Swords

Submitted by TruthWFree (United States), May 17, 2010 at 22:19

Agree with you on the deportation of Muslims.

The Jews were never a factor in power after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD by the Romans (not yet Christian until after Constantine, about 312 AD). The Jews were dispersed among the Roman Empire.

But again, on the sword thing, you are trying too hard to place violence in Christ's teachings. What do you do with the sword? Against whom? The sword thing was more alegorical than reality. No Christian teacher ever focused on this in my studies growing up as something to take literally.

The Holy Roman Empire after Constantine was more and more influenced by some Popes who were more interested in secular power than peoples' souls. They controlled who would be king and exercised a lot of control over the people. Some were down right corrupt. I don't think that's what Jesus had in mind. So then you had the Reformation (early 1500's) back to the basics of Christ's teachings by Luther and Calvin and others including some Catholics.

Pope Urban organized the first Crusade in 1096, and whether it was proper or not, it was a response to Muslim treatment of pilgrims to the Holy Land. Also, the Muslim Moors had conquered 80% of Spain in the early 700's and in 731, they were defeated 100 miles outside the gates of Paris by Charles Martel. A guy named Don Pelayo (interesting story about arrows flying back at the Muslim attackers near a shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary) (link Don Pelayo http://www.tfp.org/tfp-home/focus-on-history/don-pelayo-and-the-reconquista-of-spain.html) drove the Muslims south in Spain after a miraculus victory in the early 700's. I'm glad they did not turn the other cheek because we'd all be Muslims today very possibly. Muslims were finally driven from the south of Spain about the time of Columbus, 1492 AD. The eastern Mediterannean and land routes to the Orient was blocked by the Ottoman Muslims (Turks) and that is largely why America was discovered by Columbus sailig West to the Orient. Gives new meaning to God Bless America, doesn't it?

The history of Muslim aggression against Christian lands goes all the way back to Muhammd (died 632 AD) or at least he set the stage and ideology for the beginning in the latter 600's AD for conquest of Syria, current day Israel, Egypt, North Africa, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan (India) and others. These all had been largely Christian populations (Roman Empire) except for Iran (Persia), and current day Iraq and to the East..

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