Understanding Colonialism Through the View of Religion, History and Philosophy

I can't help but to reflect back upon my image of the colonization of the Americas by the Spanish explorers from my years in public education. There were visions of noble explorers claiming new lands for their King and Queen, with no hint of the ugliness that actually occurred. The public education version is a well sanitized version of the events of Spanish exploration as well as much of the early history of the exploration of the Americas.

While some may object to this sanitized approach, I think that it is appropriate, especially when the explorers are introduced in the fourth grade. Fourth graders do not need to hear the truth of the explorers at such an early age. Their initial study should serve as an introduction or a foundation of knowledge.

When the events of Spanish exploration are examined more closely, the ugliness is apparent. It is interesting to note the realms of thought that the explorers and their society may have been engaged in that supported their beliefs and their sense of "rightness" of their actions. Their philosophy and view of themselves in their society were strong driving factors. Perhaps the most powerful driving force was their beliefs, their interpretations of the divine will that they used to support their objectives.

There was an air of social superiority of the culture of the explorers in which they felt that their actions were justified because of their perceived moral and social beliefs. The finest clothing, elaborate rituals, and the best technology of their time period gave the explorers a strong sense of self righteousness. They had the best of everything and had to consider themselves more superior than those that did not share their concept of material possessions and social order.

The native population did not even understand the concept of the sword, resulting in cut hands when the natives gripped the sword by the blade. This initial "grasp" of the new invading explorers and technology was painful to those natives and could serve as an ironic example of the greater pain that these new people with their new technology would inflict upon the native population.

The perceived moral superiority of one culture over another culture has been a driving force throughout history. The westward expansion of the newly established United States could be viewed as an act of arrogance brought on by a view of moral superiority. Exploration, which may result in conquest, usually stems from the idea of being superior either socially or philosophically. African people were forced into slavery because of the perceived moral and social superiority of those who kept them in bondage. Even today, events are shaped, either on a local or global scale, due to perceived superiority. Africans slaughter those that are beneath them, the United States invades Iraq because of an air of superiority and wounded pride brought on by events that seem clear cut on the surface, but grow murky upon closer examination. The extremist Islamic factions kill hostages and their own people due to their own sense of superiority.

At the heart of the perceived social and philosophical superiority lies an unfortunately more insidious form of superiority, that of religious superiority. Religion and the interpretation of it has been a driving force in many of the events of history and it continues to be a driving force today.

The desire of humanity to understand the nature of their world, the origin of their world and the greater force behind themselves is vital in the makeup of the human character. Humans need gods to believe in, to thank for the good times and blame for the bad times. While the concept of if there is one supreme intellect behind the fabric of reality is beyond the scope of this paper, it is the belief in that being that is one of the most profound driving forces in human society.

As faiths are established, the interpretation of those faiths can vary wildly, causing extremes in behavior. The Christian faith, when closely examined, is a faith of peace and tolerance. Yet it has been interpreted in such a fashion that it served to justify the actions of the Spanish explorers. This interpretation or misinterpretation of religion has echoed throughout history, creating the powerful political entity of the Roman Catholic Church which has a long bloody history in its attempts to convert the unbeliever into a believer.

To seek to convert a person at the point of a sword or the barrel of a gun is outrageous. The message from the Bible can be interpreted different ways, but the message of Jesus at the last supper is clear. Looking at John 13:14-16, the words of Jesus are reported as "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him."

The idea that the God of the universe would act as a servant and expects his creations to act in that manner as well seems to have been largely ignored throughout the course of history. Acting out of genuine human decency rather than the point of a sword or the barrel of a gun would serve the interests of humanity in a much more positive fashion.