Michael A. Smith, Ongoing Historical Contributor Provides Essay Every Religious Individual Must Read!

 

From Crusade to Jihad: 

How the Language of Holy War Still Shapes Us...

Michael A. Smith

Historian, Author, Public Theologian

December 2, 2025

When we hear terms like “holy war," "Jihad," or “crusade,” our minds often leap to modern conflicts involving Muslim fundamentalists. Yet these words were first forged in the crucible of medieval Christendom. The First Crusade (1096–1099) gave us a vocabulary of violence sanctified by faith—language that continues to echo across centuries, often detached from its original context.

The Origins of "Holy War"

The Crusades were launched under papal authority as wars of liberation and conquest, framed as divine missions.

• “Crusade” comes from crux, the Latin word for cross, symbolizing the soldiers’ vow to fight under Christ’s banner.
• “Holy War” was not a Muslim invention but a Christian one, used to justify campaigns against Muslims, Jews, and even fellow Christians.
• The idea of sacralized violence—that killing could be sanctified if done for God—was revolutionary and deeply troubling.

The Parallel of "Jihad"

In Islam, jihad originally meant “struggle” or “striving,” often spiritual rather than military. But during the Crusades, Muslim leaders adopted the term to describe resistance against invading Christian armies. Over time, jihad became associated with armed struggle, mirroring the Christian concept of holy war.

Thus, the Crusades did not just shape Europe—they reshaped Islamic thought, creating a linguistic and ideological symmetry between two faiths locked in conflict.

The Lingering Legacy

Today, these terms are weaponized in political and religious discourse:

• “Crusade” is invoked by Western leaders to describe campaigns against terrorism or drugs, often unintentionally, perhaps,  evoking medieval violence.
• “Jihad” is used by extremists to justify acts of terror, though its broader meaning in Islam remains spiritual.
• “Holy War” has become shorthand for any conflict framed in religious terms, regardless of tradition.

The irony is stark: language born in medieval Europe to sanctify Christian violence is now most often associated with Muslim fundamentalism.

Why This Matters for Us

For professionals, educators, and leaders, understanding this history is more than academic. It reminds us:

• Words carry centuries of baggage.
• Religious language can be co-opted to justify violence, even when it distorts the original teachings.
• The rhetoric of “holy war” continues to polarize communities, shaping perceptions of faith and conflict.

Where dialogue often centers on leadership and global awareness, reflecting on this history can sharpen our sensitivity to how language frames power, identity, and struggle.

Closing Thought

The Crusades remind us that faith can inspire compassion—or be twisted into conquest. The words we use—crusade, jihad, holy war—are not neutral. They are echoes of battles fought long ago, still reverberating in our headlines today. To lead responsibly in the modern world, we must recognize the weight of this vocabulary and resist its misuse.

~~~~

I so appreciate Michael Smith's willingness to share his posts on a world-wide distribution as seen via Book Readers Heaven... While I agree with his latest Essay, I do want to share my own response as well...

The Historian Speaks Intellectually...

I Speak Organically

War - What is it Good For?!

Once I might have written a similar report as Smith has. But I have read almost steadily for about 20 years now... And I've read some terrible things... Like, for instance, when the crusades were happening, people in Spain were murdered because they didn't want to follow Christianity...

As pointed out by one of the videos at the top, it soon became clear that these soldiers were not being sent out "for God's sake" but for retaining power and property--or gaining more...

The very same that is happening here in the Year 2025, by various men who have captured the highest seat in their countries and immediately wanted more! Most people are like me, we try to live our lives as best we can...until these men of "war" choose to attempt to rise again... Just like they probably followed Barabbas to the local pub and there planned what their next crime would be. Let's face it, most men do not one day awake and decide to join an army fighting other people. They are either taught or forced to participate. We have seen what happened thereafter. They either get killed in action, or come back home so disoriented that they cannot easily move back into normal life--but by that time, leaders have normally forgotten them and they rejoin the rest of us who are just trying to figure out how to do the best we can...

Then there are those, like Barabbas, who went back to his earlier life and decided to continue on as he had been. After all, He didn't even know the man, Jesus... "It was the luck of the draw... and He was the people's choice..." Not even realizing what was happening, he soon forgot about the man, Jesus, who had died that day instead of him...

And there are many, many--just like those who were already prepared, and still are--who like to fight, like to kill and plan to kill, purely for the fun of it. They began to collect guns, carried them even into the churches where Jesus was being worshipped...claiming they were securing the building... And, still others, merely walked into a church, synagogue, or other meeting places used for worship of God, and started killing as many as he could... BTW, as far as I am aware, there has never been a female who acted as these men have... women are, instead, the mothers of all those who have been killed by wars, by serial killers, and by countries where leaders are more interested in power and greed, than...people...

Well, you knew I would be getting more specific. My war, however, has been with words. Have you noticed that many writers create fiction novels so that they can over and over have the good guy (law) when over the bad guys (criminals). 

Now, fiction writers are no longer the only writers fighting. More and more books or videos, or songs are out these days, working to show through their words, too, that these few individuals who desire power and greed more than anything else, can not be tolerated! Especially since they began to use religion as part of their plan of destruction...

Let's look at leaders such as Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu, in particular... and, perhaps, Iran though they have fought through terrorists rather than weapons of war...  Jews--the people who rejected the Son of God--have a man who willingly continues to kill people...knowing that if the war ends, he might be back into legal courts soon... Trump...the cult who chose to break up the Christian faith and create a christian nationalist group who want to fight for...their god... Putin? If he has a faith, it has never meant anything to him...his goals of domination have always been clear, haven't they?

The think that still boggles my mind is that a major religious group were the ones who elected and still, apparently, support his actions even now as people are being killed on our streets by federal staff!

But can it be solved? The Pope is taking a position against Trump's war actions in South America... Each of us must choose our own actions to take a stand... Do you speak of God's Truth and Love?

There are many pastors and individual Christian leaders speaking out... But, let's face it, there are still questions when the son of a major past religious Christian leader is now being questioned in the news... Myself, I depend upon the Words of Jesus, His Son...

Folks, of all that Trump/MAGA has done, the destruction of our religious lives has been the top priority for me. I was waiting for someone with proper credentials--Professor Michael A. Smith--to make a firm statement of our history and the abuse of God's Laws on Truth and Love. He has done so today and I thank him personally for setting the stage I needed to give my "second opinion" on the reality of the situation...

I believe in God, the Great I AM

Religion is a tool created by men who wanted to lead, for whatever reason. Some have been open, like the present and last Pope, but others have not. We all know that.

I supported Reverend Billy Graham; I do not support his son or any other evangelist that I know of these days.

Gabby

Ongoing Contributor and Writer, Harold Michael Harvey, Opines on The Case for Permanent Copyrights! Alert! All Writers! And, My Thoughts...

 

Check out Harvey's Book Site

On May 31st, 2015, I announced here that this book, Justice in the Round was going to be featured for the next week... One of the pictures I used was not used as a header for some reason--it was a picture during the Civil Rights Movement...It was still a problem even, as now, it's worse...

Check it out if you haven't read the book--or consider as a review and comparison of today's world... many excerpts

“Justice always knows injustice.”

The Case for Permanent Copyrights

Protecting Creators for Eternity

Harold Michael Harvey

Sep 02, 2025

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

Copyright law was initially designed to strike a balance between rewarding creators for their work and allowing the public to use those works in the long term freely. However, in an age where creative output is more valuable than ever—both culturally and economically—the expiration of copyrights can undermine the very people who brought these works into existence. Making copyrights permanent for creators would ensure that their intellectual property remains theirs forever, safeguarding both their legacy and their livelihood.

At its core, copyright is about recognizing and protecting the moral rights of creators. A painting, novel, song, or film is not just a product—it is an extension of the creator’s identity, skill, and vision.

Permanent ownership respects the principle that a creator’s work is inseparable from their authorship.

Just as physical property rights do not expire after a set number of years, intellectual property should remain under the control of its originator indefinitely.

If we accept that an artist’s work is a part of their personal legacy, then allowing it to fall into the public domain without their consent is akin to stripping them of a piece of themselves.

Creative works often continue to generate revenue long after their initial release. Under current laws, these profits can eventually be claimed by corporations, publishers, or anyone who exploits the work once it enters the public domain—while the creator’s descendants receive nothing.

Permanent copyright ensures that the financial benefits of a work remain with the creator’s family or chosen heirs.

This is especially important for creators who may have struggled financially during their lifetime but whose work gains value after their death.

In other words, the fruits of a creator’s labor should not be redistributed to strangers simply because time has passed.

When works enter the public domain, they can be altered, repurposed, or commercialized in ways that distort the creator’s original vision.

Permanent copyright would give creators (or their estates) the ability to approve or reject derivative works that might misrepresent their intent.

This protects cultural heritage from being diluted or misused for purposes the creator would have opposed.

For example, without such protections, a profoundly personal novel could be turned into a parody or advertisement without any regard for the author’s wishes.

In today’s digital economy, where content can be copied and distributed instantly, creators face unprecedented challenges in protecting their work.

Knowing that their rights will never expire could encourage more people to invest time, money, and effort into producing high-quality, original works.

Permanent copyright would send a clear message: society values and protects the contributions of its artists, inventors, and thinkers for the long haul.

Critics argue that the public domain fosters creativity by enabling others to build upon existing works. While this is true, it does not require stripping creators of their rights.

Licensing systems can allow for creative reinterpretations while still compensating the original creator or their heirs.

This approach strikes a balance between cultural growth and respect for the originator’s ownership.

Permanent copyright is not about stifling culture—it’s about honoring the people who shape it. By granting creators eternal control over their intellectual property, we affirm that their contributions are not disposable commodities but enduring legacies. In a world where creative works can live forever in digital form, it is only fair that the rights of their creators live forever as well.

~~~

This article has previously been published on Harold’s Substack, a reader-supported publication. Find him there, on LinkedIn and other sites across the Internet...

I wholeheartedly support Michael's proposal and believe that writers should be working together to ensure necessary protection. But there are a few things that I've discovered and want to highlight.

Publishing a book through a publishing company may affect your ownership of the material, once printed. This is a cautionary statement as I don't know the present contract laws. I do know that, within my period working with both publishers and authors, that a writer may actually have to buy long-term ownership back from the publisher. PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK OUT CONTRACT BEFORE YOU PUBLISH. 

Of course, self-publishing has helped to some extent, but never depend on anything... I have read many books where an editor was hired who did not do their job. In one case, the books were so bad that I volunteered to proofread them again as part of my work as a reviewer...

In another case, I explained that in my review I would be discussing the poor editing and the author had not even reread the book as published, thinking that it would be done correctly. I volunteered to write up a statement of what I discovered for the writer, who then used it demand a correction/reprint of the book.

Another time, I was working with a writer who was ready to publish and after reviewing the proofreading the book, I agreed. However, she had NO IDEA of the publishing process. She started talking to other publishers, and really got the whole situation screwed up... Can't remember the details, but just know that the author MUST take full responsibility for each and every book. There is no ability to blame anybody else because the author is required to sign off on each phase... A sad finish, I agreed to review a book that had a beautiful cover and title. I was anxious to start reading. It was so bad that I knew it had not been checked in any way for grammar or errors. I notified her directly rather than through her site and explained. She asked me not to review the book. I still have the book, however, and every once in a while, I pick it up and point out a few more errors that need to be corrected for a complete reprint...

These are just a few. People claim they are editors, but never read the book, instead using grammar and spellcheck... If you do not know that these are tools, not correctors the computer does automatically, then you will get a lousy editing... Only content--actually reading the book being edited--can ensure all errors are discovered and corrected. Everybody makes mistakes, but it is the writer who gets the "credit." I still, when I refer people to a previous review, reread and verify everything is still in good shape. I've removed videos, etc. and updated...

You see, I decided, for this blog, that I wanted each writer to be able to actually use my reviews as needed for marketing. At the bottom of this blog, I have a statement that while this is copyrighted for the purposes of saving the blog in my name, any materials can be copied as long as a reference is made back to the blog... This is the basis upon which I now use, with the author's permission, material that is worthy to be shared further, including across the world here at Book Readers Heaven...

A final note, I do not support AI for writing. It creates a difference in the skills, creativity, and enjoyment of books, especially fiction. I guarantee you that it will be at least a thousand years before a computer can adequately create a thriller in words... It also may ultimately create a financial edge which, in my opinion, will be a problem for every writer who works carefully to ensure that every single word moves the story that he/she is creating forward...NOT anything artificial...

And, then, of course, there is the issue of ghostwriting. When one man can claim he wrote a book(s) written by somebody else, and never reads... But that's on another page...

Thank You, Michael, for placing this important issue before the writing and publishing world!

GABixlerReviews

And Finally, Velshi's Banned Book Club

And Sneak Preview of New Book

Michael A. Smith Raises the Question: What Happens to White People When They Suddenly Realize They Are Becoming a Minority? - My Response

 

Professor Michael A. Smith, Ongoing Contributor

What happens to white people when they suddenly realize they are becoming a minority? They become like Donald Trump and start a removal process, ignoring legal standards and laws, grabbing people off the streets as if his is Kristallnacht and Nazi rule. The fear of losing control when let loose in society produces the ignorance we see today. They ignore the fact that they, too, are immigrants, of mixed race, etc. We are watching the dissolution of Western Civilization as we know it, and the fitting end of a people who raped, robbed, and pillaged whole nations to gain dominance, only to lose it under Donald Trump. When Columbus landed, there were more than 10 million Native Americans present, speaking over 328 languages, with diverse religions and cultures. By 1889, there were fewer than 300,000 Native Americans left, confined to refugee camps we call reservations, on sections of land that would not sprout a pea, and we call ourselves good. And we say that the privilege to live in a white culture and become a Christian makes it all right. Christians justified slavery with the exact words. How can you call the genocide of that many people good? By the same token, we are allowing the same thing and participating in the genocide of the Palestinians today. Christians call it good because we are on the side of "God's chosen people," a phrase, by the way, promoted by the Christian Fundamentalists since 1830 and with no Biblical foundation, and we call that good. The more you read American history, the more you realize that in Donald Trump we got what we deserve, not what we earned.

~~~

Early in January, I was lamenting the loss of an election which had been "rigged" in my opinion and seeking God's help...

He said, "I've Got This, My Child..."

Do Not Fear...

But I have to admit that even though I do believe what God shared then, I've faltered in faith and trust. When the world as we know it is suddenly thrown over in a relentless outpouring of hate, violence, lies, and theft, I have often become fearful:

What if I can't get Covid shot(s) and other medical support?

What if Social Security is lost?

What if corporations such as banks are taken over?

What if every single non-white person in America is lost in one way or another? Relocated, murdered, or forced to live on the streets...

What if I am unable to contact anybody due to takeover of all communications? And cannot buy gas? Even if I'll be able to drive...?

When a professor of history writes, I am always, again, reminded of just what the white man has done to the non-white people in America, as early as the 1400s! Will my writer and reader friends--Black, Indigenous, Red, Brown, Yellow and from around the world, still be able to find my discussions about books and other issues of importance... For, now, surely, at my age, I am well aware that what is happening in America is instigated by those evil individuals who have chosen power and greed, over the Words of God--to Love...

The horrendous activities of ICE and others appointed to conduct violence behind masks or through military uniforms who are not, by our constitution, where they should be in the world previously known... came first,

But the master plan of stealing all funds which come into the government through taxes From All People... began quickly and millions have already died, lost their jobs and/or do not have money to pay bills and feed their children based upon actions by a republican party out of control, with the support of a majority republican supreme court, which was supposed to be nonpartisan, but has been bought either financially or through a continued power control that is illegal.

I do disagree, in a more positive way, that some have deserved it... I honestly believe that most, if not all republicans never realized that the party had been taken over even if everybody was telling them it was happening. Two people in my family responded to another's warning... "They won't do that!"

Yet they did and are continuing... I have already projected, based upon my own experience in a land-grant, federally and state-attached university bureaucracy that it will take an estimate of 100 years to actually return America to the point where we were in December 2024! Consider that an Executive Order, takes no more than 1 hour to create and sign to implement devastation such as was done with USAID which was totally dismantled in less than a month... There will never be a way to restore the lives of those who died because of this theft--yes, I call it theft since it was originally legally created and funded by the House which was in Office years ago...NOBODY approved DOGE and anything else that has been happening--even if a majority of the supreme court announced "immunity..." for a man who has totally take over based upon one word granted by 6 republicans!

For God 100 years is not a long time, but I can't help but remembered that I lost one year of my life auditing a multi-million dollar capital construction budget which had not been properly managed... Imagine what it will be for trying to get reauthorization for all the destruction of the offices and people who were eliminated who were doing exactly what they had been initially funded for before republicans chose to allow Trump's desire to be a dictator!

But I do see hope by the Black and brown people who are refusing to affirmatively do what Trump wants this country to do... Imagine, just like the Trump Riviera in Gaza, plan on having a Trump Tower in every large town across the nation, while no other company will be permitted to compete for providing a similar service--as just one example...

While I accept and agree with Professor's Smith's extraordinarily well-presented essay, I'm hoping that, instead, the following song will soon occur...

Because, no matter what the republicans are trying to do, I believe that God's Words Have Already Been Stated Clearly... Hopefully more will Fight against the loss of our Historical knowledge (via changes to public education and federally funded museums and other spaces), and once again turn to God's Truth and Love!

One Final Comment to Michael's question: For me and millions of Americans, nothing will happen... All God's Children live through the entire World and hopefully, Peace will ultimately reign... We want America to stay as it was as of December, 2024!


God Bless

Gabby

Mary Lynn Plaisance Shares "I Paid Attention" Response by GABixler - "Emotionally Damaged..."

 

The Sounds of Silence

You can't make someone like you.  It's impossible...   I PAID ATTENTION --I paid attention when I didn't get the invite. --I paid attention when I didn't get a thank you. --I paid attention when I didn't get the apology. --I paid attention when a room would go silent when I entered. --I paid attention when folks believed lies about me and never asked me. --I paid attention when they didn''t show up for me. --I paid attention when my important life events didn't even get a congratulatory phone call or text. --I paid attention to the disrespect, and yes, I took it personally. So now I rarely leave my bubble, my space. I choose my peace every time. If I make it to an event I'm invited to consider it a blessing. I raised the bar for who has the pleasure to be around MY SPIRIT. Because I have a good spirit. After three trips to the ER for anxiety from trying to make everyone happy, I'm done fighting the negative spirits that were created to belittle me. It took me a decade of crying and depression to numb three decades of a few envious family members and friends. But I finally did it and I'm at peace with myself. I say thank you everyday that this happened with only a handful of people. But it's always the ones you love deeply who do this, because strangers can't leave a deep wound inside of you. Strangers only leave little scratches. I don't understand cruelty and rudeness. I never will. So put on your crown, cry if you must, and hold your head high. You did all you could. Painting by me -- Mary Lynn Plaisance (c) titled--- "The Sound of Sadness." Web Site: Author Mary Lynn Plaisance ~~~ I've always thought of myself as the Black Sheep of the family... I still do... Though my experiences may have been different from Mary Lynn, still, at an emotional level, we are very much alike... --I knew from early in life that I was different... --I knew that having 4 members of my family touch me inappropriately, that it had changed me in some basic subtle way... --I knew that, even though youngest, I was perhaps the oldest in experience, knowledge...exposure... --I knew that exposure would affect me the rest of my life... --I knew, and recognized, that I had nothing in common with any of my family. --I knew that, at least, nobody was interested enough in me to ask about my life issues... --I knew that, somehow, my involvement in the church would not solve everything, even if that's what I was often told...  --I knew that seeing my mother, alone, working to raise 4 children, was hard... Even when an adult, we never really talked... --I knew that even when something happened in my life, members of my family would have no idea about it, or wouldn't care, if they did. --I knew I was included in holidays because I was part of family. --I knew also that they would never ask about me, my life, my concerns... --I knew that I was different and just a few within the family, 2 or 3 would ever really talk to me... and my life... --I knew that I had developed my work ethic from my mother... --But, when I was emotionally damaged through that work, that nobody would really try to understand exactly how I became "damaged..." --And, when I needed to share, I was sent to the church... or written a letter telling me that she hadn't realized I had been molested... --And, when another learned, she tried to say it didn't happen... --Books became my best and most loyal friend...and through those books, many true acquaintances who became friends, like Mary Lynn and those whose books I've read and talked about. I know that I have come full circle in my life. It has been mostly a happy life since I really never expected much from family, after all, it had never been there along the way... I know that my primary part of the family was that I was a good listener... and I did listen... But my life had become so much more than routine that nobody really could ever understand...and didn't even try to... My friends, my life, has been spent with those outside of my family for the majority of time. Now at my age, I, too, stay in my home, no longer needing any of my family who could never understand "me" as I am now... A totally different person to them, simply because they never really ever tried to know the person I am... and always had been. Two of the family members who most knew me are now gone... Quite accidentally, I met another one... She, too, is a good listener...And, now, I do have one person in the family who "loves my mind..." My damaged mind, still functioning, still alert, but still damaged... I value more and more those online friends and connections with whom I can relate. We talk books, I can learn and exchange ideas without fear of being "not understood..."  And, they would not, like several family members had done, scold me about the books I was reading--never seeing or caring that I "reviewed" books, which may or may not have changed me personally. And, in the end, that itself is sufficient... Thank you Mary Lynn for sharing your life with me...and, being willing to allow me to share my life with you!

But there is always another Friend... who listens, doesn't He? And, sometimes, sends an answer...