Some historical data that I threw together to help in dealing with liberals attacking Christian history.
1. The Crusades.
I know it is hard to believe, but at one point in history, the countries of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey and Iraq had large populations of Christians. These countries were peacefully converted to Christianity by word of mouth.
They were conquered by Muslim armies (along with all of North Africa and Spain) and forcibly converted to Islam by the sword (conversion or death). There were even Muslim raiding parties penetrating deep into France. The spread of Islam was an invasion.
What were the people of Europe to do? Wait to be fully conquered? The Crusades were a reaction to an invasion and defensive in nature. Yes, there were horrific events perpetrated by both sides but the cause and effect need to be put into perspective. It would be like trying to understand the American-Japanese conflict in WWII by only reading about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
2. The Nazis.
The Nazis never were Christians. They sometimes used the cover of Christianity and other religions in their propaganda but they developed their own Pagan rituals for weddings, births and other important ceremonies. They also exterminated thousands of priests and millions of Christians in concentration camps.
The Nazis used any religion to further their power. For example, the Nazis raised two Muslim Waffen SS Division during the war. These were the only true "religious" SS Division the Nazis ever created (and it is safe to say that the Germany was not a Muslim nation). Himmler was fascinated by the thought of Muslims to be fearless soldiers willing to kill for their religion. One of these Muslim Waffen SS divisions (The Hanjer Division) was responsible for the murder of over 90 percent of the Yugoslavian Jewish population.
3. The Inquisition and the Separation of Church and State.
It is a nice sounding theory that when you separate the Christian Church from the state, you get stability, but it does not pass the common sense test.
For instance, I know it is the first words out of any atheist mouth when you try to talk with them about Jesus, “Explain the Inquisition," and “Look how evil the church was!" and "Look what they did in the name of Jesus!"
It is true that about 500 years ago, Christian fanatics killed about 10,000 people over a 100 year time period (about 100/year) in the name of the Roman Catholic church. It is a shame on the record of an organization that claims to be promoting the ministry of Christ. Now compare this record to the example of the countries that have officially done away with religion. To the countries that have outright banned religion and imprisoned those who try to practice it (the ultimate test of the theory of separation of church and state).
Yes, I am talking about Communist countries. In the Communist Manifesto, Engel and Marx declared, "Communism abolishes all religion." In my father's lifetime, the numbers of people that officially atheist countries have murdered in the name of no-religion is staggering; the USSR slaughtered 20 million, China slaughtered 10 million, Communist Cambodia slaughtered 2 million, Communist North Korea has/continues to murder untold numbers, Communist Cuba has/continues to murder untold numbers, the list goes on.
The grand total is over 50 million dead in the last 80-year time span (over 600,000/year). Even comparing the worst time of "Christian Persecution" to an average time of a just one country that has officially and forcefully separated church and state, the conclusion is obvious: Christianity has a huge calming influence on government.
4. Missionaries and Native Americans.
Before Indians were running casinos and selling cigarettes tax-free in North America, they were a stone-age people before the "pale face" came. They had not learned to domesticate animals, they had no written language, they used only stone tools and they had not even yet invented the wheel.
They had never seen a horse, a metal knife, a cart or a plow.
They also commonly practiced slavery, genocide and cannibalism against other tribes. No matter how many times you watch "Dances with Wolves" and "Pocahontas," it will not change these facts. The vast majority of Missionaries wanted to spread the gospel of Christ and raise these new converts out of their stone-age way of life. What should they have done? Ignore them?
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Wow, I feel smarter already!
:silly:
:dunce:
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