The first part of this comment, “More people were killed during the crusades than any war...”, is patently false. While estimates vary, the general consensus is that there were between one and five million deaths resulting from the Crusades. These numbers are dwarfed by twentieth century casualties of war. Approximately 10 million people died as a result of World War I.1 That number rose to between 40 million and 50 million for World War II.2 The Crusades, while brutal, barely begin to measure up to the massive death toll of twentieth century wars.
I think it's safe to say, however, that the point of this comment was not simply to compare casualty numbers. A cursory glance at the historical data can resolve that question. Most likely, the point is an echo of the claim made far too often these days that Christian ideology is the cause of more deaths in history than anything else. The Crusades along with religiously motivated killings such as the Inquisitions are often cited as examples defending this argument. Again, if we consult history, we find a much different story.
It's no secret that the Nazis, under the rule of Adolf Hitler, put approximately six million Jews to death during their reign. In addition to this number, nearly two million non-Jewish Poles and over three million Soviet POWs were executed.3, 4 This puts the murder count of the Third Reich at over eleven million innocent people. Of course, many critics of religion are quick to point out that Hitler was raised as a Catholic. Yet, this methodical extermination of all non “Aryans” was not based on a Catholic worldview. According to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Holocaust Encyclopedia:
In formulating their ideology of race, Hitler and the Nazis drew upon the ideas of the German social Darwinists of the late 19th century...The Nazis also adopted the social Darwinist take on Darwinian evolutionary theory regarding the “survival of the fittest...Since each “race” sought to expand, and since the space on the earth was finite, the struggle for survival resulted “naturally” in violent conquest and military confrontation.5
Hence, it was an evolutionary worldview, not a Christian worldview, which drove these heinous acts.
Additionally, consider the actions of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and Chinese ruler Mao Zedong. In an act designed to dissuade a rebellion, Stalin deliberately confiscated food resulting in the starvation of up to 10 million Ukrainians.6 Mao was responsible for the largest famine in history, causing the deaths of between 16.5 million and 40 million people.7 Yet, both of these dictators operated under naturalist worldviews, denying the existence of God.
The historical record plainly displays that Nazist and communist worldviews are responsible for the deaths of at least 40 million people in the twentieth century alone. Any critic of religion would be hard pressed to find comparable numbers in killings in history associated with Christianity. Therefore, it is not belief in God, but lack thereof that drove the largest deliberate non-war exterminations of human beings.
Nevertheless, suppose the claims were true. Let's imagine for a moment that we could conclusively show that “Christian wars”, or wars fought over competing religious ideologies which involved Christianity, caused more deaths than any other ideology in history. The quote at the outset would seem to indicate that this makes God responsible for these travesties. That historical atrocities were perpetuated in the name of God somehow makes him culpable. I don't know about you, but I hope to never find myself in this position.
Imagine there was a serial killer running around murdering people and claiming that you told them to do so. Perhaps the police would investigate these accusations. Once it was established that you are against such things and all evidence of your relation to these crimes was found lacking, you would hope to be absolved of such accusations. Indeed, your reputation should not be smeared because of someone who wrongfully applied your name to their crimes. Such is the case with God. Even if Christian wars and killings accounted for the most lives lost in history, it would not be sufficient cause to blame God.
This sheds light on the larger issue that when things go wrong, we are quick to blame God. When we get sick, lose a loved one, or lose our car keys, many of us immediately ask, “Why did God do this to me?” Yet, the biblical account offers the ultimate answer to nearly all of these questions. The answer is that God didn't do this to us. We did it to ourselves. Human beings brought sin upon themselves, which is the direct cause of most of the problems they live with. While we might complain that God has not given us this or that, we would do well to remember what God has given us. He has paid for our sins with his own blood (Acts 20:28), and all we have to do to claim this gift is accept it and put our trust in him. Instead of deserving our blame, he deserves our thanks and praise.
Notes:
1. "World War 1" World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. American River College. 29 November 2010
2. "World War II." Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010
3. “Mosaic of Victims: Overview.” Holocaust Encyclopedia. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1 Apr. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.
4. “Nazi Persecution of Soviet Prisoners of War.” Holocaust Encyclopedia. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1 Apr. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.
5. “Victims of the Nazi Era: Nazi Racial Ideology.” Holocaust Encyclopedia. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1 Apr. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.
6. Sheeter, Laura. “Ukraine Remembers Famine Horror.” BBC News. BBC News, 24 Nov. 2007. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.
7. Harms, William. “China's Great Leap Forward.” The University of Chicago Chronicle. 14 Mar. 1996. The University of Chicago. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.
