Christianity in the New World
513 years ago today, Christopher Columbus landed in what is today the Bahamas, making him the first person to set foot in the New World… except for the people who had been living there for at least 10,000 years… and the Vikings… and possibly the Chinese, Egyptians, Romans, Celts, Portuguese, Polynesians and Africans… and maybe aliens. Well, there is little doubt that he was the first Genoese-born man sailing for Spain to reach the New World in October of 1492.
In honor of the anniversary of Columbus’ “discovery,” I did a little research and turned up some excerpts from his journal. Here are a few passages I found enlightening.
From the opening paragraphs:
and later in that same month, because of the report that I had given to Your Highnesses about the lands of India and about a prince who is called “Grand Khan,” which means in our Spanish language “King of Kings”; how, many times, he and his predecessors had sent to Rome to ask for men learned in our Holy Faith in order that they might instruct him in it and how the Holy Father had never provided them; and thus so many peoples were lost, falling into idolatry and accepting false and harmful religions; and Your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians and Princes, lovers and promoters of the Holy Christian Faith, and enemies of the false doctrine of Mahomet and of all idolatries and heresies, you thought of sending me, Christobal Colon, to the said regions of India to see the said princes and the peoples and the lands, and the characteristics of the lands and of everything and to see how their conversion to our Holy Faith might be undertaken.
October 12, 1492:
It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good servants and I am of opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they appear to have no religion.
November 6, 1492:
They are people, says the Admiral, quite lacking in evil and not warlike[…] I truly believe, most Serene Princes (the Admiral says here), that, given devout religious persons knowing thoroughly the language that they use, soon all of them would become Christian. And so I hope in Our Lord that Your Highnesses, with much diligence, will decide to send such persons in order to bring to the Church such great nations and to convert them, just as you have destroyed those that did not want to confess the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that after your days (for all of us are mortal) you will leave your kingdoms in a tranquil state, free of heresy and evil, and will be well received before the Eternal Creator, may it please Whom to give you long life and great increase of your kingdoms and dominions and the will and disposition to increase the Holy Christian Religion, as up to now you have done, amen. Today I pulled the ship off the beach and made ready to leave on Thursday, in the name of God
That last passage is interesting, isn’t it? Columbus says that the native peoples are “lacking in evil and not warlike.” In contrast, he talks about the Inquisition back in Spain and says that he hopes Spain can be left “in a tranquil state, free of heresy and evil.” Perhaps Columbus, who came from a land fraught with heresy and evil done in the name of religion, upon finding another land with no evil, no war and no religion, should have seen what he could learn, and not what he could teach. Alas, information flowed the wrong way across the Atlantic, and those who followed Columbus soon found a cure for the peace and goodness he had “discovered.”
~I AM~
October 12th, 2005 at at 8:37 pm
I don’t understand why Columbus Day is still a national holiday…
[insert reference to Spanish Inquisition sketch]
October 12th, 2005 at at 8:59 pm
I’m with Seth. A holiday for someone who got lost? We’re named after Amerigo Vespucci, for Ramen’s sake! Small wonder that Native Americans protest this outrageous holiday.
I guess no one expects the Portugese Inquisition, either.
October 12th, 2005 at at 9:00 pm
I find it interesting to note that for the longest time the church never wanted others to be able to read the bible. The very man who translated the bible from Latin to English (which later became the basis for the King James bible) was accused of heresy. It was the fear of the priests losing control over their middlemen jobs among other factors, I suppose.
I imagine the reason the church would not want to teach the natives that Columbus encountered was because they were seen as inferior. Slavery was popular at that time as well. That had a little to do with it too. Overall, it was because their religion encourages racism and bigotry and divides people.
Other than maybe Ghandi, I can’t think of any instances where a person or people who were inherently peaceful and “quite lacking in evil and not warlike” survived the onslaught of forceful, warlike people.
October 12th, 2005 at at 10:44 pm
Ironically, King James is rumored to have been gay.
I recently took an early American history class in which we studied Columbus. One of our textbooks, believe it or not, was A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn. I had already read it, but I did not remember all the gory details. Pardon my lousy Spanish, but Columbus was a loco cabrón. He found the natives “uncivilized” because they did not share his Bushwacked values of not sharing and of exploiting and raping and pillaging and killing with foreign diseases like smallpox and measles.
October 12th, 2005 at at 11:32 pm
I have also read excerpts from his diaries, as well as Zinn’s masterful presentation of the events of history. That the USA celebrates Columbus day is an insult to every decent human being on this planet.
It’s “look what a white guy did” day, reinforcing our ethnocentrisms, for it serves no other value, as you pointed out. If you read more about ol’ Chris, he “in the name of God” did many other horrifying things, like cutting the hands off of teenagers, children, and adult men and women for failing to bring him enough gold within a three month period. They had to earn a “I survive with my hands for another three months” token from the Spanish– an animist (to his eyes, atheist) people who knew no war and according to Columbus, “were most friendly, and smiled all the time.”
My friends rarely understand why I get so angry on this holiday, but then again most people can’t understand why they should respect my wish to have my national pledge and motto not contain a deity.
October 13th, 2005 at at 1:06 am
Columbus was a hack. His only real talent was as a PR man for himself, which is why we still remember him.
The Spanish, from what first hand accounts I’ve read, seemed to have an od view of many of the natives: “they are peaceful people, with simple customs. Thus, they are in desparate need of Christ.”
October 13th, 2005 at at 4:03 am
U.S. settlers moving west wiped out the Indians, and forced them into reservations to “civilize” them, also with a religious bent. Religion sucks big balls.
October 13th, 2005 at at 9:14 am
This is great stuff. It certainly sheds new light, for me, on Columbus. Tanooki Joe, that’s a great line about the simple people needing religion. That really seems to resonate in today’s culture where the “simpler” the folk, the stronger the hold of religion.
And to make matters worse, I’ve always worked jobs where I had to work on that holiday. Columbus, the fucker. I can’t even get a day off to celebrate the destruction he caused.
October 13th, 2005 at at 9:22 am
Native: “Praise be you Columbus for bringing us the gift of shame”
October 13th, 2005 at at 9:28 am
I don’t think anybody actually gets Columbus day off - the bastard. It was friggin Thanksgiving up here (yay for Canada) and I had to work!
Anyways, I’ve always thought Columbus was a real hack. He found America by complete accident and was far from the first to do so. Go team!
October 13th, 2005 at at 11:48 am
How lame that we celebrate this holiday. It has alot less respect and grandeur than it used to 50 years ago, but still… its celebrated wey too much as a good thing.
What an idiot. He called the natives “Indians” and we still use this incorrect term today.
I loved your opening paragraph I AM, as well as the end where you talked about how they arent warlike but he still wanted to bring them to the church etc…
October 13th, 2005 at at 1:02 pm
There is a great book by Hans Koning called “Columbus: His Enterprise”. After reading it, you will have not doubt what a completely lucky and ruthless bastard Columbus was. But lets not forget, Columbus was a product of his society, which was basically dictated by Christianity.
October 13th, 2005 at at 3:21 pm
“A land with no evil” ? You are betraying your regressive, anti-technological leanings a bit too hard here. The myth of the Noble Indian was a cliché twenty years ago, get on with the times and real history.
Putting this utter nonsense on such a great blog is, I hope, a one-shot mistake.
October 13th, 2005 at at 4:05 pm
Francois, RA was using the words of Columbus. Of course no land has no evil…….well atleast no land where humans live.
This was always my favorite, “The Requirement” which Spanish ‘explorers’ read to new people they found. They were ordered to read it by the church, remember it was read in Spanish and often no where near the native inhabitants (not that it mattered since the natives didn’t speak Spanish:
I implore you to recognize the Church as a lady and in the name of the Pope take the King as lord of this land and obey his mandates. If you do not do it, I tell you that with the help of God I will enter powerfully against you all. I will make war everywhere and every way that I can. I will subject you to the yoke and obedience to the Church and to his majesty. I will take your women and children and make them slaves…The deaths and injuries that you will receive from here on will be your own fault and not that of his majesty nor of the gentlemen that accompany me.”
oh followers of the prince of peace do love to kill…
October 13th, 2005 at at 4:08 pm
and the following is from Columbus’ journal:
“I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men and govern them as I pleased.”
which is pretty much what happened.
October 13th, 2005 at at 5:12 pm
At least the bastard died from an STD. That’s what you get for voraciously raping women…bastard.
October 13th, 2005 at at 6:37 pm
Joe:
RA was using the words of Columbus
Did the Raving Atheist post about this, too? I missed it.
Franc:
“A land with no evil” ? You are betraying your regressive, anti-technological leanings a bit too hard here. The myth of the Noble Indian was a cliché twenty years ago, get on with the times and real history.
Putting this utter nonsense on such a great blog is, I hope, a one-shot mistake.
Did you read the post? I never said North America was a land without evil. Joe doesn’t know who I am, but he’s right about what I said.
By the way, I have no such regressive, anti-technological leanings. If you’re going to make an ad hominem attack, you should know something about the hominis in question. Nice first comment on this “great blog,” by the way.
October 13th, 2005 at at 6:40 pm
Francois Tremblay Says:
“A land with no evil” ? You are betraying your regressive, anti-technological leanings a bit too hard here. The myth of the Noble Indian was a cliché twenty years ago, get on with the times and real history.
Putting this utter nonsense on such a great blog is, I hope, a one-shot mistake.
Wow, not only are you dickish, but you obviously didn’t pass reading comprehension, either. Perhaps next time you should read for detail before you spout off psuedo-intellectual bullshit and then toss in backhanded compliment to boot.
October 14th, 2005 at at 12:00 am
I AM,
RA = Reluctant Atheist
October 14th, 2005 at at 12:24 am
Mookie:
I didn’t quote Columbus, for the record.
I think Joe was talking about the ‘Raving Atheist’?
Damn, maybe I should get another sobriquet?
October 14th, 2005 at at 3:18 am
I don’t hate Columbus Day. Romanticising the man is not a whole lot worse than dismissing him outright. I’m sure he was an ignorant ass… just like of course he (at least) played/talked/wrote like a religious nut… that’s how things got done 500 years ago.
Landing here was, well, a big feat but yes, it’d had been done (and hey, plenty of folks had walked here long, long before!) but what was new was (1) heading back to Europe and telling prominent powerful people about this “new” land and (2) making 3 more trips out there.
Yes, a lot of the problems of Europe were brought over (plus this allowed space to create new ones) but the Americas weren’t paradise before he got here and how hypocritical of me would it be wish things just would’ve been left as they were?
October 14th, 2005 at at 4:11 am
My mistake. I should end all sentences with a question mark to admit my fallibility?
October 14th, 2005 at at 11:14 am
Uberkuh,
Thats interesting that you took a class where the book was a Howard Zinn book. I actually have a few Howard Zinn books. He seems to be obsessed with telling stories of struggle of the underdog vs. the big tyrant. Hedeos it well though. Very well researched that guys stuff is.
October 14th, 2005 at at 11:58 am
mountmccabe wrote:
“I’m sure he was an ignorant ass… just like of course he (at least) played/talked/wrote like a religious nut… that’s how things got done 500 years ago.”
Good point. You could take any time in history and make fun of just about any person, since we know more today than yesterday about most things. No challenge, but lottsa fun, and it’s pretty much how we learn if you think about it, which is why sarcasm is awesome!!!
October 14th, 2005 at at 12:37 pm
Sorry about the RA reference………bouncing around Atheistic propoganda sites caused me a moment of confusion…
Yes Columbus was an ass….that is a given.
The real issue is what we teach our children. Have you looked at a middle or high school history book lately? They are filled with just as many fairytails as the bible, koran, and torah. The reason kids hate history is the same reason they hate going to sunday school or catechism(sp?). It is mainly made up bs meant to improve a certain groups self image (valient brave honest explorers found the America’s, humans are made in gods image…etc, etc).
You want people to be better citizens, then they need to understand history. This is not accomplished by ignoring the warts and simply making up stories that tug at the heart strings or simply enduce pride.
The day the govt. changes Columbus Day to The Day Columbus Arrived to Steal, Rape, Enslave, and Destroy Societies Throughout the Caribbean Fore Monetary Gain Day, I’ll be satisfied.
Lies from teachers, politicians, and preachers all need to be exposed…
October 14th, 2005 at at 12:50 pm
Joe:
Sorry about the RA reference
No worries. I suppose I should be flattered. Besides, if you’re defending me, you can call me whatever you want. There are others referring to me by the name of a certain orange tuber, so it can’t get much worse than that.
October 14th, 2005 at at 12:55 pm
Yeah, Aaron, I agree, and I wish there were more history books like his. Here is a good resource for some of Zinn’s work.
October 14th, 2005 at at 2:53 pm
He seems to be obsessed with telling stories of struggle of the underdog vs. the big tyrant.
History is usually written by the victor. I think Zinn is trying to get the other side’s view.
Yes, a lot of the problems of Europe were brought over (plus this allowed space to create new ones) but the Americas weren’t paradise before he got here and how hypocritical of me would it be wish things just would’ve been left as they were?
Of course, very few of us would want to give up what we have today for what we lacked in earlier generations. I don’t think the problem is progress itself, because in general, it is a good thing. I think the problem is the attitude that the “civilized” world has had toward the “uncivilized” world. Instead of trying to understand each other and gradually assimilate the two worlds as peacefully as possible, the trend has been for the civilized world to impose itself upon the uncivilized world because the civilized world views itself as superior and view the “savages” as almost inhuman. There is no doubt that the civilized world has had much to offer the uncivilized world. But this doesn’t necessarily give them the right to forceably impose their society upon the less fortunate just because they can. We may know what is best for them, but we shouldn’t have to kill them and destroy their society in order to convince them of that.
So just because some new world isn’t a paradise doesn’t give the invaders a right to conquer. Unless of course you have God on your side, then you are doing the Lord’s work.
October 14th, 2005 at at 4:19 pm
Bruce said:
“History is usually written by the victor. I think Zinn is trying to get the other side’s view.”
That’s pretty much exactly what he says he’s doing, at least in my sociology text, of which he is the primary author.
October 14th, 2005 at at 4:30 pm
Bruce - I agree with all your points save one– I’m not entirely sure we “civilized” types know more than those who are not. Yes, we have more comforts and gadgets, but I think in the long term we may see civilization as one of mankind’s worst ideas. Assuming we all survive it.
October 15th, 2005 at at 12:18 am
Something occurred to me last night. There’s a whole lot of space between hating Columbus and thinking it’s a good idea to have a federal holiday for the guy. I can respect that what Columbus did was important for our nation without wanting there to be a national Columbus Day.
October 15th, 2005 at at 9:45 am
You know what would have been so cool? If we had been named Vespuccica.
This is what I get for missing two days, I end up at the end of the comments. Oh well, good post.
October 15th, 2005 at at 4:10 pm
Mookie: “I should end all sentences with a question mark to admit my fallibility?”
No, the confusion was my fault, unintentional tho it may have been. I was just clarifying, to avoid confusion.
Sorry.