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The impact of christopher columbus
The impact of christopher columbus
The impact of christopher columbus
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God and Money cannot be intertwined because when money is involved the human’s selfishness, greed, and power hunger takes over and causes people to forget about morals and beliefs that cause them to make decisions that only benefit them now, not the people of the future or the people that are less fortunate now in the present. “Jesus as Liberator” and “Kairos time” help us see the big mistake in mainstream Christianity. Columbus Christianity might as well be the total opposite of Liberation theology is, which means that mainstream Christianity is not doing the right things because it is only looking out for its people and that it. Kairos time shows how Liberation theology took the right moment by the hand, unlike mainstream Christianity, and …show more content…
This characterization of Jesus exemplifies the difference between mainstream Christianity and liberation theology because in mainstream Christianity, they see God or Jesus as more of a punisher of people that don’t believe in them and therefore makes the followers think it is okay to punish or control anyone who doesn’t believe exactly what they believe. Columbus Christians think they have the universal truth and this is dangerous. “The people in the world to fear the most are those who claim that they know exactly what they-and we-must do” (Brown, 58). It’s dangerous because they won’t change their unjust ways so easily and worst of all they will use their belief in God and Jesus as excuses for domination and greed. Christopher Columbus showed us he entered the New World not ready to live with the Native Americans, but ready to convert them into mainstream Christians and if they didn’t comply he would have them killed. He justified his actions by saying God wants this. He, just like all of mainstream Christianity, had it backwards because in liberation theology they look at Jesus and the actions he did while on earth and all of them were acts that showcased equality, selflessness, and socialism. Jesus did the exact opposite of what Columbus Christians did. These same Columbus Christians are the ones who justified actions of slavery and …show more content…
Kairos time is a moment in which and new possibilities for change arrive, so that people can change the thought that only one group has the right way of living and believing. In time of Kairos if people decide to change the long term injustice, things will have momentum and attention to happen and end the chain and start a new chain reaction that is better and more inclusive. Liberation Theology understands, accepts, and appreciates Kairos time, that’s how it broke free from the chains of mainstream Christianity. Bartolome de Las Casas is a great example of this because when he realized that the encomienda system was the opposite of what God wanted he took that enlightenment moment and gave up the encomienda system, but he didn’t stop there he also wanted to make sure the no other so called Christians could keep treating the American Indians poorly anymore, so he preached his new beliefs to them and went to Spain to get regulations that would stop cruelty towards the American Indian workers. Liberation theology took the chance that appeared and created a new way of believing and living. Kairos time therefore shows another difference between mainstream Christianity and liberation theology. Mainstream Christianity doesn’t take the chance to change it wants to stay the same because in mainstream Christianity the followers believe that they are above and changing what they believe in risks them having to be equal
The Bible clearly explains the role of government in society and the framers of our nation built America on Biblical principles. Since economics is the science that deals with production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, Christian economics entails how men use God-given resources, ideas, and energy to meet their human needs and to glorify the Lord. Christianity produces internal liberty in man, which is the foundation for a Christian economy. The internal change of heart that Christ brings produces Christian character and self-government which is necessary for an economy to be prosperous. Christian character and self-government produce people who do not steal, who have a strong work ethic, and who save and invest to
In the second chapter of his book, Pope Francis discusses the importance of rejecting the new idolatry of money, which he feels is taking over our society and us as a whole. One point that he made in this section of his book that was interesting to me was when he said, “One cause of this situation is found in our relationship w...
In his work, Frederick Douglass speaks of two kinds of Christianity: the "Christianity of the land" and the "Christianity of Christ" (2093). The `Christianity of the land' is the religion that the southern slave holders practice. They use the peace-teaching Christian religion to justify their right of ownership and their inhumane treatment of slaves. One example of justification can be found early in the Narrative. Douglass states that one way the slave owners justify their actions is with the misconception that the blacks are the descendants of Ham who have been cursed by God. If God has cursed these peoples then he would wholly approve of their being held in bondage by "better" men. This reason will soon be obsolete, states Douglass, because of the number of slave children who "owe their existence to white fathers" (2041). With the mulatto population on the rise, slaveholders are no longer oppressing those cursed by God, but those of their own kind who, by the white man's standards, are the chosen peoples of God.
Smith, we see two big errors in his tactics in dealing with the people of the African tribe. First, Mr. Smith was insensitive to the native’s belief system. In response to hearing stories of the souls of demonic babies coming back in the form of other babies, Mr. Smith said, “those who believed such stories were unworthy of the Lord’s Table” (page 185). While child sacrifice is wrong, he made a critical error in thinking that unsaved people would act like those who knew the Lord. Of course a tribe of natives would hold to their practices without knowing Jesus. They have no reason not to continue this practice! If the only thing that a people group has ever known is suddenly put into question, of course they would not be in favor of a change. When people are shown Jesus and accept Him, then true revival of the heart will happen. We have to understand that the main issue here is the issue of the heart, not the issue of outward sin. The main issue needs to be addressed, then the secondary issue will follow suit. Once the natives accepted Christ, then they can address the issue of child sacrifice. Second, Mr. Smith was far too forceful on the natives regarding Christianity. The natives wished to live in peace, but Mr. Smith replied, “Tell them to go away from here. This is the house of God and I will not live to see it desecrated.” Mr. Smith exhibited a superior philosophy, which is never welcome in true
When it comes to making judgements on the merits of others, it seems as though Jesus is quite set on relaying to his disciples the dangers of hypocrisy. One’s own actions must be accounted for before trying to account for the actions of others. Lessons of this kind would have helped to empower early Christians to better apply some sort of objective consistency to their lives. Jesus conveyed such concepts
In Miguel A. De La Torre’s Liberation Theology for Armchair Theologians the subject of liberation theology was explored. De La Torre biblically expressed Liberation theology by using the main point of the poor being followers of God and God himself is the leader of the poor, who will not let them down. Besides De La Torre, using the underrepresented society as an example of how Liberation Theology works, he uses a world view which taps into different theologies such as Black Theology, U.S. Feminist Theologies, Hispanic Theologies and many more. Although De La Torre lists different theologies from different groups they all tie in together melting into the pot of Liberation Theology.
Black Liberation Theology can be defined as the relationship that blacks have with god in their struggle to end oppression. It sees god as a god of history and the liberator of the oppressed from bondage. Black Liberation theology views God and Christianity as a gospel relevant to blacks who struggle daily under the oppression of whites. Because of slavery, blacks concept of God was totally different from the masters who enslaved them. White Christians saw god as more of a spiritual savior, the reflection of God for blacks came in the struggle for freedom by blacks. Although the term black liberation theology is a fairly new, becoming popular in the early 1960’s with Black Theology and Black Power, a book written by James H. Cone, its ideas are pretty old, which can be clearly seen in spirituals sang by Africans during the time of slavery nearly 400 years ago.# It was through these hymns that black liberation spawned. Although Cone is given credit for “the discovery of black liberation theology,” it’s beliefs can quite clearly be seen in the efforts of men like preacher Nat Turner and his rebellion of slavery in mid 1800’s or Marcus Garvey, one of the first men to “see god through black spectacles” in the early 1900’s. More recently black theology emerged as a formal discipline. Beginning with the "black power" movement in 1966, black clergy in many major denominations began to reassess the relationship of the Christian church to the black community. Black caucuses developed in the Catholic, Presbyterian, and Episcopal churches. "The central thrust of these new groups was to redefine the meaning and role of the church and religion in the lives of black people. Out of this reexamination has come what some have called Bla...
...e to the audience that the Bible adheres to the deserved emancipation and support of African-Americans, rather than enslavement and oppression. For example, Douglass preaches, “ A worship that can be conducted by persons who refuse to give shelter to the houseless, to give bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and who enjoin obedience to a law forbidding these acts of mercy, is a curse, not a blessing to mankind. The Bible addresses all such persons as ‘scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, who pay tithe of mint, anise, and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith.” By using Matthew 23:23 to assert American Christians as righteously indignant, Douglass infers that if the White American people are truly Christian, they will obey the doctrines of The Bible and negate their duplicity by showing love and mercy to black people.
“...this religion is saying that every person, man, woman, child, slave, barbarian, no matter who, is made in the image of God and is therefore of enormous value in the eyes of God…”(Document C). “Now the Christian community, as we have it particularly in the letters of Paul, … says in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male or female, neither slave nor free… . Here is a community that invites you, which makes you an equal with all other members of that community,” (Document D). This was beneficial to a wide range of people, especially peasants because they could have a part in society and be equal to their Christian peers.
The stronger will do anything in their power to make a profit, leaving the weak with nothing. Kuyper says, “…the more powerful exploited the weaker by means of a weapon against which there was no defense” (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 26). Additionally, he states that “…the idolization of money killed the nobility in the human heart” (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 31). Kuyper talks about how Jesus felt bad for the rich and sided with the poor (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 32). Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Earthly materials mean nothing because the real treasure awaits in
In his narrative, Frederick Douglass shows how Christianity was used as a major justification for slavery and for the actions of slave masters, but he also shows how the religion provided hope for slaves themselves. In an appendix added at the end of the narrative, he draws a distinction between “the Christianity of this land” and “the Christianity of Christ,” saying that there is the “widest possible difference” between them. As he puts it, “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land.” In other words, Douglass thinks that Christianity has been corrupted in America, where people hypocritically use it to justify their injustices.
Slave-owners forced a perverse form of Christianity, one that condoned slavery, upon slaves. According to this false Christianity the enslavement of “black Africans is justified because they are the descendants of Ham, one of Noah's sons; in one Biblical story, Noah cursed Ham's descendants to be slaves” (Tolson 272). Slavery was further validated by the numerous examples of it within the bible. It was reasoned that these examples were confirmation that God condoned slavery. Douglass’s master...
In his essay An Indian’s Looking-Glass for the White Man, William Apess talks about the incompatibility of being a good Christian while still discriminating between races. He argues that this social hypocrisy is not supported by the Biblical text, or by Christian teachings. It is Apess’ belief that if God were to love white people as much as they believe, he wouldn’t have created fifteen colored people for every white one. He goes on to remind his white Christian audience, that it has been the white race the one who has committed the most terrible crimes in the history of mankind. Apess places emphasis on the fact the neither Jesus nor any of his apostles or disciples were white skinned. He also argues the right of the white man to control and subjugate the other races, more
( Loewen 11). The quote shows god points about the history and what we have been taught at schools. School history books are sugar coded which make it impossible for the student to know the truth and what behind it. Just like what Texas State Aboard of Education do. They try to teach the students unreal fact, and the thing that never exists. They do not want the student to know that America foundation was based on racism and hate, and they just want to show the joyful moment in history which never take place in the history, so students can be proud of their history and their equality. For example, most of American from different realign celebrate the Thanksgiving Day because they think it is the reminder of how the Native Americans helped the European pilgrims when they arrived in America, and the Native America gave them pumpkins, berries, and roasted turkeys. Most of the people believe in this story because they have been taught in school this mistaken fact. However, in the reality, the pilgrims stole the Native Americans foods, and they killed them. Also, they make us believe that Columbus and his men were great to the Native American as we studied then history books. In fact, that Columbus and his man kill and enslaved Native American. They also treated them as if they were not human. They ride in the Indian back for fun, they hunted the Native American for sport, and they raped Indian women, kids, and
Christianity and Wealth 'Jesus said to the rich young man, "Go, sell all that you have and