Crusades

The Crusades are invoked as one example in Christopher John Francis Boone’s argument that rules are often broken, even when their wording appears absolute. Alongside the two world wars and the Gulf War, they make the prohibition on killing seem sharply at odds with the history of Christian participation in war.

The Historical Example

The reference appears in a discussion of rules and their limits. Christopher first points to everyday violations: Father drives faster than the speed limit, sometimes drives after drinking, and often does not wear a seat belt. He then widens the comparison from individual conduct to history, setting the Bible’s commandment against killing beside the Crusades, two world wars, and the Gulf War.

What the Reference Demonstrates

For Christopher, the examples show that people do not consistently follow rules, even when those rules are stated plainly. The Crusades are not described as a particular episode or examined for their causes; their role is to stand among the wars that make the gap between religious command and human action visible. This contrast supports his broader difficulty with rules that appear simple in principle but are contradicted in practice.