Pope Urban II launched the Crusades by combining sin remission with dehumanizing the enemy

Evidence

In 1095, Pope Urban II launched the Crusades with the following impassioned moral proclamation: “I address those present, I proclaim it to those absent; more-over, Christ commands it. For all those going thither there will be remission of sins if they come to the end of this fettered life.” He then dehumanized and bestialized the Muslim enemy: “Oh what a disgrace if a race so despicable, degenerate, and enslaved by demons, should overcome a people endowed with faith in Almighty God and resplendent in the name of Christ!” He then commands the faithful to vanquish the “barbarians”: “Let those who once fought against brothers and relatives now rightfully fight against the barbarians under the guidance of the Lord” (Geary, 2010). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 349

Categorization

• XREF: Directly connects to ‘Complaints About Immodesty’ article’s theme of moral framing of others, and to the medieval mindset literature. Also echoes the READING LIST ‘Things Fall Apart’ themes about justifiable violence.
• CANDY: The direct quote of Urban II promising sin remission while calling Muslims ‘a race so despicable, degenerate, and enslaved by demons’ is a perfect elevator-conversation fact.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 349