Isn't it a stretch to rationalize current Muslim violent tendencies on Christian atrocities of 600 years ago

Yes and no. The atrocities of Hitler SHOULD not be included - not because Hitler a wasn't a Christian (he was), but because his acts were not done with the blessings of the Church.

There is an excellent book called "1000 Years for Revenge" by Peter Lance which delves into this very subject.

One thing we need to remember is that we are not at war with Islam, nor are they at war with Christianity. Every religion has lunatics who pervert their gospel of choice to advance their own agenda. Many in the Muslim faith have condemned the atrocities committed by the radicals in their ranks, just as many good Christians have condemned those committed by people calling themselves Christians.

It is our current policy in the Middle East that is the cause of their resentment toward America, not the actions of Christians 600 years ago. If they were truly interested in attacking Christians and not just Americans, why did they choose the WTC and Pentagon? If it were an attack on Christianity, why not the Vatican or Crystal Cathedral? They attacked our financial and military hubs for a reason - our economic support of tyrannical regimes and our military intervention in Islamic nations.

I am NOT saying that their attacks are justified, just attempting to clarify the reasoning behind them.

One final point - you mention "their God" several times. "Their God" is "our God". Christians and Muslims both believe in the God of Abraham. The difference is the prophet Mohammad.

Actually the Christian brutality didnt improve until the late 1800's. But no it doesn't justify it. Just reminds them. @ JoeP222, The christian religion began approx 2000 years ago. Once you go back all the way and follow it to the years when Christians began to move AWAY from radical christian thinking, customs, ect...It happened all over Europe, here in the US. Back in those times it was acceptable to kill for GOD...just as the radical muslims today are doing. This Christian mass slaughter continued on into the late 1800's roughly. Are you denying what happened to the natives here during that time? Yes, they wanted the land but they used christian beliefs to help reinforce it. The wonderful delights the Christians have brought to Native Americans right here in the United States. Christians slaughtered them as well. Forced them to convert to your religion, they took the children away from the parents and placed them into boarding schools, abused the children. They tried to completely destroy an entire culture and make it disappear.Yes, you come with the same excuse as many do...well, they werent christian. sorry dude, they were all christian, the mass majority condoned all of this because that was how Christians thought up until the late 1800's. Just like the radical muslims do today. they are still living as if its1000 years ago VS Christians have since moved their beliefs into MODERN thoughts/practices since the late 1800's. You really need to sit down with your reverend or pastor and have him explain to you how brutal our religion was from the years of the old testament to the late 1800's. Get a BOOK on Christian history, all the good and bad included. look up both. First book you should read is the OLD TESTAMENT.

No,I understand the point you're trying to make and I argue it is not a stretch.The point people are trying to make with that usually is that any religion can be,was and is be abused by fanatics not that Christianity is somehow evil.

Furthermore you are wrong that the last violence committed in the name of Christ was that long ago

"I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our Almighty Creator. By fighting the Jews, I am doing the Lord's work."

— Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

"The National Government will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life."

— Adolf Hitler, Berlin, 1933, first radio address after coming to power

"I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so."

— Adolf Hitler, to Gen. Gerhard Engel, 1941

The Nazi's had God with us on their belts and they weren't talking about Allah so you are wrong there.

"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."

— Ann Coulter, conservative author

"[Since 9/11] I am often asked if I still think we should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity. The answer is: Now more than ever!"

— Ann Coulter

"God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours.'"

— Ann Coulter, on Hannity & Colmes, 6/20/01

Then there is Ruanda

“Human rights groups have documented several incidents in which Christian clerics allowed Tutsis to seek refuge in churches, then surrendered them to Hutu death squads, as well as instances of Hutu priests and ministers encouraging their congregations to kill Tutsis. Today some churches serve as memorials to the many people slaughtered among their pews,” said the paper.

Four clergymen are facing genocide charges at the U.N.-created International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and last year in Belgium, the former colonial power, two Rwandan nuns were convicted of murder for their roles in the massacre of 7,000 Tutsis who sought protection at a Benedictine convent, it added.

During the genocide, many Muslim leaders and families are being honored for protecting and hiding those who were fleeing, reported the Post.

“I know people in America think Muslims are terrorists, but for Rwandans they were our freedom fighters during the genocide,” said Jean Pierre Sagahutu, 37, a Tutsi who converted to Islam from Catholicism after his father and nine other members of his family were slaughtered, the paper reported.

The point that we try to make is not that Christianity is evil but that it is wrong to generalize all Muslims or demonize their whole religion for the actions of the extremists even if those extremists are in the majority now.Point is they were in christianity too at some points and that doesn't make Christianity evil,only those people who commited those atrocities

It's like us having to try to rationalize why the Catholic Church exterminated all the Cathar Christians, and even tried to wipe out totally the Knights of the Templars who had actually served them in the Crusades! Religious Wars are bad when radically influential and powerfully persuasive leaders are evil!

It is all part and parcel of the Liberal deconstruction of this nation. This country was built in some part on Christian faith, so in turn Christians are the biggest enemy of the leftist because they represent our shared history. They glorify the nomadic wanderers who lived on this land before us and vilify our ancestors for Manifest Destiny. They are teaching our children at young ages that America is a country of evil that committed genocide against the Indian (for lack of a better non-PC word), built on the backs of African slaves and took land away from the rightful Mexican owners. They are rewriting our shared history and at every corner assimilating us into the new Mexican culture by teaching our kids Spanish instead of teaching the Mexicans English, F&*# Dora the Explorer. Liberals have actually embraced Islam as a "religion of peace" and crucify Christians for acts on barbarism centuries ago. The Qu'ran is the only religious instruction manual that says go out and kill those that don't believe in the name of your god. Its in there but Liberals say it is mistranslated, its a frickin joke.

I'm not a Christian, I don't believe in any man made gods, but Christianity is part of our heritage and our heritage is exactly what the leftist is trying, pretty successfully, to destroy.

Actually.. when Muslims whine about the crusades I just have to laugh. Because the crusades were started in RESPONSE to the Islamic invasion of the Byzantine empire.

Not to mention.. the crusades took place after the Islamic invasion of Spain.

But it's a fine example of the Islamic worldview.. they believe they have a divine mandate to attack anybody they want, and anybody that responds to their attacks is oppressing them.

what about the almost constant interference of the west in the middle east since world war two? thats hardly a stretch, thats not even 100 years ago. and it has almost nothing to do with religion and everything to do with politics and economics.

The world would be a much better place if everyone would grow up and not let religious leaders brainwash them into killing each other in the name of any religion.

Stretched WAY passed the breaking point. Muslims have murdered more "infidels" in the last year than Christians have in the last 400 yrs.

Are you forgetting the puppet presidents, and corrupt kings that rule over the Muslim world with our support?