Posted on 04/18/2007 6:52:55 PM PDT by Dallas59
There's a frieze--Mayan or Aztec, I can't remember--showing men carrying children, apparantly to sacrifice them. At least this is how it looks to me. Some interpreted it as men carrying dwarves. This doesn't hold water to me. It looks like frightened children.
In one of the Yucatan cities--Merida?--at the public square, there's a frieze showing the Spanish conquistadors standing on the heads of subjugated Indians. I was told that the Spanish forced the Indians to carve it.
Humans have been capable of hideous atrocities all throughout history.
There is much to be said for the hope that we will evolve into people of greater enlightenment. It is a worthy thing for which to pray and to work hard on ourselves. Ruthless honesty helps.
It also helps to keep reminding ourselves that heroism and goodness are as profound a part of human nature as are cruelty, oppression, and evil--probably more profound.
It may be a hard call, but the vast majority of people on earth today seem to be good people, especially when their basic needs are met and they are not subjected to fear or injustice. This has been my impression as I have travelled across the world.
Muslims who interpret the will of God as a command to murder, torture, rape, enslave, and blow up innocent people commit equally hideous perversions of God's will and equally ignominious blasphemy.
I am a profoundly religious man; however, anyone who will can clearly see the evil that can easily reult from the perversion of religion and the perverse interpretation of God's will.
The Spanish were both bloody and very anti-modern (and soon in decline as a power despite the silver and gold of Bolivia, Mexico and Peru).
There had been civilization in the Valley of Mexico for a long time when the Spanish arrived.
The Spanish policy was that everyone under Spanish rule would be Catholic on pain of death without exception, whether they liked it or not.
The Muslims who ruled Spain were infinitely more tolerant than their Christian successors.
The Spaniards were responsible for introducing European customs, “anti-modern” or not into a primitive world. Did the Aztecs sail across the ocean or did the Spaniards do it? Whatever their faults, the Spaniards were certainly preferable to the Aztecs.
Are you aware that I'm probably better educated than you? I've read dozens of books on the Butchery of Cortez and he and the catholic church and Spain sealing all these people's gold. Tell the catholic church to give the money back and I'll re consider. Human sacrifice was practiced all over the know world before cortez, at one place are the other at different times in history, but I don't remember two many mass slaughters over it. Except for the ones written about in the old testament.
Better educated? I think not. That was poor sentence structure.
...but I don't remember two many mass slaughters over it.
That would be TOO, dear. My thirteen year old daughter writes better grammar.
I am of this opinion as well.
Christianize Mexico? Bulls**t. That only came later. Think mercenary.
you are reading some pretty twisted history...I have almost finished “History of the Conquest of Mexico” by William H. Prescott which is available at the bookstores. He wrote largely from manuscripts taken from people who were there...including the spanish clergy that accompanied Cortes. The author is not totaly pro spannish but paints a very detailed and acknowledged by many historians, accurate picture of the true history. Father Olmed was close to Cortes and he was the main man who spoke through an interpeter to bring the forgiveness truth to the Mexicans and indian tribes. The killing after the battles happened to be done by the very brutal Aztec warriors and priests. All of the captured allies and spaniards were marched up the pyramids and their hearts were ripped out of their bodies while they were alive. In contrast, Cortes offered peaceful terms at every possible opportunity and was responsible for making the people’s lives so much better after the war. The Aztecs were known for conquering and subjegating the native people and murdering them wholesale for their evil religion. Take a look at the book, there is so much politically correct nonsense taught about Cortes.
not at all buloney...check out “history of the conquest of mexico” by Prescott. He was not all pro- spanish and deatails so much, written largely from manuscripts of people who were actually there. The odds of victory for Cortes and his about 900 men seemed overwhelming to many of them. And the Aztecs fought like maniacs...it was much beyond the idea of gold that motivated the conquest. Simply read his own writings...he wasn’t lieing and no amount of wealth would have made him persevere as he did at great lose to both sides; which by the way, he tried to mitigate and make peace at every opportunity. But when he demanded that their human sacrifice religion must be replaced with forgiving christianity the Aztec priests and people went nuts and refused.
Converted them just in time for the Spanish Inquisition.
“’Butchered’ thousands and thousands? LOL. Are you aware that as Cortez marched towards the Aztec capital he only had 400 men with him? Are you aware that Cortez was joined by thousands of local Indians who hated the Aztecs because they had been conquered and oppressed by them? Are you aware that the Aztecs were not only a child-killing people, but a brutal people of conquest who vanquished every other native tribe who stood in their way? Cortez and his 400 men conquered the great Aztec nation because the bitter enemies of the Aztecs fought with them. “
Then those Indian tribes that helped Cortez found out their treatment under the Spandiards was worse then under the Aztecs.
“But when he demanded that their human sacrifice religion must be replaced with forgiving christianity the Aztec priests and people went nuts and refused.”
What would you do if you were told to give up your religion? Give it up peacefully or fight? You and I both disagree with their practice of human sacrifice, but they saw it as a natural part of their life and were willing to die for it.
I wasn't saying I think the Mayan glyphs are from Carthaginian writing, but that one of the first Europeans to see them made the connection. The person in question was one Vinko Paletin, discussed in David Lupher's book Romans in a New World (University of Michigan Press, 2003), a Dalmatian who wound up serving in the Spanish army which invaded that area before eventually becoming a Dominican friar (Fray Vicente Palatino de Curzola).
The Greek alphabet derives from the Phoenician alphabet (the Greeks remembered this and referred to them as "Phoenician letters") but "phonics" comes from the Greek word phone meaning "sound" (especially the sound of the human voice) or "the faculty of speech."
Ah yes, after centuries of suffering under Islamic conquest and oppression that great institution called the 'Spanish Inquisition' was designed by the King and Queen of Spain to expose and rid themselves of the leftover Muslims, (and their allies), who had falsely converted and remained in Spain as subversives and spies. It also exposed many Jews who had fought alongside the Moslems in North Africa to help defeat the Spaniards. Spain suffered what modern day Europe is now suffering, they were infested with deadly muslims, but they knew how to deal with it. I regret that Europe and the U.S. don't have the brains and guts that the King and Queen of Spain had.
Praising the Spanish Inquisition is not very different from praising the Holocaust. Disgusting.
Do you know what the term “auto de fe” means? If the U.S. ever has the “guts” of the kings and queens of Spain, they should start with you.
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