Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.latimes.special From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: IN QUEST OF SAINTHOOD Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 07:57:14 EST Message-ID: HEADLINE: IN QUEST OF SAINTHOOD Publication Date: Sunday November 15, 1992 BYLINE: Bates accurately described Las Casas' efforts to protect New World Indians from Spanish persecution, but religious fervor has blinded Parish. The worst devastation of native culture was not the work of the soldiers and landowners she condemns but that of the missionaries she exalts. In both Catholic Latin America and Protestant North America, only compliant Indians enjoyed even nominal acceptance. Since the Indian gods were false, Europeans reasoned, their native cultures must be inferior--a conclusion driven to genocidal limits by Christianity's relentless missionary impulse. Indians who rejected the white man's religion were persecuted and exterminated. In fact, even Las Casas advocated humane treatment of Indians only within the context of conversion. FORREST G. WOOD PROFESSOR OF HISTORY CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD This article is copyright 1992 The Los Angeles Times Home Edition. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM