The attempted justification of the Crusades comes down to islamophobia and ethnocentrism at its core. Defenders of the Crusades such as Professor Rodney Stark argue that the religiously-fueled wars were justified because the Christian (specifically Catholic) people of the time were “provoked” by the Islamic world. The publisher of God’s Battalions: A Case For the Crusades, just one of over two dozen of Stark’s books, reiterates his belief of this incitement stating, “the Crusades were precipitated by Islamic provocations, centuries of bloody attempts to colonize the West, and sudden attacks on Christian pilgrims and holy places” (“The Crusades Were Just a War- Interview With Rodney Stark”). He fails to see the irony in the fact that the in the Crusaders’ century-long attempt to recolonize in the Holy Land, they killed about one per cent of the population. (“‘The Crusades Were Great, Actually!’”)
Condoners of the Crusades, such as Rodney Stark, cite Islam’s brutal attacks on Christendom as the reason and validation of the Crusades, however, they were brutal in their own right, killing millions of people in the name of Christianity. Their hypocrisy lies in the fact that they can understand- and even go as far as to support- killing …show more content…
Throughout recent history, Western civilizations have been pushing their beliefs on the rest of the world whether they want to hear it or not. The United States is the number one offender in this category, often being called “the world’s police” for its tendency to get involved in other countries’ issues even when, arguably, unnecessary. But when others fight back they are looked at in the worst light. In focus with the the aforementioned Crusades, the West is still fighting with Islamic-centered places such as countries of the Middle East (however, not the entirety of the Islamic
Condoners of the Crusades, such as Rodney Stark, cite Islam’s brutal attacks on Christendom as the reason and validation of the Crusades, however, they were brutal in their own right, killing millions of people in the name of Christianity. Their hypocrisy lies in the fact that they can understand- and even go as far as to support- killing …show more content…
Throughout recent history, Western civilizations have been pushing their beliefs on the rest of the world whether they want to hear it or not. The United States is the number one offender in this category, often being called “the world’s police” for its tendency to get involved in other countries’ issues even when, arguably, unnecessary. But when others fight back they are looked at in the worst light. In focus with the the aforementioned Crusades, the West is still fighting with Islamic-centered places such as countries of the Middle East (however, not the entirety of the Islamic