Most of us made paper ships and colored pages depicting Columbus’ trip to “prove that the world” was round and “discovery of America”. A little research, however, reveals that amazing civilizations with millions of indigenous people had been built long before Columbus arrived in the Caribbean and scientists had known for centuries before that the world was round!
More importantly,
many are taught that Columbus’ voyages
played a major role in the
“Christian heritage of America”.
Is this erroneous teaching, as well?
Let’s allow the personal letters and journals of
Columbus and his crewmen
to speak for them:
Q: Admiral Columbus, what was the purpose for your voyages?
A: I shall remain till I collect as much [gold and spices] as possible, and for this purpose I am proceeding solely in quest of them.
Q: What kind of people was native to the land?
A: They are artless and generous with what they have. …and show as much lovingness as though they would give their hearts. They should be good servants and intelligent. They neither carry nor know anything of arms.
Q: What was your intention regarding them?
A: …with fifty men they can all be subjugated and made to do what is required of them. ….they were a people who could be more easily freed and converted to our holy faith by love than by force….
Q: How did you go about demonstrating “love” to them?
A: So that they might be well-disposed towards us, I gave to some red caps and to others glass beads, which they hung around their neck, and many other things of little value.
Q: After acquiring their favor, how did Columbus’ crew go about converting them, nobleman Cuneo?
A: We gathered …one thousand six hundred male and female…, and these we embarked in our caravels.
Q: What did you do with them, Admiral Columbus?
A: It is possible, with the name of the Holy Trinity, to sell all the slaves which it is possible to sell.
Q: How did you demonstrate “love” to the women?
A: A hundred castellanoes are as easily obtained for a woman as for a farm …there are plenty of dealers who go about looking for girls; those from nine to ten (years old) are now in demand.
Q: Cuneo, what about you?
A: I captured a very beautiful Carib woman…with whom I wanted to put my pleasure into execution but she did not want it…. …I took a rope and thrashed her well…. Finally we came to an agreement.
Q: Father Las Casas, what did you observe Columbus’ crew doing “in the Name of Jesus”?
A: They hanged 13 natives at a time in honor of Christ Our Saviour and the 12 Apostles. Straw was wrapped around their torn bodies and they were burned alive. They took babies from their mothers’ breasts, grabbing them by their feet and smashing them against rocks. They would cut an Indian’s hands and leave them dangling by a shred of skin and threw others to the dogs and thus were torn to pieces.
(Las Casa copied Columbus’ personal journal - http://www.lascasas.org/lascasaswritings.htm)
Q: After the Pope granted absolute power of the “New World” to Spain, how did they demonstrate Jesus to the natives, Admiral Columbus?
A: They were told to accept "the Church as the Ruler and Superior of the whole world" or:
We shall take you and your wives and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as their Highnesses may command; and we shall take away your goods, and shall do all the harm and damage that we can.
Q: After acquiring much wealth, how would you advise others about riches?
A: …he who has it [gold] does all he wants in the world, and can even lift souls up to Paradise.
Q: How would you encourage others to share the “Love of Jesus”, as you so boldly did?
A: No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service.
Q: Mr. Columbus, as you near the end of your life, how would you describe yourself?
A: I ought to be judged as a captain who for such a long time up to this day has borne arms without laying them aside for an hour.
Q: Chief Hatuey, before you were burned alive,
“a Franciscan friar urged [you] to take Jesus to [your] heart so that
[your] soul might go to heaven, rather than descend into hell.”
How did you respond to this “Christian Heritage” introduced by Columbus?
A: If heaven is where the Christians go, I would rather go to hell.
Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie
DISCLAIMER:
The author of this article does not endorse everything represented on/in suggested links, books, etc. Each of us is accountable to God to weigh everything according to His Word.
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