Now, about those Crusades . . .

Regular readers will be aware of my fascination with history, not, I hasten to add, that I am in any way an expert on the subject but I simply cannot resist the temptation from time to time to dip into it here or there.  That is a bit like going to the seaside and dipping your toe in the Atlantic because you have an interest in oceanography!

Anyway, today I am reminded of yet another gaping hole in my historical knowledge which is the history of the Crusades.  Of all places to be reminded of that obscurity I did not expect it from The American Thinker which tends to be bang up to date and contemporary which it was in the first article I read by Mr. Rick Moran on the subject of the oldest catholic private school in America, the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts.  This no doubt very fine establishment has as its mascot the figure of a crusader Knight.  However, the total PC drips who run it have decided to banish the poor old Knight because, you see, diddums, those naughty Knights did horrid things to Muslims and to Jews and probably to anyone else whom they didn't like the look of!

Unusually, this essay provoked a response from the Deputy Editor, Mr. Drew Belsky, who in a footnote pointed us to an article he had written back in 2015 which, whilst it admits that there was more than enough murder and misery produced by both sides there was a (sort of?) defence for the Christian, or to be precise, the Catholic, Crusades. In my ignorance, what can I do except to wave my white flag of neutrality and promise to try and find a sound history on this obscure subject.

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

These "PC drips" are proving to be a cancer in Western culture. They will have to be stopped and stopped hard. Universities are being eaten alive from within by this cancer. Erasing or altering history makes it so easy to repeat it like it never happened. The Crusades were what they were---war.

It is a waste of time to defend or condemn what happened way back then. The war against the West by the PC totalitarians is the war at hand and the only one that matters. The Crusader Knight should be kept and defended. The Knight himself were he to be alive somehow would do that very thing.

[backofanenvelope]

The crusades were a defensive reaction to Muslim aggression . I tried to explain this to one of my grandchildren but it was a waste of time.

[Bob]

One would think The Reverend Philip Boroughs, who is a long-active Catholic, would be better placed to represent his school's public relations than Mr. Moran. The real problem is probably that Holy Cross is a Jesuit institution. There has been much right wing weeping and gnashing of teeth since the election of Pope Francis:

https://spectator.org/the-liberal-jesuit-captivity-of-the-papacy/

Incidentally, while skimming the sea of tears and enamel dust a tabloid article popped up that was actually interesting:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/5-jesuits-article-1.2371628

[David Duff]

Problem for me, Whiters, is that I simply don't know enough about the subject to comment usefully on it, er, except, of course, that Richard the Lionheart was a spiffing English gent of the first order!

BOE, put him on a charge!

Bob, I would suggest that any catholic, Jesuit or not, would weep at the sight and sound of Pope Francis who is, obviously, a total plonker!

[Whitewall]

David you are spot on about Olde Richard! There are two subjects at hand here, the PC madness that looks to remove a harmless mascot for devious reasons, and then the diversion from the main issue with blather about the current Clown Pope...who is a dual religion icon.

[Bob]

David, Do you reserve "plonker" for the pontiff or just think that generally some holy persons are only partial plonkers?

[David Duff]

As a 'confirmed' agnostic, Bob, I consider most "holy persons" to be "partial plonkers" but my impression is that Pope Francis has risen to the highest level of total 'plonkerdom'!

[Richard]

David,
I think that the perspective seek is can be found in this short video by Dr Bill Warner. All/any comment will be read with great interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_To-cV94Bo

[Richard]

Typo... perspective you seek

[mike fowle]

Richard, very interesting film. I am inclined to accept it. Thanks for posting.

[David Duff]

Thanks for that, Richard, it re-enforces my embarrassing ignorance!

[JK]

https://www.amazon.com/Templars-Rise-Spectacular-Fall-Warriors/dp/0525428305

There ye be David - probably available on Kindle.

[JK]

And here's the first of three podcasts which;

https://audioboom.com/posts/6411783-the-templars-the-rise-and-spectacular-fall-of-god-s-holy-warriors-by-dan-jones-part-1-of-3

Should that whet your appetite all you need do is advise and I'll supply parts two and three.

[Whitewall]

JK, I watched a show about this same subject being the power and fall of the Temple Knights. It was quite well done. I think it was PBS or maybe the History channel-who managed to steer themselves away from Hitler- to do the show. The final impression left for the viewers concerns the country named "Portugal"...was it in olden times Port-u-Grail?

[Backofanenvelope]

About 15 miles east of me is the hamlet of Temple.

[JK]

West of BOE near as I can tell Whitewall.

My arithmetical ability - and conversions being as they is, I'd guess about 15 miles. Give or take.

"Dead-reckoning" you understand - I could maybe do better but I can't see English crows flying, as is their wont - from here in my Arkansas backyard.

I'd advise as, the Royal Navy has pitched up off the Outer Banks that, maybe ten or twenty miles nautical either latitudenly or, less likely longitudenly might ought be figured for.

You do surely remember Whitewall the English managed to lose wherever it was they'd planted the flag Roanoke occupied?