Popes and religious leaders became more powerful, influencing politics in Europe. Those who did not conform to Christianity were seen as outsiders, meaning that in many areas, Muslims were not welcome and Islam was outlawed. The call to retake the holy city of Jerusalem caused warfare between Muslims and Christians that would last for hundreds of years. This was also the time of the Crusades, a series of religious wars and conquests led by the Catholic Church. These wars spread Christianity throughout all of Europe and the church became the center of community life. Jewish communities were also common in many parts of Europe. Christians began to resent the Jews because of the trade restrictions that the Jewish leaders put in place, and Christians began to think that violence was the answer, as they did with the Crusades. As violence increased, many Jews fled areas where they were not …show more content…
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all celebrated major milestones in a person’s life. From birth, children were welcomed into the world. Infants were baptized soon after birth in Christian homes, and infant males were circumcised throughout the Jewish and Muslim communities. Great emphasis was placed on the importance of childbirth. In all religions, women prayed and participated in rituals so that they may become pregnant. Marriage was celebrated, as was death. Christian priests believed it was important to visit a person soon before they died, giving them a blessing a last communion. There was then a funeral that allowed the family a time to grieve and remember the life of who had passed. Muslims fasted on behalf of the dead and mourned for a brief period. The views that Jews had on death varied because they placed much more emphasis on the living. They also mourned for those who had died, and performed a ritual every day for eleven months and then every year on the anniversary of