| In
The Firing Line: |
The
Blood of Christ
The Catholic Church’s history of murder,
intolerance and hate |
| By
Dr. A. ANDERSON MORRIS |
‘The voice of the majority is no proof of justice.’
- Friedrich Schiller 1759 – 1805 (German Poet, Philosopher,
Historian, Dramatist) |
CHRISTIANITY is a monotheistic religion centred on Jesus of Nazareth,
known by Christians as Jesus Christ and the New Testament accounts
for his life, teachings and actions.
With an estimated 2.1 billion adherents, Christianity is the world’s
largest religion. Its origins are intertwined with Judaism, with
which it shares much sacred text and early history; specifically,
it shares the Hebrew Bible, known as the Old Testament. Christianity
is considered an Abrahamic religion, along with Judaism and Islam.
Although Christianity in and of itself is profoundly directed
towards peace, brotherhood and salvation, its historical record
on a number of issues provides ample source for an understanding
of the folly of man.
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The
Camp Commanders.
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Many an evil act has been propagated in the name of Christianity.
Justice Ameer Ali (1849 - 1928) writes about Christianity:
“It found slavery a recognised institution of the empire;
it adopted the system without any endeavour to mitigate its baneful
character, or promise its gradual abolition, or to improve the status
of slaves.
“Under the civil law, slaves were mere chattels.
“They remained so under the Christian domination.
“Slavery had flourished among the Romans from the earliest
times.
“The slaves whether of native or foreign birth, whether acquired
by war or purchase, were regarded simply as chattels.
“Their masters possessed the power of life and death over
them. Christianity had failed utterly in abolishing slavery or alleviating
its evil.”
This double standard or item of interpretation was not exclusive
to the issue of slavery with respect to Christianity.
This article is not an attempt to discredit the religion, but to
point out atrocities that were perpetrated in the name of God --
as was put “In the Name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”.
As soon as Christianity was made legal in 315, more and more pagan
temples were destroyed by one Christian mob or the other.
Examples will show that in the name of Christ, man had very little
appetite for tolerance, brotherly love or understanding of things
different.
The world-famous female philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was torn
to pieces with glass fragments whilst in a church by a Christian
mob led by a Christian Minister in 415.
In 782 Emperor Karl (Charlemagne) had 4500 Saxons who were unwilling
to convert to Christianity beheaded -- an action taken in the name
of Christ.
Five thousand to 11,000 peasants were slaughtered on May 27, 1234
in Steding (Germany) simply because they were unwilling to pay church
taxes. John Huss, a critic of Papal infallibility and indulgences
was burnt at the stake in 1415.
University Professor B. Hubmaier was burnt at the stake in Vienna
(1538) and Giordano Bruno, a Dominican Monk, after having been incarcerated
for seven years was burnt at the stake for heresy on February 17,
1600 in Campo dei Fiori (Rome).
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About 20,000 Huguenots were killed in
1572 France on the command of Pope Pius V.
In all the aforementioned instances, the individuals were
murdered for having a different belief in religion and in
life.
In the 17th Century, Catholics sacked the city of Magdeburg
(Germany) killing 30,000 protestants.
“In a single church, 50 women were found beheaded”
reported poet Friedrich Schiller, “and infants still
sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers.”
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The
Notorious Jasenovac Camp led by a Friar.
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Also in the 17th Century, Catholics killed Gaspard de Coligny, a
Protestant leader.
After murdering him, the Catholic mob mutilated his body, “cutting
off his head, his hands, his genitals and then dumped him into the
river … but, then, deciding that it was not worthy of being
food for the fish, they hauled him out again … and dragged
what was left … to the gallows of Montfaulcon, ‘to be
meat and carrion for maggots and crows’.”
Christianity was also used to propagate hate against the Jews. In
the Fourth and Fifth Centuries, synagogues were burnt by Christians
with an unknown number of Jews slain.
The first synagogue to be burnt was near the river Euphrat on the
command of the Bishop of Kallinikon in 388.
In essence, Jews were slain across Europe on the command of the
church for centuries.
There is little wonder that hate for the Jews resonated in the hearts
of many during the reign of Hitler.
The Spaniards found pleasure in performing all kinds of odd cruelties
on the natives of the New World.
They built a long gibbet (a structure used for execution by hanging),
long enough for the toes to touch the ground to prevent strangulation
and hanged 13 natives at a time in “honour of Christ Our Lord
and Saviour and the 12 Apostles.”
Then, straw was wrapped around their torn bodies and they were burnt
alive.
A total of more than 150 million natives were destroyed in the New
World between the period 1500 and 1900.
Two-thirds met their deaths because of small pox and some 50 million
by direct violence.
This is what Christianity did to the New World!
Surprisingly, few know that Nazi extermination camps during World
War II were by no means the only ones in Europe.
In the years 1941 to 1945, there existed numerous extermination
camps in Croatia run by Catholic Ustasha under their dictators Ante
Pavelic, a practising Catholic and regular visitor to the then Pope.
There were even concentration camps exclusively for children.
In the camps -- the most notorious was Jasenovac, was headed by
a Franciscan Friar.
Orthodox Christians Serbains and quite a substantial number of Jews
(500,000 - 700,000) were murdered at these camps.
The original intent of Christianity was to evangelise the world.
However, man has taken this crusade to include as acceptable murder,
intolerance and hate.
The past has shown us that many have used Christianity to discriminate
against Arabs, Jews and Blacks and today, we see the same hate targeted
at other groups in society.
I am a Christian and I believe that my God is a loving God; all
his children created equally and in his image. Unfortunately, there
are those who profess his glory yet indulge in activities that are
not Christian like.
The point being -- never follow anything blindly.
Ask questions, find the answers if one is to truly understand his/her
purpose. |
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