Hey everyone!
Reflections: This is something, which is close to my heart. I have always loved history, since I was a child. My love for history will probably stay with me for all eternity. I have loved the History of the Middle Ages and in particular the History of the Crusades, since I was in eighth grade. My interest in the Middle Ages started in my seventh grade World History class with Coach Freewalt at Shawnee Middle School in Lima, Ohio. He was one of my best and favorite teachers. We sadly only touched the surface of the Middles Ages sadly, but President George W. Bush, who is one of my favorite American Presidents, was running for re-election in 2004. I was happy, that George W. Bush was re-elected President, but, since we are American citizens, Coach Freewalt taught us, how our American Government works in November 2004. This was awesome and I am grateful for this, but now I wish, we would have had school for all of June and July of 2005, so we could have thoroughly explored the Crusades and the Middle Ages in General. Sadly school ended in late May 2005, so we had to stop our studies.
Coach Freewalt is an awesome history teacher and he did an awesome job of instilling in me a love for the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Little did we know in 2004 and 2005, that I would go onto major in Classical Humanities aka Classics aka Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations at The Ohio State University with Dr. Scott Fisher. Both Coach and Scott are awesome teachers and I wish, I could take classes again with both of them. However, my middle school days are long gone and I don't know, if Scott has a desire to teach graduate level course work at American Military University (AMU), where I have been pursuing a Masters of Arts in Ancient and Classical History.
I have been feeling the call into ordained ministry since high school and The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) is a good spiritual home for me. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) along with most traditional Christian church bodies is struggling to get pastors, so I think, I am, where Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit want me to be. I plan on applying for candidacy and seminary next January, if all goes well. I still love history, so, if I get approved for candidacy and seminary, then I'll put my MA program at AMU on hold, until I finish seminary and take the call into one or more parishes. I can finish my MA in my spare time.
With all of that being said, why am I calling the Crusades our forgotten heritage? Why is it important to learn about Crusades? Why are the Crusades important to Christian identity and to European identity and European-American identity?
The Crusades were a great part of the History of Christianity. Islam had become a very large and growing religion. Islam is also a very violent religion and this is an undeniable fact. Granted not all Muslims are violent. Many of the Muslim peasants were just normal working people, who basically worshiped their god Allah and worked a lot. Granted most of Saladin's Muslim army, which went up against King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem's Christian Army and then against King Richard I of England's Christian Army, were farmers. These Muslim farmers did not have the free time to fight as much as the Christian soldiers aka the Crusaders. The Crusaders were mostly professional soldiers, whose main vocation in life was fighting the Holy Wars; the Crusades. The Muslim soldiers under Saladin were both soldiers and farmers. Farming and serving in the military are two very time-consuming tasks.
With all of this being said, we cannot forget, that Muslim soldiers slaughtered Christian priests in Christian churches and Muslim soldiers raped Christian virgin girls, before Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade. The Crusades were Yahweh's Justice for those martyred priests and those raped virgin girls. Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit punished the Muslims for their sins through the Crusades. The Crusades were just wars, because they were the response of Christians living during the Middle Ages against Muslim aggression.
Sadly with the raise of political correctness and with Muslims settling in historically Christian countries like those in Europe and North America, many politicians and clergymen want us to forget about the Crusades, because they want to cower to Muslim terrorists and they do not want to make nonviolent Muslims feel uncomfortable. Granted many nonviolent Muslims are joining Christian bodies in North America and Europe (i.e. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (in America) and The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church aka Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche (in Germany aka im Deutschland)).
We must not forget the past, because our past is a part of us. We need to know, where we came from, so we have a better idea of where we're going and so we can hopefully move in a positive direction. The Democrat Party and the Socialists in Europe need to quit dividing us by race. We are all Americans, that is, if you are an American citizen, regardless of skin color. All Britons are British subjects. All Germans living in Germany are German citizens. All Irish Republicans are Irish citizens. You get my point; take the racial division and throw it into the trash. As Christians, we need to love every single person, since Jesus died for every single person. My current pastor, Reverend Mike Phillips, at Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Lima, Ohio said, that The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) just recently "threw Martin Luther under the bus" by bashing him for his writings criticizing the theology of Jews and Muslims. Jesus did not care about race and skin and color, when He died for you. Martin Luther did not care about race and skin, when he criticized the theology of the Jews and Muslims. Jesus just wanted to atone for every single person and Luther did not want Jews and Muslims to burn in Hell for their false beliefs. The Jews only worship Yahweh and they do not acknowledge, that Jesus is both the Messiah and equally God with His Father Yahweh and the Holy Spirit. Muslims worship a totally different god called Allah. Both Jews and Muslims need Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to save them from death, Hell, Satan, Satan's demons, Original Sin from Adam and Eve, and their own personal sins. Only worshiping Yahweh will not save the Jews and worshiping Allah will not save the Muslims. However, these things are not being taught in many American and European schools and universities today.
I am not bashing anyone in this blog post, but I am bashing political correctness, because it is a poor excuse to strip away the freedom of speech of Conservative Christians, Conservative Jews, Republicans, Tea Party Party Patriots, Libertarians, and pretty much everyone on the Religious and Political Right. History is history and we cannot change it, cover it-up, just scream at it, or beat it up. We just need to learn it and remember it the best way, we can. However, sometimes due to publishing costs, we sadly cannot include every single story from the past, because people would not be able to physically carry such large books and including every single story in books would probably crush some people and break their easy-chairs. Not to mention we as publishers do not wish to overwhelm our readers with ridiculously high prices. This is one reason, why we have series of books.
How can you learn more about the Crusades? My second book The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 has chapters dedicated to the First, Second, and Third Crusades and the Knights Templar. Plus my main female fictional character Emily McMermaid has an awesome dream about her being my main fictional character Richard McMurphy's wife and going off on the Third Crusade with King Richard the Lionheart of England. "In real-life," King Richard the Lionheart and the Crusaders were unable to take Jerusalem back from Saladin and the Muslims during the Third Crusade, but in my second book The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2 Richard McMurphy, Emily McMermaid, who is the wife with McMurphy in her dream, and their Crusader army from Ireland managed to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims. Thus they became King Richard the Green of Jerusalem and Queen Emily of Jerusalem.
In my next book The Rising of The Moon Book 2: Faith, Hope, and Love, King Richard the Green of Jerusalem was challenged by the fictional King Muhammad IV of Damascus and before the Irish Crusaders and the Muslims started battling it out for the Holy City of Jerusalem, King Richard the Green of Jerusalem and the Catholic Bishop of Jerusalem read responsive Psalm 79. Below is the text for this fitting Psalm. However, Heathens and Muslims are different types of people and both Heathenism and Islam are radically different religions, but within Lutheranism there is the belief, that the Holy Trinity's Church has existed since the time of Adam and Eve and this Church has morphed into different church bodies over the centuries. The Church started out as Adam and Eve and the Ancient Israelites, but then the Church turned into Christianity.
Psalm 79
Bishop: “79 O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance; Thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
King: 2 The dead bodies of Thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
Bishop: 3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
King: 4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
Bishop: 5 How long, LORD? Wilt Thou be angry forever? Shall Thy Jealousy burn like fire?
King: 6 Pour out Thy Wrath upon the heathen, that have not known Thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon Thy Name.
Bishop: 7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.
King: 8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let Thy Tender Mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
Bishop: 9 Help us, O God of our Salvation, for the Glory of Thy Name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for Thy Name's Sake.
King: 10 Wherefore should the heathen say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let Him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of Thy servants, which is shed.
Bishop: 11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy Power preserve Thou those, that are appointed to die;
King: 12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached Thee, O LORD.
Bishop: 13 So we Thy people and sheep of Thy pasture will give Thee thanks forever: we will shew forth Thy Praise to all generations.”
Remaining September 2019 Book Signings:
1. I'll be having a book signing at Jen's Furniture and Collectibles on High Street in St. Marys, Ohio on Saturday September 21, 2019 from 11 AM to 3 PM.
October 2019 Book Signings:
1. I'll be having a book signing at The Menagerie at 1178 Indiana Avenue in St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio. The date and time of this book signing will be announced.
November 2019 Book Signings: My 2019 Christmas Book Signings will take place in November 2019 and December 2019.
1. I’ll be having a book signing at the Ottoville Rosary Altar Society Craft Show on Saturday November 2, 2019 from 9 PM to 2 PM at the Ottoville Parish Center in Ottoville, Ohio.
2. I’ll be having a book signing at the Holiday Art Bizarre in the St. Marys Union Hall in St. Marys, Ohio on Thursday November 7, 2019 from 5 PM to 6 PM.
3. I’ll be having a book signing at Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles (JFC) on High Street in between Circle K Gas Station and Zion Lutheran Church (NALC) on Black Friday 2019 (November 29, 2019) from noon to 6 PM. I might also be at JFC on Small Business Saturday 2019 (November 30, 2019), but I’m not sure yet.
General Rule About Book Signings: I’ll be signing copies of my Christian romance novels The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 and The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2 and my Greek and Roman Mythology book A Survey of Classical Mythology at all of my book signings. More books are coming soon! :)
Stores Carrying My Books: My new books, which I’ve written and published, are also available at the following stores: Brunner News Agency on Flanders Avenue in Lima, Ohio, Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles (JFC) on High Street in St. Marys, Ohio, The Menagerie at 1178 Indiana Avenue in St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio, Readmore Hallmark Stores out at Eastgate Plaza and on Elm Street in Lima, Ohio, Wagner’s IGA Grocery Store in Minster, Ohio, in the Book Mart section of ohiobookmart.com, and in the Shop section of my website ohioirishlutheranpress.com .
Thank you,
James W. O’Flannery, President and Founder of Ohio Irish Lutheran Press (OIL Press)