Not many people will know about Pope Innocent the third's crusade to eliminate Catharism in southern France, which began with the massacre at Béziers on 22 July 1209.
The Cathars were being persecuted by the Catholic church but when the Pope's army surrounded Béziers it's people refused to give the Good Christians up. The heretics were a minority in a Catholic city loyal to the Pope, so this was a dilemma as the army could not draw their swords on people who believed in the right god. However the army's leader, the Abbot of Citeaux, Arnaud Amalric ordered;
"Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius."
Which translates as "Kill them. For the Lord knows those that are His own" or as the phrase has become known "Kill them all and let God sort them out".
This ruthless killing mentality would be considered a war crime in present day Europe. We'd be appalled at the thought of innocent lives being taken in the pursuit of fellow citizens, who although good people and well loved, might not be following all the rules.
That's why we are shocked and disgusted when the President of America announced "When the looting starts the shooting starts". This is not a man who needs time to think about innocent lives; no these are the words of a crusader who declares war on civilians without conscience.
That's why we might consider when one person burns down a police station it is a crime but when 50,000 people are lighting fires it is a revolution.
Minnesota refuses to hand over the memory of George Floyd to Trump, united against their oppressors, the massacre of Minneapolis will be at Trump's hands.
The Cathars were being persecuted by the Catholic church but when the Pope's army surrounded Béziers it's people refused to give the Good Christians up. The heretics were a minority in a Catholic city loyal to the Pope, so this was a dilemma as the army could not draw their swords on people who believed in the right god. However the army's leader, the Abbot of Citeaux, Arnaud Amalric ordered;
"Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius."
Which translates as "Kill them. For the Lord knows those that are His own" or as the phrase has become known "Kill them all and let God sort them out".
This ruthless killing mentality would be considered a war crime in present day Europe. We'd be appalled at the thought of innocent lives being taken in the pursuit of fellow citizens, who although good people and well loved, might not be following all the rules.
That's why we are shocked and disgusted when the President of America announced "When the looting starts the shooting starts". This is not a man who needs time to think about innocent lives; no these are the words of a crusader who declares war on civilians without conscience.
That's why we might consider when one person burns down a police station it is a crime but when 50,000 people are lighting fires it is a revolution.
Minnesota refuses to hand over the memory of George Floyd to Trump, united against their oppressors, the massacre of Minneapolis will be at Trump's hands.
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