Christianity and Islam Crusades during Middle Ages
HIS 276
5/29/2012

Christianity and Islam - the Crusades of Middle Ages
Christian military and religious expeditions fought against rivalries, mainly Islam, were known as crusades. These Crusades were commonly known as the feuds between Christians and Muslims; better related as holy warriors (Ferguson, 1977). The Crusades were primarily responsible for the actions of feudalism. Both religions became Islam mass murders as a result of religion. The problems began when Muslim invaded lands that belong to Christians. Their intentions were to convert those living on the land and take control in the name of their religion, Islam. Christians resented the fact that Muslims were ruling their Holy land and decided to begin military forces to regain their territory (1977).
Pilgrimage was the greatest reason for crusading. In the view of Christianity, anyone who traveled to Jerusalem, regardless of the distance, would receive a clean slate- wiping away all sins. This was the ultimate gift for the Christian society. The quest originally started as a military venture and quickly evolved into a religious tug of war. Some Christians even claimed to have actually seen visions of God. Crusades date back as far as 711, with many battles throughout history (Halazs, 2008). The most memorable was the crusade of 1071 when Turks gained the Asian Empire and planned an attack on the Roman Empire. At this time the Turks (representing Islam) had full control over Jerusalem- the Christians Holy City (2008). This event led Western European Churches to defend fellow Christians of the Eastern European Churches. This particular action established unity among Western and Eastern churches, defeating Muslims and ending their plague of threats throughout the East (2008). Defeating the Muslims meant their religious beliefs-Schism,