subservient to the church under the era of "Christendom". Secular authorities being in charge without power flowing from the people is worse (communism). That's why we were so lucky to have founding fathers influenced by enlightenment. It corresponds to the free will given to us by our Creator.

[Vigilanteman]

That's what real women discover. Feminazis prefer to direct their anger at society and seek out something to destroy rather than channel it into something productive.

[cld51860]

Over the years I have implored people to do their own independent study of the Crusades, as I did, pre-9/11. Most people’s knowledge of the Crusades is typically skewed to be anti-Crusader, at least the people to whom I have spoken. My father in law, as an example, has described them, many times, as forerunners of organized crime, thugs. I have corrected him many times on the matter. I asked a woman I used to work with, for instance, which did she think was older, Christianity or Islam. Instantly she answered, “Well, Islam of course!” I then told her the truth. She admitted, “I should have known that.” Why? She majored in Religion — in college. I told her she should get her tuition back.

[rwa265]

Chuckie wasn’t being critical of Obama. His exact comment was: “I have my own theory, he’s not a big fan of the prayer breakfast, I think, and I think he almost enjoys creating a rhetorical debate.”

And the way he said it, I think Todd enjoys seeing the debate.

[cripplecreek]

Sadly, most of our “popular” history is garbage widely believed to be true even by the right. The most accurate history is history that hasn’t been hashed and rehashed a million times and made into thousands of books and movies.

Just mention the Salem witch trials and most conservatives believe religious fervor drove people to accuse dozens of women of being witches who were wrongly executed.

Yes women were accused of being witches by people who were puritans but witches were a widely held superstition of the time that had little to do with religion. In fact, no one was more aggressive in attempting to stamp it out than the church elders. Increase Mather wrote something along the lines of, ‘The Devil has arrived in Salem Village not in the form of witches but in the form of those who bear false witness’.

The fear of witches was simply an easy excuse to accuse others when the root of the accusations were far more earthly things like jealousy, greed, and lust. As far as the executions are concerned, I’ve been able to confim 3.

[Yo-Yo]

The Spanish Inquisition

[Ditto]

The Inquisition still reflected a dysfunctional situation. Because someone was wrong with the church, shouldn’t have meant they were automatically wrong with the country.

I'd remind you that it was not until the ratification of the US Constitution in 1789 that Church and State became two separate entities anywhere in the world.

[NorthMountain]

Excellent ... bookmarked.

[Dqban22]

IT IS OK TO BEHEAD AND BURN INFIDELS ALIVE , MOHAMMED DID IT.

Long before the Crusades, starting with Mohammed to the present times, the Muslims have been committing unbelievable atrocities in the name of Allah and Islam. Jesus preached love, even for our enemies; Muhammad, with his scimitar in hand, ordered to behead or to burn alive the infidels that did not convert to Islam.

“But doesn’t Islam prohibit burning people alive? To answer this question, we need to first look at Muhammad, who spoke for Allah (4:80) and is considered the standard of perfect conduct for Muslims (33:21). Muhammad had no qualms about burning people.

In December 627 Muhammad led an attack against the Al-Mustalaq tribe. Because that tribe fought back, Muhammad ordered their fortifications to be set on fire, even though the Muslims knew there were women and children inside.

Around June 628, when Kinanah bin al-Rabi of the Jewish Bani al-Nadir tribe would not reveal where his conquered tribe’s treasures were hidden, Muhammad ordered one of his soldiers, “Torture him until you extract what he has,” so a fire was built on Kinanah’s chest until Kinanah nearly died.

In June 632, after Muhammad’s death, an attack on Ubna that he had earlier ordered took place. The leader of the Muslim force said,

… the Messenger of God commanded me and this was his last command to me: …to raid them, without inviting them [to Islam], and to destroy and burn.<>/P>

The Life of Muhammad: Al-Waqidi’s Kitab al-Maghazi, p. 549

And Muhammad even considered burning down Muslims’ houses around them to compel th

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/dr-stephen-m-kirby/islam-and-burning-people-alive/

[Old Sarge]

What we need is a leader with the courage of Prince Vlad III of Wallachia.

His response to the infidel is still talked about today.

[StormPrepper]

And the OP is an attempt at white washing the history of the Catholic Church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_war

30,000 Ana-baptists were put to death by the Lutherans and Catholics in the late 16th century and early 17th over the doctrine of infant baptism.

The Spanish Armada (1588) was launched after Pope Sixtus V convinced the king of Spain to invade England. After the Pope’s assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth I failed.

And that’s just a few examples in a long list.

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/vatican/esp_vatican29.htm#The%20Tortures

Catholic torture devices.

Straight out of well documented history.

And I’m supposed to believe this church is God’s true church? Really?

[HiTech RedNeck]

And why the US Constitution is viewed as tragic by the Roman Catholic Church to this day.

One can make “at least it isn’t as bad as” arguments and they would be correct. The Inquisition churches seemed to be satisfied if you didn’t stick your neck out opposing them even if you really didn’t believe.

But the problem is fundamental. Governments of secular lands were not in the mission statement of Christendom. Not until the literal return of Christ. The church should have politely declined such opportunities, offering to advise if invited, but never to govern or be viewed as a governing body.

[HiTech RedNeck]

“A time will come when those who slay you will think they are offering a service to God.”

[11th Commandment]

Great Movie- Still waiting for part 2!

[Salvation]

Great article.

[fuzzylogic]

He does have some interesting videos. I’d just like outside confirmation of his claims...although they make an awful lot of sense!

[SumProVita]

There are some good things in the video shown at that link....but I am still disgusted with this constant meme that, unlike Islam, Christianity reformed itself.

What kind of misinformation is this? It is so far from the truth. Christ came to save us from sin and redeem us. GOOD News!!! We are *reformed* as individuals as we take hold of the redemption that Jesus offers. We are to become a HOLY people united to our God and to one another. THIS is the real message of Christianity and it is completely distinct from all other religions. All Christians need to stand up and reject this attempt make Christianity “just another religion.”

[fuzzylogic]

Yes, what would Europe, and consequently the USA, look like if it weren’t for the Crusades? ...Sharia anyone? I can’t imagine...we should be deeply grateful. All wars have events perpetrated by individuals or groups of individuals that are unjust. That is very different than the reason for the initiative and the positive outcome on a global scale.

[fuzzylogic]

It is the dumbed-down morally relative belief that “all religions are the same, just about control”, that the whole “my God is better than your God” argument is why religion is bad. Of course the argument of “caused more deaths than anything in history” is complete garbage. Even for the “religious deaths” you still need to understand context, aggressive vs. defensive....big moral difference. These people can’t wrap their heads around the fact that a religion can really be a tyrannical political ideology hiding under the veil of religion...even if its followers don’t understand that. Their morally relative positive paralyzes their ability to see evil when confronted with it, they can’t identify the real problem - hence a POTUS who can’t name the enemy.