Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as Jesus Christ and the New Testament accounts for his life, teachings and actions. With an estimated 2.1 billion adherents, Christianity is the world’s largest religion. Its origins are intertwined with Judaism, with which it shares much sacred text and early history; specifically, it shares the Hebrew Bible, known as the Old Testament. Christianity is considered an Abrahamic religion, along with Judaism and Islam.

Although Christianity in and of itself is profoundly directed towards peace, brotherhood, and salvation, its historical record, on a number of issues provides ample source for an understanding of the folly of man. Many an evil act has been propagated in the name of Christianity.

Justice Ameer Ali [1849 – 1928] writes about Christianity: “It found slavery a recognised institution of the empire; it adopted the system without any endeavour to mitigate its baneful character, or promise its gradual abolition, or to improve the status of slaves. Under the civil law, slaves were mere chattels. They remained so under the Christian domination. Slavery had flourished among the Romans from the earliest times. The slaves whether of native or foreign birth, whether acquired by war or purchase, were regarded simply as chattels. Their masters possessed the power of life and death over them. Christianity had failed utterly in abolishing slavery or alleviating its evil.”

This double standard or item of interpretation was not exclusive to the issue of slavery with respect to Christianity. This article is not an attempt to discredit the religion, but to point out atrocities that were perpetrated in the name of God- as was put “In the Name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

As soon as Christianity was made legal in 315, more and more pagan temples were destroyed by one Christian mob or the other. Examples will show that in the name of Christ, man had very little appetite for tolerance, brotherly love or understanding of things different.

The world famous female philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was torn to pieces with glass fragments whilst in a church by a Christian mob led by a Christian Minister in 415. In 782 Emperor Karl [Charlemagne] had 4500 Saxons who were unwilling to convert to Christianity beheaded- an action taken in the name of Christ.

5 000 to 11 000 peasants were slaughtered on May 27, 1234 in Steding [Germany] simply because they were unwilling to pay church taxes. John Huss, a critic of Papal infallibility and indulgences was burnt at the stake in 1415. University Professor B Hubmaier was burnt at the stake in Vienna [1538] and Giordano Bruno, a Dominican Monk, after having been incarcerated for seven years was burnt at the stake for heresy on February 17, 1600 in Campo dei Fiori [Rome]. About 20 000 Huguenots were killed in 1572 France on the command of Pope Pius V. In all the aforementioned instances, the individuals were murdered for having a different belief in religion, and in life.

In the 17th century, Catholics sacked the city of Magdeburg [Germany] killing 30 000 protestants. “In a single church, fifty women were found beheaded” reported poet Friedrich Schiller, “and infants still sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers.” Also in the 17th century, Catholics killed Gaspard de Coligny, a Protestant leader. After murdering him, the Catholic mob mutilated his body, “cutting off his head, his hands, his genitals and then dumped him into the river… but, then, deciding that it was not worthy of being food for the fish, they hauled him out again… and dragged what was left…to the gallows of Montfaulcon, ‘to be meat and carrion for maggots and crows’.”

Christianity was also used to propagate hate against the Jews. In the 4th and 5th centuries, synagogues were burnt by Christians with an unknown number of Jews slain. The first synagogue to be burnt was near the river Euphrat on the command of the Bishop of Kallinikon in 388. In essence, Jews were slain across Europe on the command of the Church for centuries. There is little wonder that hate for the Jews resonated in the hearts of many during the reign of Hitler.

The Spaniards found pleasure in performing all kinds of odd cruelties on the natives of the New World. They built a long gibbet [a structure used for execution by hanging], long enough for the to

Justice Ameer Ali [1849 – 1928] writes about Christianity: “It found slavery a recognised institution of the empire; it adopted the system without any endeavour to mitigate its baneful character, or promise its gradual abolition, or to improve the status of slaves. Under the civil law, slaves were mere chattels. They remained so under the Christian domination. Slavery had flourished among the Romans from the earliest times. The slaves whether of native or foreign birth, whether acquired by war or purchase, were regarded simply as chattels. Their masters possessed the power of life and death over them. Christianity had failed utterly in abolishing slavery or alleviating its evil.”

This double standard or item of interpretation was not exclusive to the issue of slavery with respect to Christianity. This article is not an attempt to discredit the religion, but to point out atrocities that were perpetrated in the name of God- as was put “In the Name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

As soon as Christianity was made legal in 315, more and more pagan temples were destroyed by one Christian mob or the other. Examples will show that in the name of Christ, man had very little appetite for tolerance, brotherly love or understanding of things different.

The world famous female philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was torn to pieces with glass fragments whilst in a church by a Christian mob led by a Christian Minister in 415. In 782 Emperor Karl [Charlemagne] had 4500 Saxons who were unwilling to convert to Christianity beheaded- an action taken in the name of Christ.

5 000 to 11 000 peasants were slaughtered on May 27, 1234 in Steding [Germany] simply because they were unwilling to pay church taxes. John Huss, a critic of Papal infallibility and indulgences was burnt at the stake in 1415. University Professor B Hubmaier was burnt at the stake in Vienna [1538] and Giordano Bruno, a Dominican Monk, after having been incarcerated for seven years was burnt at the stake for heresy on February 17, 1600 in Campo dei Fiori [Rome]. About 20 000 Huguenots were killed in 1572 France on the command of Pope Pius V. In all the aforementioned instances, the individuals were murdered for having a different belief in religion, and in life.

In the 17th century, Catholics sacked the city of Magdeburg [Germany] killing 30 000 protestants. “In a single church, fifty women were found beheaded” reported poet Friedrich Schiller, “and infants still sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers.” Also in the 17th century, Catholics killed Gaspard de Coligny, a Protestant leader. After murdering him, the Catholic mob mutilated his body, “cutting off his head, his hands, his genitals and then dumped him into the river… but, then, deciding that it was not worthy of being food for the fish, they hauled him out again… and dragged what was left…to the gallows of Montfaulcon, ‘to be meat and carrion for maggots and crows’.”

Christianity was also used to propagate hate against the Jews. In the 4th and 5th centuries, synagogues were burnt by Christians with an unknown number of Jews slain. The first synagogue to be burnt was near the river Euphrat on the command of the Bishop of Kallinikon in 388. In essence, Jews were slain across Europe on the command of the Church for centuries. There is little wonder that hate for the Jews resonated in the hearts of many during the reign of Hitler.

The Spaniards found pleasure in performing all kinds of odd cruelties on the natives of the New World. They built a long gibbet [a structure used for execution by hanging], long enough for the t

As soon as Christianity was made legal in 315, more and more pagan temples were destroyed by one Christian mob or the other. Examples will show that in the name of Christ, man had very little appetite for tolerance, brotherly love or understanding of things different.

The world famous female philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was torn to pieces with glass fragments whilst in a church by a Christian mob led by a Christian Minister in 415. In 782 Emperor Karl [Charlemagne] had 4500 Saxons who were unwilling to convert to Christianity beheaded- an action taken in the name of Christ.

5 000 to 11 000 peasants were slaughtered on May 27, 1234 in Steding [Germany] simply because they were unwilling to pay church taxes. John Huss, a critic of Papal infallibility and indulgences was burnt at the stake in 1415. University Professor B Hubmaier was burnt at the stake in Vienna [1538] and Giordano Bruno, a Dominican Monk, after having been incarcerated for seven years was burnt at the stake for heresy on February 17, 1600 in Campo dei Fiori [Rome]. About 20 000 Huguenots were killed in 1572 France on the command of Pope Pius V. In all the aforementioned instances, the individuals were murdered for having a different belief in religion, and in life.

In the 17th century, Catholics sacked the city of Magdeburg [Germany] killing 30 000 protestants. “In a single church, fifty women were found beheaded” reported poet Friedrich Schiller, “and infants still sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers.” Also in the 17th century, Catholics killed Gaspard de Coligny, a Protestant leader. After murdering him, the Catholic mob mutilated his body, “cutting off his head, his hands, his genitals and then dumped him into the river… but, then, deciding that it was not worthy of being food for the fish, they hauled him out again… and dragged what was left…to the gallows of Montfaulcon, ‘to be meat and carrion for maggots and crows’.”

Christianity was also used to propagate hate against the Jews. In the 4th and 5th centuries, synagogues were burnt by Christians with an unknown number of Jews slain. The first synagogue to be burnt was near the river Euphrat on the command of the Bishop of Kallinikon in 388. In essence, Jews were slain across Europe on the command of the Church for centuries. There is little wonder that hate for the Jews resonated in the hearts of many during the reign of Hitler.

The Spaniards found pleasure in performing all kinds of odd cruelties on the natives of the New World. They built a long gibbet [a structure used for execution by hanging], long enough for the t

In the 17th century, Catholics sacked the city of Magdeburg [Germany] killing 30 000 protestants. “In a single church, fifty women were found beheaded” reported poet Friedrich Schiller, “and infants still sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers.” Also in the 17th century, Catholics killed Gaspard de Coligny, a Protestant leader. After murdering him, the Catholic mob mutilated his body, “cutting off his head, his hands, his genitals and then dumped him into the river… but, then, deciding that it was not worthy of being food for the fish, they hauled him out again… and dragged what was left…to the gallows of Montfaulcon, ‘to be meat and carrion for maggots and crows’.”

Christianity was also used to propagate hate against the Jews. In the 4th and 5th centuries, synagogues were burnt by Christians with an unknown number of Jews slain. The first synagogue to be burnt was near the river Euphrat on the command of the Bishop of Kallinikon in 388. In essence, Jews were slain across Europe on the command of the Church for centuries. There is little wonder that hate for the Jews resonated in the hearts of many during the reign of Hitler.

The Spaniards found pleasure in performing all kinds of odd cruelties on the natives of the New World. They built a long gibbet [a structure used for execution by hanging], long enough for the t

Christianity was also used to propagate hate against the Jews. In the 4th and 5th centuries, synagogues were burnt by Christians with an unknown number of Jews slain. The first synagogue to be burnt was near the river Euphrat on the command of the Bishop of Kallinikon in 388. In essence, Jews were slain across Europe on the command of the Church for centuries. There is little wonder that hate for the Jews resonated in the hearts of many during the reign of Hitler.

The Spaniards found pleasure in performing all kinds of odd cruelties on the natives of the New World. They built a long gibbet [a structure used for execution by hanging], long enough for the toes to touch the ground to prevent strangulation and hanged 13 natives at a time in “honour of Christ Our Lord and Saviour and the twelve Apostles.” Then, straw was wrapped around their torn bodies and they were burnt alive. A total of more than 150 million natives were destroyed in the New World between the period 1500 to 1900. Two thirds met their deaths because of small pox and some 50 million by direct violence. This is what Christianity did to the New World!

Surprisingly, few know that Nazi extermination camps during World War II were by no means the only ones in Europe. In the years 1941 to 1945, there existed numerous extermination camps in Croatia run by Catholic Ustasha under their dictators Ante Pavelic, a practising Catholic and regular visitor to the then Pope. There were even concentration camps exclusively for children. In the camps- the most notorious was Jasenovac, was headed by a Franciscan Friar. Orthodox Christians Serbains and quite a substantial number of Jews [500 000 – 700 000] were murdered at these camps.

The original intent of Christianity was to evangelize the world. However, man has taken this crusade to include as acceptable murder, intolerance and hate. The past has shown us that many have used Christianity to discriminate against Arabs, Jews, and Blacks and today, we see the same hate targeted at other groups in society. I am a Christian, and I believe that my God is a loving God; all his children created equally and in his image. Unfortunately, there are those who profess his glory yet indulge in activities that are not Christian-like. The point being- never follow anything blindly. Ask questions, find the answers if one is to truly understand his/her purpose.