In the 17th century, the Spanish Conquistadors steadily moved southward from Mexico into South America in their search for gold and other valuables. To say these men were cruel would be an understatement as they murdered and subjugated the local native populations and treated many as slaves. When these Conquistadors arrived in what is now the region around La Paz Bolivia, they encountered the Quechua native Indians. The Quechua were a peaceful people greatly skilled in the carving of silver jewelry and ornaments. Needless to say, the Conquistadors lusted after the silver and used both persuasive and draconian measures to get the Quechua to provide vast quantities of silver.
However, the amount of silver started to diminish and most of the Quechua men and boys were forced to work long hours in the mines under very dangerous conditions. Provisions of food for the families was in short supply and this caused an uprising. The ruthlessness of the Conquistador commander in putting down this uprising is still legend to this day in Bolivia. The commander would have public executions by tying to arms and legs of a man to four horses and then whip the horses until they tore the man's limbs from his body. This extremely gruesome way of putting the uprising down worked to subdue the population.
Just at the moment these executions were taking place, Catholic Priests arrived to convert the people to Catholicism. The Catholic Church had actually been fairly successful in converting other subjugated native people, but had no such success in Bolivia. After a year of very few conversions, the Chief of the Quechua was summoned to a meeting with the head Priest. The Priest told him of the salvation of Christ and then asked the Chief if he wanted to go to heaven. The Chief simply replied, 'Not if you are there.'
I am a born again believer in Christ, but I look at the mean spirited political activities of quite a few so called Christians in the USA and I wonder, 'Do these people understand Christ's message, or have they redacted the Second Commandment from their Bibles?' I personally am against abortion, but the hatred being spewed by both Christians and secularists over this issue is sickening. Some have actually been murdered over this issue. Is that what Christ taught? I'm against Gay marriage for my own moral and religious reasons, but I'm not going to deride a person for their sexual orientation. Where or where in the Bible does it command us to bash Gay people. If you don't agree with a person, leave them alone.
I am just shocked by the lack of compassion from way too many so called Christians. It seems that political idealism trumps the message of Christ in way too many churches. To not show compassion is a clear violation of the Second Commandment. The Second Commandment does not tell anyone to bash, deride or hate others. The Second Commandment tells us to love others. Jesus Christ preached love and compassion. He did not preach it's okay to hate for political or even social reasons. A Christian who does the opposite of Jesus Christ's teachings is not doing the will of God and there's no excuse.
Maybe your preacher says it's okay to be filled with rage, anger and hatred, but I don't think that preacher is God. Who do you trust, God or man? The Quechua Chief told the Catholic Priest he did not want to be in heaven, if his abusers were there. Are you abusing people with your political and social anger to the point that they don't want to be in heaven with you? Are you responsible for turning people away and against belief in Christ because of how you treat other people? Who is your God? Think about this. Our country needs compassion.
The story I told is a true story told to me by Christian teacher who went to Bolivia. The story was told to him by a Quechua native.
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Comments: 46
Great article.
It was truly heartbreaking to learn there, as well as in Peru, from Quechua and Amayru guides of the mita (the practice of entrapping campesinos for forced labor in the silver mines of La Potosi of which you speak in the opening of your article, William, those who want more info check out http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mita if you understand Spanish).
Christians have been distorting the liberating message of Jesus Christ for two thousand years, and your point is well taken. The most disgusting heartbreak can be found at the supposedly Christian site, http://www.godhatesfags.com, where the homophobia at the heart of the ´reconstructed´Christian family message reaches new unpalatable depths. Nietzche was right: By the late 19th Century most Christian denominations no longer believed in the ¨imitation of Christ¨as envisioned by the mystical Thomas A Kempis, they had completed the ¨transvaluation of values¨at the heart of Jesus´¨love thy neighbor as thyself´teachings. No wonder the German philosopher declared, ¨God is dead!¨Perhaps he was referring to the way unquestioned belief and dogma blights the soul of one who would become fresh and new in ¨ the Word that was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us. ¨
It seems that religion divides as many times as it unites.
I just came from a closing where the repair man, who advertised himself as a Christian workman doing God's work, fleeced a 83 year old woman, with strong religious beliefs, out of $7000 to replace a garage roof. In this part of the country that wouldn't be over $1,500 on a bad day.
I remember learning about the Conquistadors a long
time ago what you said they did to men made me ill.
Like Elsie said we are all forunate to know you. I do
kinda like what Norma said too. Thank you for those
beautiful flowers you gave me William, and for all the
great comments you have given on my articles. *smiles*
Kelsey has joined Gather with her Mother so
she can write her poems and stories then her
Mother will get the points.
kelseyshelley.gather.com
Gandhi, who was a Hindu, studied Christianity for many years and was impressed.
In fact, he said that he would consider conversion to this belief if it wasn't for the Christians that we meet.
I believe in hope, faith and love and I try to practise it every day. I don't turn against Christianity because there are som rotten apples. I feel that it's up to me to show what Christianity really means.
If each one of us became an example of a being an applied Christian the world would improve. Each one of us must put up his/her hand and say that I'm going to do what I can regardless of what the evil minded do.
Even on Gather there is a Christian or two that does not apply the 10 commandments but that should not stop me from doing so.
(Paraphase:) And the lawyers seeking to trap Jesus, asked 'What is the greatest commandment?' And Jesus answered 'To love one another as you would love yourself.'
(end paraphrase.)
Now if you have never heard in a sermon (as I have never heard) where Jesus got this from (note, it is not one of the "ten") then you follow a preacher that really doesn't understand the path set by Jesus.
I had to find the source myself, by accident, in the Bible. And the way becomes clear.
Sadly, it meant no more organized churches for me, for like Abe Lincoln, I cannot join a church if it does not understand the golden rule.
and I agree...
Jesus taught through actions exactly how to treat others, even under extreme pressure and chidingfor eating with a tax collector, or fratanizing with harlots of those times( to name a few)..and had no more words for a righteous rich man , who in seeking confirmation of his place in heaven, could not even think of giving up his possessions. He held forgiveness in his heart for those misled by the ways of this world as they put the sword in his side.
Whether you believe as a christian or not...the fact is that he exsisted and led a termendous example of love and compassion and was willing to die for it.
I believe greed and elitism and predjuice are the ways of very miserably misled people who live in fear of the truth that we are all equal.
but the preached dogma of and the personal practice of ALL formal religions has never meshed...the old 'do as I say not as i do'....
I was still able to dig it out, dear Bill, and I fully understand this Quechua Chief... IF only I had to choose whether I go to hell with my agnostic father and all my non-Christian friends, or to Heaven with all those narrow-minded, judgmental, self-proclaimed "Christians", there would be no question which of these two options I choose. Great post! :-)
Blessings and best wishes - S.