As I have blogged about this before, I feel that it is important to revisit one of the central ideas of the religion unit as it perfectly relates and fits into the situation of Pope Urban and the establishment and action of the Crusades. Religion shapes and changes the way certain individuals in certain circumstances view things and think about their lives. Religion is an easy agent of the powerful to obtain and achieve a common goal throughout their rule, and serves as an incredible motivation for people, usually those who are powerless, to do certain things that isn’t considered rational or correct--but religion says it is and will put be in a better place, so it’s got to be right/good to do? That’s the question that popped in my mind when reading about the Crusades and Pope Urban’s admirable quality of convincing people through his language. His speaking attributes definitely made a considerable effect on the Christians among his rule, as his ability to mobilize and promote the religion to those who were barely even subjected to it (more obliged to their leader than the religion itself!) and make them go as far as to fight for their religion is astounding. The fact that Pope Urban was able to change the way people think about their life and religion and alter its philosophies to make the people under his rule think differently was quite the accomplishment. Regardless of Urban, though, Christianity and religion as a whole was such a driving force, maybe as a result of Urban’s inspiring words and actions, but the religious force caused so many people to think and see the world differently than they usually would, and therefore, justified radical actions such as the involvement of the Crusades throughout European and some of Asian religious history. The responsibility that all of the participants in the Crusades does not fault to the Pope’s speeches or irrational actions or secret societies--it is the fault of the religion itself (not that it is a bad fault, but it was the force which provided the means to which the people would participate/support the Crusades. Also, because so many new religious emerged during the uprising reign of Christianity throughout Europe, threats were posed indirectly to Christians as their world power, land, influence, and institutions were all subject to destruction, persecution, or overpowering from the other religions which existed. So, how did the Christians react to that posing threat and danger--they originated the movement of the Crusades. Christian officials were determined on preventing the Muslims and HIndus which shared the common geography in the area which the Christians centralized, as more participants and followers calls for a more powerful and to increase the presence of the religious force; followers and believers are essential to the success, spread, and popularizing of religions, so that was another key which the main powers of the opposing religions used to gain eminence. The last thing I want to touch on is the peculiarity of the reasoning for the Crusades and involvement in them; this is really good evidence for the notion of religion shaping one’s reality. Throughout history, including today, people usually don’t do something that extreme (like the Crusades) without good benefit for themselves or something/one of their own. Now, it can be argued that people participated because they were so loyal to their religion and conscious of the potential dangers undermining it. Although, I think that that was the only benefit in the actions of the Crusades, but the people involved in them were doing it according to a false notion either they created for themselves or handed to them by the persuasive and mesmerizing words of Pope Urban. There was a specific benefit for each person who was willing to fight on behalf of their religious beliefs and prominence in history, but they were not fighting for some cause that just existed--they fought for themselves because through the cultural interaction/exchange, and the general influence which others had on one individual would foster an idea that if I fight, I am saving myself from potential danger if one of these other religions rises to power, and if not (either way), I will be in a good place, solidified in heaven. All of these thoughts which were all very real and was the main reason that the Crusades escalated to such large numbers and heights, and shows how much religion and the perception (or misperception) of something can lead an individual or group of people to do things that they usually would not commit. The Crusades embodies the concept of religions seeking overall power and using it as an agent of the powerful to gain more power/get people to do things that they usually wouldn’t because religion changes the way people think about their lives, and therefore, act.
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