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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (12405)	4/25/2001 7:41:45 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

In the conquest of the Americas millions of native people's were killed- by disease, and by slaughter. All for the greater glory of God. Actually, the Glory of God was purely an excuse for that. It was almost entirely economic -- the riches of the East, land for the landless, etc. Columbus was NOT sent on a religious mission. Purely business. The early colonies here, while some were settled to escape religious persecution, were basically economic colonies. When it comes right down to it, money and political ideology have been a lot more important in the mass slaughters of history than religion. Not that religion hasn't played a part -- after all, Islam was spread by the sword -- but money and politics trump religion cold.

To: epicure who wrote (12405)	4/25/2001 11:51:01 PM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 82486

I do not think that Indians were generally killed for the glory of God. Certainly, Franciscans protested the Conquistidors treatment of the Meso- American tribes, and the Pope admonished Spain, if ineffectually. The Catholic and Protestant conflicts are painful to contemplate, of course. But it doesn't matter much. I have stated that I think we have developed morally, learning that the norms of liberal democracy, including civil liberties, are better than the norms of autocracy, which mandated that subjects confess the faith of their rulers, even if it violated their conscience.