Wednesday, February 19, 2014

In Defense of the Crusades Part One

  Were the crusades wrong?

 The crusades went wrong. After The First Crusade, it became more of a power issue for princes and knights to control Jerusalem. From the Fourth Crusade onwards, the crusades went even more downhill. Greed, lust, blood thirst, all became parts to the crusades. But the original intention was to take back Jerusalem and help out brothers and sisters in Christ that were under attack in the east. Byzantine women were being raped by Muslims and horrible things in the Byzantine Empire was happening. The Byzantine Emperor called for the Pope in the west for help. The Pope responded in calling for holy war, a crusade to help out.


 Were the Crusades just for plunder?

 Many knights fixed their eyes upon the desire for attaining gold. But this was certainly not the case for everyone.  Many rich men went on the first crusade, not just poor. It was clearly an act of holy war. When preparing for the third crusade, King Richard I of England sold everything he owned to prepare for the crusade: castles, lands, lordships.

 Did the crusaders kill Jews?

 Some did, others didn't. Most of the killing of the Jews in the first crusade was probably over the Jews having money, yet not all crusaders killed Jews. Godfrey de Bouillon for example, was partly Jewish and was very protective of Jews during the time of the first crusade. During the coronation of Richard I being crowned king, many Jews in England were killed, but Richard brought justice to this, by protecting the Jews and punishing those whom persecuted them.

 Did the crusaders kill other Christians?

 In the first crusade this was sometimes accidental. The crusaders would, for  example at the massacre of Jerusalem, kill all in their path. Byzantine Christians, Jews, and Muslims all dressed alike, so the crusaders did not always realize whom they killed.  Later many crusader became corrupt, that is those whom came after the first crusade and often fought amongst themselves.

  Why did the crusaders wait four hundred years?

 One of the biggest arguments often used against the crusades, is that Jerusalem was taken by Muslims four hundred years before the first crusade. Why would have the Christians have waited so long to take Jerusalem back, endless the crusaders were just in it for power? But these questions are easily answered.  The Roman Empire controlled Jerusalem for hundreds of years. At the conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great, the Roman Empire became strongly Christian.  When the Muslims attained Jerusalem it was the Arabs that took it. But the Arabs allowed Christians to visit the holy city, and both Muslim Arabs and Latin Christians, whom they allowed to visit the holy sights, got along well. But soon the Arabs were overran by the Seljuk Turks, whom were far more aggressive and hostile to Christians. It was these Turks that no longer allowed  the Christians to visit the holy sights. By 1094, the Byzantine Empire was under attack by these aggressive Muslims.  The crusaders believed that Jerusalem should be attained for God, and that they themselves  inherited the authority of the Roman Empire.  Son by 1094, a crusade was needed to save the Byzantines.


 Is it not true that the crusaders destroyed Constantinople during the fourth crusade. If they truly destroyed the Byzantines in the fourth, how could they have cared for them in the first?

 Because once again the crusades went corrupt. In the third crusade, Richard the Lionheart too wanted to defeat the Byzantines, but at this time the Byzantines were allying with the Muslims and were corrupt but by time the fourth crusade came along, the Byzantines were again good and had apologized for how they had been in the third crusade. But the crusaders of the fourth crusade didn't care and so destroyed Constantinople.


 Did Pope Urban II promise salvation to the crusaders?

 His words are often taken out of context. Read his speech according to Robert the Monk for a full understanding of what he was saying.

Oh, race of Franks, race from across the mountains, race chosen and beloved by Godas shines forth in very many of your works set apart from all nations by the situation of your country, as well as by your catholic faith and the honor of the holy church! To you our discourse is addressed and for you our exhortation is intended. We wish you to know what a grievous cause has led us to Your country, what peril threatening you and all the faithful has brought us.
From the confines of Jerusalem and the city of Constantinople a horrible tale has gone forth and very frequently has been brought to our ears, namely, that a race from the kingdom of the Persians, an accursed race, a race utterly alienated from God, a generation forsooth which has not directed its heart and has not entrusted its spirit to God, has invaded the lands of those Christians and has depopulated them by the sword, pillage and fire; it has led away a part of the captives into its own country, and a part it has destroyed by cruel tortures; it has either entirely destroyed the churches of God or appropriated them for the rites of its own religion. They destroy the altars, after having defiled them with their uncleanness. They circumcise the Christians, and the blood of the circumcision they either spread upon the altars or pour into the vases of the baptismal font. When they wish to torture people by a base death, they perforate their navels, and dragging forth the extremity of the intestines, bind it to a stake; then with flogging they lead the victim around until the viscera having gushed forth the victim falls prostrate upon the ground. Others they bind to a post and pierce with arrows. Others they compel to extend their necks and then, attacking them with naked swords, attempt to cut through the neck with a single blow. What shall I say of the abominable rape of the women? To speak of it is worse than to be silent. The kingdom of the Greeks is now dismembered by them and deprived of territory so vast in extent that it can not be traversed in a march of two months. On whom therefore is the labor of avenging these wrongs and of recovering this territory incumbent, if not upon you? You, upon whom above other nations God has conferred remarkable glory in arms, great courage, bodily activity, and strength to humble the hairy scalp of those who resist you. Let the deeds of your ancestors move you and incite your minds to manly achievements; the glory and greatness of king Charles the Great, and of his son Louis, and of your other kings, who have destroyed the kingdoms of the pagans, and have extended in these lands the territory of the holy church. Let the holy sepulchre of the Lord our Saviour, which is possessed by unclean nations, especially incite you, and the holy places which are now treated with ignominy and irreverently polluted with their filthiness. Oh, most valiant soldiers and descendants of invincible ancestors, be not degenerate, but recall the valor of your progenitors. But if you are hindered by love of children, parents and wives, remember what the Lord says in the Gospel, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me." "Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake shall receive an hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life." Let none of your possessions detain you, no solicitude for your family affairs, since this land which you inhabit, shut in on all sides by the seas and surrounded by the mountain peaks, is too narrow for your large population; nor does it abound in wealth; and it furnishes scarcely food enough for its cultivators. Hence it is that you murder one another, that you wage war, and that frequently you perish by mutual wounds. Let therefore hatred depart from among you, let your quarrels end, let wars cease, and let all dissensions and controversies slumber. Enter upon the road to the Holy Sepulchre; wrest that land from the wicked race, and subject it to yourselves. That land which as the Scripture says "floweth with milk and honey," was given by God into the possession of the children of Israel Jerusalem is the navel of the world; the land is fruitful above others, like another paradise of delights. This the Redeemer of the human race has made illustrious by His advent, has beautified by residence, has consecrated by suffering, has redeemed by death, has glorified by burial. This royal city, therefore, situated at the centre of the world, is now held captive by His enemies, and is in subjection to those who do not know God, to the worship of the heathens. She seeks therefore and desires to be liberated, and does not cease to implore you to come to her aid. From you especially she asks succor, because, as we have already said, God has conferred upon you above all nations great glory in arms. Accordingly undertake this journey for the remission of your sins, with the assurance of the imperishable glory of the kingdom of heaven. When Pope Urban had said these and very many similar things in his urbane discourse, he so influenced to one purpose the desires of all who were present, that they cried out, "It is the will of God! It is the will of God!" When the venerable Roman pontiff heard that, with eyes uplifted to heaven he gave thanks to God and, with his hand commanding silence, said: Most beloved brethren, today is manifest in you what the Lord says in the Gospel, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them." Unless the Lord God had been present in your spirits, all of you would not have uttered the same cry. For, although the cry issued from numerous mouths, yet the origin of the cry was one. Therefore I say to you that God, who implanted this in your breasts, has drawn it forth from you. Let this then be your war-cry in combats, because this word is given to you by God. When an armed attack is made upon the enemy, let this one cry be raised by all the soldiers of God: It is the will of God! It is the will of God! And we do not command or advise that the old or feeble, or those unfit for bearing arms, undertake this journey; nor ought women to set out at all, without their husbands or brothers or legal guardians. For such are more of a hindrance than aid, more of a burden than advantage. Let the rich aid the needy; and according to their wealth, let them take with them experienced soldiers. The priests and clerks of any order are not to go without the consent of their bishop; for this journey would profit them nothing if they went without permission of these. Also, it is not fitting that laymen should enter upon the pilgrimage without the blessing of their priests. Whoever, therefore, shall determine upon this holy pilgrimage and shall make his vow to God to that effect and shall offer himself to Him as a, living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, shall wear the sign of the cross of the Lord on his forehead or on his breast. When,' truly',' having fulfilled his vow be wishes to return, let him place the cross on his back between his shoulders. Such, indeed, by the twofold action will fulfill the precept of the Lord, as He commands in the Gospel, "He that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."


 Did Richard the Lionheart put 2,700 Muslim men, women, and children to the death and do things not very chivalrously?

 Richard I of England, after taking the port of Acre in July 1191, made a deal with Saladin to hand over the prisoners if Saladin handed his 1,600 Christian prisoners and the holy cross over. Saladin purposely didn't send his side over as a plan for the Christians to wait for him and eventually run out of food. When this didn't happen, Richard slaughtered the Saracen prisoners, then Saladin did the same to his won prisoners.   Later at the siege of Darum, Richard I net Saracen prisoners go. So Richard's own actions were very chivalrous.


Despite claims and attacks from church sources today that have condemned the crusades, much of the attacks has come from people over the last two hundred years. Richard the Lionheart was not put down until 1867 in textbooks. The traditional view of Christianity has been in support of the crusades. Modern historians that defend it would include: Thomas F. Madden,  Helen Nicholson,  George Grant, and Rodney Stark.

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