Religion Essay

Religion
Michael Manahan
Rendfrey
113-02
September 25th 2011

  I. If we do not understand history we may make mistakes that have happened before. Also learning someone’s history can be the best way to get to know them. People who do not know the history of the Catholic Church view it very differently than people who do. What is the story of the church; so we can explain the importance of understanding history? Give 2 examples and explain each one. Why is history important when studying the Catholic Church?
        i. History is vital to understanding why people do things today. Many people think that history is insignificant because the past is not happening right now. But what many people do not realize is that what happened to people and societies in the past can explain why they did this in the future.
            1. For example, some people think the crusades were unjustified and it was filled with corruption and cruel Christians abusing Islamic people. From my reading and viewing I have come to the conclusion that the crusades were initially nothing more than desperate Europeans seeking fortune and lands in the Middle East. The leaders of the early crusades were not pious Christians, they were opportunists who were fortunate enough to have a Pope, eager to reassert the power of the Catholic Church, foment religious fervor in the general population. (joeuser.com) But what a lot of those people forget the history of the conflicts before the crusades in the Middle East region near Jerusalem between Christians and Muslims.
              a. Three thousand pious Christian pilgrims were massacred in Jerusalem by the Seljukian Turks who were passionate followers of Islam. The remaining Christians were persecuted for their beliefs.
              b. Many Christians after the massacre believed that the Muslims over there are evil and it would be the “Will of God” to remove them from the area.
                  i. When Jesus Christ summons you to his...