Columbus and a Christian Nation???

[Doc]

We are told in school that America was founded mainly on Christian Morals and was beneficial to all the world that Columbus "discovered" America! Are we failing to realize that millions of people already lived here and that as soon as settlements were created, the natives were enslaved because Europeans had convinced themselves that the Natives were inferior! And the widespread war and disease killed the majority of the population of Natives. That is not a very Christian thing. I am trying to understand the reasoning behind honoring Columbus for this deed. I think this phony idea of Eurocentrism and arrogance were the leading factor in the end of Native Rule. So in your opinion, was Columbus' s voyage a success or a failure? Please Explain!

 

[meogi]

Not sure where to put this... but it doesn't belong in Off-topic. General sounds good.

 

[jewscout]

We are told in school that America was founded mainly on Christian Morals and was beneficial to all the world that Columbus "discovered" America! Are we failing to realize that millions of people already lived here and that as soon as settlements were created, the natives were enslaved because Europeans had convinced themselves that the Natives were inferior! And the widespread war and disease killed the majority of the population of Natives. That is not a very Christian thing. I am trying to understand the reasoning behind honoring Columbus for this deed. I think this phony idea of Eurocentrism and arrogance were the leading factor in the end of Native Rule. So in your opinion, was Columbus' s voyage a success or a failure? Please Explain!

Well in those days they thought that putting people to the sword was a way of spreading Jesus' message. Whether the voyage was a "success" or not....i'd have to say no because he was really looking for India and ran into a giant landmass that blocked his way. But his "discovery" led to a new era in exploration that would change the face of European society forever.

As far as the Christian thing to do, there's some evidence that Columbus and some of his crew were Jews

 

[Green Gaia]

I think his voyage was inevitable. If it hadn't been him finding the "New World" it would have been someone else. Sadly, given the attitudes at the time against "primitive" people, I think the outcome would have probably been similar.

 

[painted wolf]

Well as Columbus wasn't the first, Lief Ericson (sp) came, set up a colony and all that, long before.

The outcome that time was surprizingly peacefull... in the end the colony failed and there is evidence that the surviors joined the local tribes. I'm always amused that the Vikings treated us with more respect and equality than the 'advanced' Christians that came later.

The movement of the Europeans into the Americas was inevitable, however the long standing genocide didn't have to be. The Genocide started in the 1500's and continued to the 1900's, that was over 500 years! The slaves had earned thier freedom and the Natives were still being hunted down like animals.

I have heard the estimate that more than 150 million people were killed in that genocide making it one of, if not the, largest and longest in history.

with that in mind I'm not one to celebrate Columbus day. :banghead3:

wa:do

 

[jewscout]

painted wolf,
I agree that Europeans killed many of the native people in the Americas but i think the vast majority of their deaths were due to the diseases Europeans brought with them.

Also the pheonicians beat the Vikings here. There's a cave the government's sealed off in Indiana i think that has Egyptian heiroglyphs(sp) and ancient hebrew.