[The_Expatriate]

As a medieval studies graduate myself, I am always pleased to see attention given to a much misunderstood age. Unfortunately, this article is clearly written with an agenda in mind and the author has done some very selective omitting here of any number of important background factors as well as painted an exaggerated view of the piety and religious motivations of the Crusaders.

The ancient faith of Christianity, with its respect for women and antipathy toward slavery,

I suppose it's considered good form to end an article with a punchline, but he could at least had the sense to stick to facts...both the Bible and history prove this assertion false.

[Dumb_Ox]

I suppose it's considered good form to end an article with a punchline, but he could at least had the sense to stick to facts...both the Bible and history prove this assertion false.

In what sense? When compared with Greco-Roman and Islamic attitudes towards women, and 18th-century American (and Islamic) attitudes towards slavery, Christianity's hardly dead-last.

[Deb]

BS

Where do you contend the concept of "Equal in the sight of God" came from, Mad magazine? The Christian nations abolished slavery and embraced equality before any others because of the Bible.

[SuziQ]

The ancient faith of Christianity, with its respect for women and antipathy toward slavery,

Under what OTHER religious teachings would women and slaves been better treated? Islam? Zoroastrianism? Druidism? One of the reasons women could inherit property and slaves were required to be treated well (and NOT separated from their families) in Louisiana was because it operated under the Napoleanic Code which was encouraged by the Catholic Church. Other states in the South didn't have these requirements precisely because they were not Catholic.

If it were not for the stressing of individual liberty and responsibility which comes from Christianity, this country would not be what it is today; and is a major reason why there are really NO OTHERS like ours anywhere! We were an experiment which has proven to be successful; a wonderful blend of religiosity and secularism.

[LarryLied]

As a medieval studies graduate myself..

Good. I've been looking for one. What is your opinion, and that of other scholars, of the 1908 edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia?.

I'm not Catholic but, since first finding it a few months ago on the net, have enjoyed it immensely. It is very even handed and gives a good history of Unitarianism (my faith) but I wonder how other subjects fare.

[Antoninus]

Unfortunately, this article is clearly written with an agenda in mind and the author has done some very selective omitting here of any number of important background factors as well as painted an exaggerated view of the piety and religious motivations of the Crusaders.

As opposed to the selective omitting that "mainstream" scholars "without" an agenda commonly do ... denigrating the religious motivations of the Crusaders and assuming that Freudian or Marxist interpretations of why they did what they did are the only possible ones. No, I think this article is just about right on.

[electron1]

I suppose it's considered good form to end an article with a punchline, but he could at least had the sense to stick to facts...both the Bible and history prove this assertion false.

Have you seen this article, its by a (Catholic) female Professor at Harvard. It explains how the Church did, compared to every other religion/entity, champion the rights of women.

As for slavery, the Catholic Church was already excommunicating anybody involved in the slave trade by the 17th century(whether people obeyed is a different story). Long before Protestants took a hold of the idea and fought against slavery here in the states.

[mo]

"....its respect for women and antipathy toward slavery"


Relative to Islam in this regard, the West and Christianity were paragons of virtue....