“In the name of God”

I’ve very often heard people mention the many tragic incidents done by people in Christian history, even with the blessings of priests and popes, and then God seem to be the one to blame. Both the inquisition, witch burning, crusades, wars between Catholics and Protestants, happened with people believed to be doing Gods will, therefore “in the name of God”. In my own country, Christened around 1000-1200 AD, is still said to have been spread by blood. Those with knowledge of history however, know that the Christening of Norway happened as a result of a politics between two men who both wanted to rule. Also there’s none that realize the irony they’re missing when blaming Christianity for violence, after what was done by our forefather in the Viking Age.

Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, sentenced to death by being burned alive stake in 1314, after accusations , extracted under torture, of things from devil worship, sodomy, spitting at the cross etc.

And there’s none that think about the simple words of Jesus of Nazareth, about loving, praying for and forgiving your enemy, turning the other cheek etc. and ask themselves if these really were the basic principles of what has been done by people, by purpose or ignorance, things that are against the teachings of Jesus. Although I can’t remember anyone using the words “It was done in the name of Jesus”.

Most of the time in the West though, it seem clearly to be about the God in Christianity people talk about when using the phrase. Wrongs that have been done in the name of God or in the name of Christianity, not as in having been done some horrible blasphemy, but as if it something related to Christianity.

Example of an American Christian hate group, that behave disgusting in public, with most elders being lawyers, using their right for freedom of speech for offensive public to the uttermost of the law, and believe that what they are doing are in “The Name of God”.

But did Jesus talk about war, swords and conflict as part of his teachings? Yes, he did.

It seem to be an agreement among Christian that spreading peace, not war is a good thing. But Jesus said that he didn’t come to spread peace, but the sword. (as has happened) This is however elaborated, and explained that because of this teaching would split families and friends would turn against each other. (also true, by experience)

In another example he talks to a soldier, not to condemn war, but rather to explain what to do best if you happen to be a soldier. As anyone knew, also Jesus understood that people had always be at war. A centurion was also told to have ha more faith then anyone in Judea.

And he said that there would come times where people thought they did God a service by killing Christians. As has happened.

So did an Apostle later in the bible. He explained that “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (As happened)

Jesus warned about other people that would come, pretending to be Jesus and false prophets, as has happened. Thousands have died because of this.

Much of the problem arrived with the Catholic Church and reading of the Old Testament. In the old testament there’s a lot of different forms of punishments for people breaking the law. However the bible teaches that all sins are forgivable, that faith in Christ, not ” The Law of Moses, as Jesus said”, is the basic of Christian salvation.

Also by reading it in Latin at church to the illiterate flock, didn’t help much either.

Execution of Mariana de Carabajal (converted Jew), Mexico City, 1601.

The Spanish Inquisition itself caused the death of around 150.000 people. The last pope, Benedict XVI, were the director of the “Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office”, the renaming of the inquisition in 1908. Punishment such as burning and drowning were thought of as “not shedding blood”, and not done by the priests that carried out the sentence, certainly convinced that they were doing God’s will by some perverted logic.

Then, and for sure not as the first with similar opinions, that the pope was in fact the Antichrist (the bible says he will sit on the throne of God and call Himself God). Martin Luther came along and told what was really written in the bible, helped by the movable type invented by Gutenberg that spread his texts faster then the Church could burn them. By the help of a Saxon prince that didn’t take part in the required unanimous vote and helped him escape after the trial, to a remote castle where he venomously continued his sarcastic and condemning remarks against the Catholic Church, such as “the pope should stand up like the stinking sinner he is” or “The pope should restrain himself and take his fingers out of the pie”, a unstoppable, earthly, witty and intelligent provocateur.

Here’s an Luther insulter, if you want a taste of his attacks.

But with forces history society beyond his control, and probably seeds of freedom that only needed water to sprout this would really “bring the sword” in the 100-years war, and by the “victory” of the reform in Western Europe in the end. Here too I’m sure both sides were praying to the same God to save them from their fellow Christians that wanted to kill instead of dying.

The notion that Jesus had atoned for all sins on the cross and that only by his grace could we gain salvation by faith in Him, is basic Christianity, clearly written, but at odds with the Catholic Church. Luther also wrote the bible in German, so people could understand the simple facts, and now nothing the church did was needed to save the souls of people. They could find the faith they needed by reading what the clergy said

This shaped the western civilization in a radical way, different from the older civilization of Orthodox Christianity in East-Europe and Russia, that would soon lag behind the new, progressive individualism and critical thinking of Protestant West-Europe and USA.
So I strongly disagree in both the wars and crimes of the last two millennia, as being “in the name of God”, and that Christianity have instead the laws and values our civilization is based on, that we cherish and protect, fought over by the blood of martyrs and young men forced to leave their home and go to war.