« Religious Rights Rally at the White House | Main | Happy Summer Solstice »
May 22, 2007
The Pope and the Imposition of Foreign Culture
Jason at Wildhunt talks about Pope Benedict XVI's recent tour through South America. While there, the Pope made some disturbing comments about converting the indigenous people there to Christianity:
Speaking to Latin American bishops in Brazil on May 13, the Pope cited the 'rich religious traditions' of Indian people but added that their ancestors were 'silently longing' for Christ and seeking God 'without realizing it.' Pope Benedict further demonstrated his misunderstanding of history and the forced conversions of natives in North, Central and South America and of massacres and 'just wars' when he suggested that the Church did not impose itself on indigenous peoples and that Christianity had not been detrimental to them and their cultures. 'In effect, the proclamation of Jesus and of His Gospel did not at any point involve an alienation of the pre-Columbus cultures, nor was it the imposition of a foreign culture.' Benedict also added that a return to indigenous religions 'would be a step back.'
This is the same Pope who said that Hitler was not a Christian and that the Catholic Church did not have a hand in the Holocaust. In fact, Christianity had the same impact on the indigenous cultures and religions of Europe as in South America, with forced conversions, massacres, and "just wars".
And as with the South Americans, Christianity is not the native belief system of Europeans.
Technorati Tags: academia, culture, religion
Posted by keg at May 22, 2007 10:47 AM
