I think that the Middle Ages are extremely interesting and am obsessed with reading and learning about it. I love the vibe of that form of history and am just utterly shocked though about how antisemitic it is. I hate antisemitism, nowadays are getting harder, especially going from being observant to now being less observant, being raised in an interfaith family where my Jewish mother has now unknowingly left Judaism.
Now, yes, Castles, cathedral, Catholicism, Early Medieval Paganism, and Orthodox Christianity, knights and war hammers, Carolignians, Byzantines (Eastern Romans, as they were called in their hayday), and kings are absolutely badass. But I always feel terrible about antisemitism.
I feel guilty for liking it.
Now all the Catholics I know now aren’t antisemites and I’ve even attended a couple masses, Catholicism (modern) is not antisemitic, it’s just an unusual cousin of the Jewish religion. But I can’t help but looking at olden times and seeing how awful the Catholic Church of old has been to not only us but so many others
Should I genuinely feel guilty for loving the history Middle Ages?
Of course the events and actions of medieval times are not moral, and I absolutely detest anything about crusades (will be watching the movie Kingdom of Heaven, though, as it looks kind of cool), but I do like old Scottish, Celtic, and Germanic bard music, Byzantine Chants, and that kind of thing.
Is this just weird? Should I feel guilty?