Are the Crusades and the Inquisition morally equivalent to ISIS—and does the Bible teach that every act of killing is murder? In this challenging dialogue, Sam Shamoun responds to an Iraqi Chaldean Catholic who regularly encounters Protestant and atheist objections concerning Catholic Church history, religious violence, forced conversion, the Crusades, and the Inquisition.
Sam Shamoun explains the crucial biblical distinction between murder—the unjust taking of human life—and justified killing in warfare or capital punishment. Drawing from Genesis 9 and the Old Testament, Sam Shamoun argues that saying “all killing is wrong” creates a contradiction: the same God who commands “do not murder” also authorizes governments and armies to punish murderers, defend innocent people, and stop violent threats such as ISIS. Christians must therefore study the Bible, theology, and church history before attempting to answer difficult objections.
The conversation then examines the original purpose of the Crusades: responding to Muslim conquest, Islamic oppression, and restrictions placed upon Christians visiting the Holy Land. Sam Shamoun emphasizes that a just cause can become corrupted when human beings pursue plunder, wealth, power, or violence against innocent people and fellow Christians. Using King David and 1 Chronicles 22 and 28, Sam Shamoun shows that some wars may be just while others exceed God’s permission—meaning neither the Crusades nor warfare can be judged with a simplistic yes-or-no answer.
Sam Shamoun also explores the biblical reasoning behind the Inquisition, Deuteronomy 13, heresy, false religion, Christian government, and the relationship between church and state. The discussion addresses the dangers of persecuting Christians from other apostolic churches, the consequences of secularism in Europe and Canada, the loss of Christian values, and the difficult question of which church would govern a Christian society. Finally, Sam Shamoun recommends studying Saint Augustine’s just war theory to understand when war is morally justified, how enemies should be treated, and what limits Christian ethics place upon political and military power.
⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 Are the Crusades and Inquisition comparable to ISIS?
1:34 The biblical difference between killing and murder
3:08 How Catholics should study theology and church history
3:53 The Crusades, Muslim conquest, and defending Christians
6:30 How good causes become corrupted by sinful motives
7:51 King David, warfare, and shedding too much blood
9:59 Genesis 9, capital punishment, and justified killing
11:30 The Inquisition, Deuteronomy 13, and stopping heresy
14:37 Should Christianity separate church and state?
18:17 Saint Augustine and Christian just war theory
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
I am not Sam Shamoun. This channel edits and shares clips from his teachings with permission in order to make his content more accessible and help spread the Word of God. All credit for the teaching belongs to Sam Shamoun.
