[Cronos]

oh and do read some history. As pointed out before, not reading the Bible or history can lead to such errors as in your posts. Titanites was kind enough to point these out — France and Spain at war and a spanish commander attacked a french fort and defeated them. Not nice, but definitely not simply due to religion

[BlueDragon]

France and Spain were not at war at the time, which was acknowledged and agreed upon by Menendez [aka Meledez] and Rebault in the historical account provided by the chaplain of the expedition in his own telling of the conversation which ensued just prior to the slaughters at Matanzas. Here again;

"...The Frenchmen then begged the Adelantado to let his people remain with him until he could furnish them with ships and provisions to take them back to France, as there was then no war between the two nations, and the Kings of France and Spain were friends and brothers. The Adelantado replied that this was true, but that, as they were Lutherans, he looked upon them as enemies, and would wage war against them with fire and sword, whether on sea or land, for the King; "as I have come here to establish the Holy Roman Catholic faith in Florida. But if you will surrender yourselves and arms, and trust to my mercy, you may do so, and I will act towards you as God may prompt me; otherwise, do as you please, for I will not make any truces or treaties with you."

The words coming from the mouths of who did the deeds, [spoken of by witnesses, which narratives include also much finer detail of the events] tell us the real order of things.

That Philip II some span of years later sent the Spanish Armada to both England & France, for stated reasons of "restoring Catholicism", doesn't help those advocating that interests of commerce and state were primary, and the intertwined religious differences issues minor.

One indisputable FACT of the matter is that, separate from Menendez's successful attack on Ft. Caroline, with it's gruesome signage declaring Not as Frenchmen but as heretics the rest of those executed later at Matanzas had been taken under a negotiated surrender! THAT is why it was called a "slaughter", and why it was so shocking.

Let's try to agree on one point at a time, shall we?