MorphRC wrote:The Crusades were defensive. Just look up Islamic Conquest 7th-11th century, and then you can see why the Crusades happened. Try getting a book called "The Knights Templars" it portrays a gruesome lifestyle of Christians under the Reign of Islam.
Islam had controlled the Holy Land for over 400 years prior to the 1st Crusade; so your revisionist history is another lie promulgated by the RCC.
When they began to raid the Mediterranean coast of the Frankish kingdom and to extend their power north of the Pyrenees, Charles Martel, the Frankish ruler, collected his forces south of the Loire and in 732 defeated a Muslim band so decisively that they retreated. Nonetheless, Muslims continued to raid the Frankish seacoast on the Mediterranean. To stop these raids and to protect his frontier, Charlemagne carried the war beyond the Pyrenees to the south.
From Charlemagne's time to the beginning of the 11th century, relations between the Muslims and European Christians were mainly commercial and intellectual. There developed a flourishing trade in slaves and northern products such as honey, amber and furs. Muslims wanted slaves. Christian teaching forbade Christians to enslave other Christians, but there were always Finns, Slavs, and other pagan peoples to be captured, and commerce with Islam was profitable. Some of this traffic went down through central Europe to the Muslim world through the channels of Byzantine trade. Some of it went through Spain.
http://mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~grempel/cou ... sades.html
Would Christianity exist today without the stupidity of the Crusades? Yes, God can accomplish His perfect will without the violence perpetrated by the RCC.
Romans 12:19-21
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. NAS
Hebrews 10:30-31
30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge His people." 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. NAS
The Pharisees believed by getting the Romans to crucify Christ they could stop God's plan. Nero and other Roman Emperors attempted to eliminate Christians, Christianity, and the Bible from the face of the earth. If God can wipe out all but 8 on the face of the earth do you really think manmade wars can void His purpose? Do you think Moses accomplished the Exodus on his own? If you believe that God is ineffective in accomplishing His will you have a limited concept of the sovereignty of God.
I am fully aware of the millions of Christians who have been martyred for their faith in modern times and as you pointed out they are not Roman Catholics who are being put to the sword.