• NielsBohron@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Fair enough. I guess I should say that the group calling for the “reclamation” of the Middle East for Christianity was not the indigenous people. The Romans were a colonial power in the Middle East, so saying that a Roman Pope could call for a reclamation is like Great Britain trying to reclaim India.

    While I may have gone too far in saying Christianity has not taken root in the Middle East, I stand by my central thesis that the Crusades were wars of aggression.

    • PugJesus@lemmy.worldM
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      5 months ago

      The Romans were a colonial power in the Middle East, so saying that a Roman Pope could call for a reclamation is like Great Britain trying to reclaim India.

      I mean, if we’re going that route, the Turco-Persian Muslims occupying the Levant at the time were a colonial power there too, and the Levant only came under Muslim control in the first place because it was quite literally conquered by non-native inland Arab tribes from a Byzantine-Christian majority in the 7th century.

      While I may have gone too far in saying Christianity has not taken you in the Middle East, I stand by my central thesis that the Crusades were wars of aggression.

      Agreed there.

      • Iceblade@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        History is mostly a great play of conquering powers deciding who gets to tax the starving masses.