The Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars begins in southwestern France. The Cathars maintain that the God of the Old Testament is actually the Devil. They also reject all forms of killing and food derived from any sexual act, such as meat, eggs, and milk. Arnaud, the commander of the Crusaders, conquers Béziers and executes 20,000 people. When asked how to distinguish the Cathars from Catholics, he replies, “Kill them all, God will recognize his own.”
