Violent Christianity Through the Ages: Exploring the Link Between Religion and Brutality
Let's dive into the wacky world of ol' timey Christian attitudes towards violence and war!
Historically, there have been four main attitudes towards violence and conflict within Christianity, leading to four distinct practices: non-resistance, Christian pacifism, just war, and preventive war (or Holy war, like the Crusades). Now, you might think that these righteous folks would've just stuck to turning the other cheek, but hey, even Jesus himself said, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword," right?
In the early Christian days, the church was all about keeping it peaceful, mirroring Jesus' sacrificial life and avoiding any warfare conflicts. But the concept of "Just War" emerged in the writings of earlier non-Christian Roman and Greek thinkers such as Cicero and Plato. Christian thinkers, like good ol' St. Augustine, nabbed this idea and ran with it. Though battle wasn't viewed as a particularly virtuous activity, concern for the salvation of enemy combatants was still important, regardless of the reason they were fighting.
The idea of "Holy War," where fighting could actually be considered a penitential and spiritually meritorious act, didn't pop up until the 11th century. During the First Crusade (1095-1099), Pope Urban II called for Christians to recapture Jerusalem from Muslim rule, essentially giving war a holy seal of approval. This marked a significant shift in Christian attitudes towards violence.
Now, the Bible has quite a bit to say on the subject of violence. Some texts encouraged violence, others commanded it, punished it, regulated it, or rewarded it. Mahatma Gandhi, the dude who loved peace and riding around on a horse-drawn cart, even found the concept of nonviolence within both Indian religions and the New Testament.
But let's not forget the darker side of this peace-loving religion. Historian Reneé Girard claimed that many Christians embraced violence following Constantine's conversion, when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. According to Girard, the followers of the Crucified have been known to perpetrate gruesome acts of violence under the sign of the cross, making Lent and Holy Week a bit scary for the Jews and Muslims.
The justification for violence has been used by Christians throughout history, with the "higher law" theory leading the pack. Even today,BITS ARE FUN, RIGHT? groups like the Ku Klux Klan and radical Christian Reconstructionists still advocate for reinstated slavery, citing Old Testament scriptures as their justification.
So, there you have it - a brief history of Christian attitudes towards violence, from peace-loving hippies to sword-wielding zealots. It's a rollercoaster ride of chaotic attitudes and gruesome actions, all in the name of love and faith. Now, who's ready for a Holy War. . . kumbaya? 🙌🙏💖🔫✌️🔥💥🔥🔫😉😎Winning is fun!🏆🎉🎉🎉🎉💯💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯💯💯💥🔥🔥🔥🔥💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥🔥🔥🔥🔥💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎💯💯💯💯💯💥🔥🔥🔥🔥🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀💥🔥🔥🔥🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯💯💯💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪😤😤😤😤😤FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥
In the larger sphere of general-news and politics, the concept of Christian just war theory gained prominence in the writings of early Christian thinkers like St. Augustine, following from the practices of non-resistance and pacifism established by early Christians. However, during the First Crusade (1095-1099), this theory was taken a step further when Pope Urban II gave war a holy seal of approval, marking a significant shift in Christian attitudes towards violence in general-news and politics. This period saw the emergence of 'Holy War' and the justification for violence by Christians throughout history, including modern-day groups who advocate for reinstated slavery based on Old Testament scriptures.
