The Crusades were a bloody period of history where almost everyone was pledged to one specific banner or another. These were just as often divided by race as they were by creed or even political ideology but the end result was the same – factions clashed over disagreements and were spurred on by what they perceived as divine mandate.
It was during these era that the divine warriors known as Paladins and the priests known as Clerics came to the fore. They led their forces knowing that they had the backing of their divine benefactors. While this may have been true it would seem that the gods were not picking favourites and so the bloodshed carried on.