The questionable conduct of Christendom
As the Middle Ages progressed, the church's stand against vernacular Bibles hardened. In 1199 Pope Innocent III wrote such a strong letter to the military efforts against the Muslims in the Middle East.
These came to be called "Holy" Crusades, but there was nothing holy about them. The first termed the "people's Crusade" set the tone for what was to come. Before leaving Europe, an unruly army, inflamed by preachers, turned on the Jews in Germany, slaughtering them in one town after another. Why?
Historian Hans Eberhard Mayer says: "The argument that the Jews, as the enemies of christ, deserved to be punished was merely a feeble attempt to conceal the real motive: greed.
The Protestant rebellion in the 16th century dislodged Roman Catholicism from power in many European lands. One result was the 30 years war (1618-48) "one of the most terrible wars in European history", according to The Universal History of the World.
The basic cause?
"The hatred of Catholic for Protestant, of Protestant for Catholic".
By this time , Christendom had begun to expand beyond Europe , carrying "Christian" civilization into other parts of the earth. This military expansion was marked by cruelty and greed. In the Americas, the Spanish conquistadors quickly destroyed the indigenous American civilizations. In general, Spanish governors destroyed the native civilization, without introducing the European. The thirst for gold was the principal motive that drew them to the New World.
Protestant missionaries also went out from Europe to other continents. One of the results of their work was the promotion of colonial expansion. In many instances missionary enterprise has been used as a justification and a cover for the domination of people.
The close association between Christendom's religions and the state has continued down to our day. The last two world wars were fought primarily between "christian" nations. Clergymen on both sides encouraged their young men to fight and try to kill the enemy who often belonged to the same religion.