Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Actually this very thought is not new as it was debated back in 1540's & 50's A Dominican named Bartolome de las Casas wrote a letter to the King of Spain (which is now a book, called "In defense of the Indians") basically arguing that the conquistadors were doing a lousy job of spreading Christianity and by their barbaric behavior were in fact destroying any possibility of real conversion... Casas also gave positive examples of peaceful conversion in Guatemala. Anyhow... Casas argues against the letter/teaching/theology of a man named Sepulveda who felt Indians had no souls thus were not subject to natural law.... or something like that... Bartolome and others apparently convinced the King that this was not right as the King decreed several times that the Conquistadors were not to enslave the Indians or force them to carry or do anything against their will.... and were in fact to pay them fair wages etc.... which led to the first revolt by the conquistadors against the crown. After all the conquistadors felt they deserved to be able to enslave Indians they had "conquered". As Emanuel pointed out, not only did the conquistadors enslave the Indians... but so did the Roman Catholic Church. So...... there is more to the story than simplified version found in generalized text and guide books. And I've simplified it for brevity as it is getting way... off.... topic Duane (which isn't a Biblical, Hebrew or Leica accessory name) Birkey HCJB World Radio Quito Ecuador Duane's Photographs of Ecuador http://ecuadorphotos.tripod.com Emanuel wrote: It's worth remembering that in places like Ecuador (where I've been with my Leicas -- phew, got in something on topic) and the rest of Latin America, the church and the murderous gold diggers came together on the same stinking ships. After the aboriginal people there were infected with diseases, slaughtered by musketry, their land stolen, their societies ravaged, it seemed the perfect time to save them with Jesus' message of peace and love and the brotherhood of all men. Pretty clever, I'd say, if one was bent on global domination. And the same thing is happening right now in aboriginal communities around the world -- where I still go with my Leicas and all the latest glass Solms designs. - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html