What was the whole point of the crusades?

What was the whole point of the crusades?
Who started it?
Why did it start?

Some Catholic white guys decided they needed to reconquer Jerusalem, because they felt that it shouldn't be in Muslim hands.

You might even say that it started the whole 'holy war' issue that persists to this day...of course, I'm giving a very broad interpretation of history here. It's a long story, and the best thing to do is pick up a book & read about it.

There are lots of theories as to why, wherefore, etc...but, it boils down to 'my religion is better than their religion, so I'm justified in my violence, slaughter, invasion, and degredation'. You could even view the US presence in Iraq as a sort of twisted parallel to the crusades...some Christian white guy thinks he's doing world a favor invading, slaughtering, and murdering another people with a different religion.

Eddie Izzard did a great piece of standup comedy on the Crusades:

Christian Soldier: 'I kill you! I kill you in the name of Jesus!'

Muslim Soldier: 'NO! Jesus is a prophet in our faith, I kill YOU in the name of Jesus!'

Christian Soldier: '...he is? I didn't know that. Okay... then I'll kill you for your dark skin, because Jesus was a white man from Oxford!'

Muslim Soldier: 'No he wasn't! He's from Judea, a darker skinned man such as we!'

Christian Soldier: '...really? *sigh* ...look... we came ALL this way to get here. Would you mind terribly if we just... hack you to pieces?

thedude... I do not believe that is fair ... what you just said... this war is not about that at all... Bush is not trying to destroy anything that pertains to the people of Iraq.. he is trying to stop tyranny... and establish a place of peace, where the people have a say, in the government, just as we do here, not to mention the 911 situation, of which, he does not want to happen again, nor does he wish to see a madman, exerting his power over innocent people, and then when you add our need for oil from the middle east... I surely would not want his job... The world is a very volitile place indeed, a powder keg, ready to explode... Do you believe that you could keep it under control, so that our nation could continue to receive what it needs from over seas, as well as to sell our products over there, and have some kind of semblance of peace, yet, without allowing them to control us ??? I pity our president.. whoever they may be... the job can't be easy... and there is no way to please everyone... so there is always friction... I personally would want nothing to do with it, but, I refuse to not support our government. When people bash persons in power, it makes everyone feel bad. There is much being said that tears down national loyalty, and I think that is wrong. Maybe I am from the old school, but, I support our leader. United we Stand, Divided we Fall... and we are a very divided America. I truly fear for our future.

Silverwings, this current war and the Crusades are two COMPLETELY different things.

The Crusades had a point???

Underwater...

This statement was made in the above post, and I felt it needed to be addressed...

You could even view the US presence in Iraq as a sort of twisted parallel to the crusades...some Christian white guy thinks he's doing world a favor invading, slaughtering, and murdering another people with a different religion.