Re: The Reputation Hilarity/Insanity thread
Both Christianity and Islam are "universal salvation religions", which means that, which means that they believe that 1) the messag of the religion applies to all people everywhere at all times, and 2) you're doomed if you don't convert to the religion in question.
Basically, this kind of religious foundation tends to breed a strongly expansionistic view, so unsurprisingly, both Muslim and Christian groups have been able to legitimize their conquests and other oppressive acts (like slavery, colonization, or ethnic cleansing).
The key phrase here is "legitimize". If you actually go in and study the history, there's serious contention about just how "pious" and faith-based these conquests actually were. It's sort of like Western military intervetions in our present times. There are people who talk about how it's about expanding human rights and democracy and all that, but at the same time it's clear that several of these interventions are about ensuring that countries remain willing to trade with us so we can keep making money, or so that they won't align with an enemy state or whatever. So an Spanish conquistador might say he's all about the baby Jesus becoming famous with the Carib Indians or whatever, but whether that is his actual goal, or if he's just in it for the sweet, sweet gold isn't necessarily dependent on what they say.