Prior to the discovery
of America, it was a region where the indigenous
practiced their own forms of worship. There was
no other interference with them other than their
own tribal conflict. This was as natural to them
as breathing, due to the fact that they had lived
that way for centuries. However, this was to change
with the discovery that Christopher Columbus made
in 1492.
Until 1492, America was perhaps one of the best
places in the world, and peaceful people would
certainly want to live there. However, when Christopher
Columbus discovered the New World, everything
changed, and the change was so drastic that it
affects the economy of the world today, centuries
later. Beginning with the religious conflict that
the natives responded with, America was to have
a hard time for years to come (De Las Casas, 1999).
Although Christianity did succeed partially with
immense priestly efforts, the natives largely
held on to their ancient practices. It was largely
because of this that they (natives) suffered further.
It was due to them not being easily convinced
and contained that the explorers saw no other
option but to use under-handed tricks (Anok and
Peace, 2003).
The Native Americans had no problems before the
arrival of the colonists, the Spanish, the Portuguese,
the British, the French, etc. They had no problems
of diseases as they used to treat their people
with herbs when they were ill. There was no clue
of things like measles, smallpox, influenza, etc.
It was the colonists that brought them to the
New World and began polluting the whole place.
This cost the natives their lives, and they were
wiped out in great numbers. However, it cannot
be denied that a great many of the preachers that
visited America tried their level best wit the
natives, who were adamant (Burried Mirror, 1994).
After America was discovered by Columbus, other
nations, the English and the French, began to
work their way across the English Channel. They
each tried to spread the word of Christ in their
different forms. However they were only minimally
successful in their efforts. This is because Christianity
and Protestantism both faced opposition, and in
spite of each of the groups providing aid and
the like for the natives they faced opposition.
Though the opposition might have been great, the
minimal success was in fact enough to initiate
Christianity in this area. Even with the relatively
small number of converts in the area, Christianity
did begin to spread there, and with those that
migrated to America, communities were built (Burns,
1992). This took place with the bulk of the Catholics
drifting towards the Canadian part while the Protestants
held fast to America itself. Since the immigrants
were power with their weapons, the natives had
to submit to them. “The Indians had no revolvers
and could not buy any either; they had no money
and, in any case, it was strictly forbidden to
sell them revolvers or rifles, apart from muzzle-loaders
for game” (Traven, 1993. p2-3). This is
the way that they were controlled until the society
grew together with Christianity developing as
it did. The natives of course had little or no
say in the religious development and so, had to
accept what went on around them.
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