WHY DID SPAIN CONQUER IN THE NAME OF GOD?
Why did Spain conquer in the name of God? Perhaps, history provides us with answers. Much of Christianity became compromised from the time it was embraced as the religion of ancient Rome (380 AD), a conqueror in the ancient world. Prior to this, Rome’s legalization of the religion had stopped the persecutions of early Christians. Some had even been fed to the lions as entertainment for ancient Romans in their Colosseum.
Yet, the eventual reality for the church was that it was infiltrated by this callous ruling class of ancient Rome. The wealthy were the only ones who were educated, and the church became a political entity under their leadership. There were other churches, such as, the Orthodox and Coptic Churches. These churches eventually parted ways from Roman tyranny over theological differences. However, the colonizers were influenced by the church’s acceptance of tyranny.
Emperor Constantine claimed to have had a vision where he was told that he would conquer by the sign of the cross (312 AD). At this point, he embraced the Christian faith, putting an end to the persecutions by 313 AD. Constantine called for what the historic church refers to as the first Church Council. But, he did not even get baptized until he was on his deathbed. Like other Roman emperors, Constantine was worshiped. He also continued to rule with the same harsh justice as he had before he took an interest in Christianity.
However, the church was never supposed to be under the authority of an emperor or a king. Also, Christianity was never intended to be a state religion. God has given freedom of choice to humanity. The earthly ministry of Jesus Christ illustrated a respect for our God-given free will.
COLONIZERS REPRESENTED TYRANNY, NOT GOD
So, the tyrannical acts of worldly rulers throughout the Christian Church’s history are a product of their own behavior. These rulers were not inspired to conquer. They were not acting by a “Divine Right.” These worldly claims to God’s authority were in serious error. If you study the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; then you are able to understand what God is actually like. He does not inspire conquering, forced religion, or inquisitions.
God did not inspire the Spanish possession decree* nor its accompanying ceremony. During the ceremony, the document was read in Spanish to people of other languages throughout the world. God did not inspire the greed of worldly rulers either. This greed was of their own nature.
It is God’s will that Christ’s followers adhere to the teaching of His Son. God would never want those, who claim to be Christ’s followers, to assist a tyrant to carry out their evil. Sadly, many of the people, who served under these tyrants, were illiterate. Estimates of Spain’s literacy rates in the 1500s range from eleven to fifteen per cent. For those who could read, Bibles had only been printed in 1452 after the invention of the printing press. Before that, only the church had hand-written Bibles for their clergy. Thus, there were limited opportunities for lay people to read the scriptures.
The people relied on what they were told by their religious or governing authorities. So, many were being forced to do these acts of conquest out of ignorance of God’s ways. Most, who followed the orders, did not know that they were being used by tyrants to do their bidding. As a result, God has been grossly misrepresented by some European kingdoms.
THE CHURCH WAS SABOTAGED, BUT NOT ABANDONED
Although the church was sabotaged in ancient times, God has still worked to bring about salvation for its members. At the time of the Christian Reformation, some Christians began to address obvious atrocities within the Roman Catholic Church. When Martin Luther began the Reformation, indulgences were being sold to the wealthy for forgiveness of their sins. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church was selling salvation. This changed during the Counter Reformation. But, in light of what I have shared, reforms are still needed. Even one of the reformed churches made a monarch the head of their church. These branches of the church will truly be reformed when they serve God, instead of the interests of power-hungry royals or aristocrats.
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*Excerpts From the Spanish Possession Ceremony