This is what happens when people aren*t taught history.
Until 9/11, the Crusades had a bad name even around here.
People will change their position on the Inquisition, too, when they learn that it was a fundamental aspect of Spain*s 400 year effort to drive the Mohammedans out of Spain.
I’ve heard some of the more horrible parts of the Inquisition came from flawed efforts of the Catholic Church to swallow Islamic peoples into its membership but not being too careful about what they believed. The result is that they still followed the Koran and were perfectly on board with medieval torture methods because of it. Of course Jesus was aghast.
The Crusades were a defensive action, fought in response to over 400 years of Muslim aggression - 100s of attacks on land and sea, that culminated with Islam conquering all of the Christian Kingdoms of North Africa, the Holy Lands, nearly half of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain), and heading towards France.
It was not until the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire begged Pope Urban II to intervene that the 1st Crusade began. However, the Crusades eventually failed due to feudalism. It was the Feudal Lords who raised the Crusading armies, and many of their ranks were not filled with well-trained soldiers; but, more importantly, some of these Feudal Lords were less than honorable, chasing their own personal goals - and from these scurrilous individuals comes the negative propaganda so often regurgitated today. The sacking of Jerusalem was chief among these notorious actions.
However this moral failure was not the fault of the Catholic Church - the Popes never ordered, nor did they condone this behavior. Quite the contrary, it was condemned by Church authorities. But few care to ever read the actual history of what transpired.
They will also rethink their squeamishness over relocation camps comparable to ones in the U.S. during WWII for Japanese Americans. It was necessary at the time. Cruz will need the fortitude to stand by his last name, "cross," in defense of America. I like to think his name is a good portent of the right guy for the chore. One thing, he looks a lot better than a patriotic old celebrity-seeking billionaire. Hey, if Trump can talk "politically incorrect," so can I.
The Crusades can be justified. The Inquisition cannot. It is an appalling stain on European history.