Crusade Myths - 1 views

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  #1 Gary Patton on 13 Jan 13

   

  As with any investigation into history, we run the risk of oversimplifying the issues involved or looking at the events from one side only, either seeing only the good actions or only the bad actions. The crusades are no different. My attempt here is not to dismiss any of the wrongs committed by crusades and only look at what could be called the good. I instead intend to look at both sides equitably.
  
  Words have meaning and some words have emotional baggage that gives them more persuasion power when used. Misconceptions about the crusades have given this word the emotional baggage that is often used as a coercive rhetorical device for anti-Christian arguments.
  
  There is a subtle and underlining claim with all of the mythical statements against the Crusades that implies that Christianity is falsified somehow. "Christianity obviously can't be true because of all the violence it causes," is the unspoken claim. In this context, no rational argument is needed by apologists for Islam. They simply need to remind their listeners, including many beguiled Christians, of the terrible Christian crusades and that should be the end of the argument.
  
  However, a word with emotional baggage and an implied refutation is not rational discourse. It simply is coercive and empty rhetoric designed to confuse rather than inform.
  
  GaryFPatton (gfp 2013-01-12)

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">As with any investigation into history, we run the risk of oversimplifying the issues involved or looking at the events from one side only, either seeing only the good actions or only the bad actions. The crusades are no different. My attempt here is not to dismiss any of the wrongs committed by crusades and only look at what could be called the good. I instead intend to look at both sides equitably. <br /> <br /> Words have meaning and some words have emotional baggage that gives them more persuasion power when used. Misconceptions about the crusades have given this word the emotional baggage that is often used as a coercive rhetorical device for anti-Christian arguments. <br /> <br /> There is a subtle and underlining claim with all of the mythical statements against the Crusades that implies that Christianity is falsified somehow. "Christianity obviously can't be true because of all the violence it causes," is the unspoken claim. In this context, no rational argument is needed by apologists for Islam. They simply need to remind their listeners, including many beguiled Christians, of the terrible Christian crusades and that should be the end of the argument. <br /> <br /> However, a word with emotional baggage and an implied refutation is not rational discourse. It simply is coercive and empty rhetoric designed to confuse rather than inform. <br /> <br /> GaryFPatton (gfp 2013-01-12)</div>

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