Crusaders and Islam (To Lisa and John)

Submitted by The Scholar (United States), Nov 29, 2005 at 15:26

Lisa thinks the crusaders were politically right, but did not do things exactly as they should have! So, basically she endorses religious wars and forced conversion, because that was basically what they stood for! Anyway, since the start of Christianity, there were always people like this who believed that they should forcefully convert the pagans and savages of the world. Let me remind you with what Pope Urban II said in 1095 to the crusaders while they were going to war "All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested." Sounds familiar, right? Apart from the section about the pope granting this to the men, It seems that the voice of fundamentalism sounds the same at all times! The history is just too full of such examples. Before Islam reached this part of the world, it was ruled by one of the most oppressive and barbaric states that ever existed, the Roman/Byzantine state! A state that not only oppressed other religions, but even oppressed other Christians solely because they did not share the same beliefs. But still, Lisa and John believe that these were the rightful owners of this part of the world. People who came from Rome should rule over the middle east by the right of the cross, true? Well, the tolerance of the crusaders towards other religions was far from exemplary. The day they entered Jerusalem, they massacred Muslims, Christians and Jews alike, a great start, isn't it?
I introduced before a quote from Wikipedia stating that the existence of minorities in Islamic states is a proof of Islam's tolerance to other religions, unlike the intolerance of Christianity towards everybody who did not share the same exact beliefs! Do you need examples?

John and Lisa have decided to reinvent history and teach us that only a few Christians were bad and only a few Muslims are good, well, John then introduced the five pillars of Islam and I could not find anything bad about them, or maybe he does not like the fact that we have to pay 2.5% of our wealth to the poor!! It is people like this who justified the enslavement of millions of "savage" Africans and their forced transportation to the "new world", and people like this who justified "Imperialism", justified racial discrimination (even Churches endorsed discrimination), and of course tens and hundreds of other atrocities! While you were able to justify atrocities in the name of Jesus (a great and peaceful Prophet according to our religion), we were only asked to defend ourselves against aggressors and oppressors!

Lisa gave an example of Prophet Mohamed addressing the super powers of the world and telling them that they should be "safe" if they become Muslims! Why don't you show us the whole message? Maybe he meant safe from hell, how could we tell? Anyway, while you are giving us the full text, why don't you tell us how Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) whose followers were less than a few thousands could talk so boldly to the super powers of the world whose armies were in the hundreds of thousands!

The funny things is that we still do not think that Christianity is responsible for the atrocities committed against humanity, but that certain people are, while you just love to jump at any opportunity to prove that Islam is to blame for anything!

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