About ten years ago a member of my church in Houston gave me a copy of Peter Marshall's Light and the Glory and suggested that I read it. She thought it wonderfully expounded the foundation for America's providential destiny to become a city set on a hill that would bring light to the whole world.
Having grown up in New Mexico where colonial history is integrally tied to the Spanish Empire, I knew that Marshall's description of Christopher Columbus was mythology. Texas shares more of that history than other states, but few people there seem to know much about it.
The idea that Christopher Columbus was a "light-bearer" on a mission from God to bring the gospel to the new world is mythology. Columbus and his men were concerned with looting, plundering, raping, and murdering -- not with evangelization and mission work. Their atrocities were thoroughly documented by Catholic priest, Bartoleme De La Casa. Miguel De La Torre's essay "Columbus Day No Reason to Celebrate" on Ethics Daily does a good job of setting the historical record straight.
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De Las Casas was the first to voice the excesses of the conquistadores from Columbus to Coronado. Not many protestant missionaries or preachers under England or America had that kind of influence or results. The Spanish crown was slow to curb the excesses because there was too much money coming in (the King's fifth). To give the soldiers of fortune their due, in their minds the enslavement of the native population and confiscation of their property was ballanced by bringing them Christianity and giving them eternal life. Had any other European country come over here first there would have been no difference in what happened. To judge a person like Columbus he has to be judge by the time period he lived in, not by today's standards of morality.
Columbus drastically changed history. Opened up two new continents for an exploding population, greatly increased the variety in diet of the whole world, accelerated the advancement of science and technology which has resulted in our modern world. Did he intend to do all of this? No, was he after the gold and the glory? yes. Does that matter? No The results are what we live with.
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