According to Snopes, this meme is true.
There is no denying that the arrival of Western civilization in the Americas has brought with it the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ to those who would have never otherwise heard it. While such evil things — unjust killings — certainly happened, in God’s sovereignty, He used this to bring about a greater good.
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If these people [America-hating Evangelicals] were truly Christians, they would be thankful that God used such a broken man as Christopher Columbus to bring the gospel to the Americas. North America, much like the continent of Africa, was filled with idolatry of the worst kind. Native Americans, especially in Central and South America, practiced some of the worst affronts to God. Not that America today doesn’t still practice such idolatry — but before the arrival of Western civilization, there was absolutely no gospel to confront it.
The fact that God allowed Westerners to come to the Americas is an enormous act of mercy and grace on His part. He could have completely given them over to their idolatry, or worse, completely wiped them off the face of the Earth. But he didn’t. He chose to show them mercy and by allowing the gospel to be heard in a land that had never heard it before.
— Jeff Maples, Reformation Charlotte, America-Hating Evangelicals Declare War on Columbus Day, October 14, 2019
Even were there some validity to the claim that the bringing of Christianity to the Americas (and other colonisations) benefited the indigenous population, the reality was that spreading religion wasn’t the intention, it was the tool. The whole intention was that land was being claimed, together with the raw materials it provided, and the native population wasn’t seen as worthy of religious attention, being not even human, but the ‘application’ of Christianity was found to be a way of addressing several issues; it justified any ‘excesses’ to the outside world, it sought to confuse the native population who were not aware of its requirements, and it served as a means of oppression, much in the way that Hitler and Stalin manipulated the populace.
The reality is that Columbus was a hideous human being, yet of his times. He was the first to the Americas but, my goodness, he wasn’t the last and nor was he the worst. If one looks at the history of the conquests in detail, something that evangelical Christians will never allow themselves to do, then it becomes clear that the atrocities were on a level so above and beyond the contemplation of anything we might imagine, that it is nothing more than disgustingly sick to try now to justify it somehow on religious grounds.
https://www.ranker.com/list/ways-conquistadors-killed-people/thaneeconomou
Well and truly stated, GeoffT. The ugly truths of history are not easy to display but using religion to hide them is despicable and so proves the lie of belief! Christianity is indeed a tool. To be honest, when the offering plate is passed along the pews at church, it should be preceded by a preacher with a rubber mallet who walks ahead of it, whacking each congregant senseless enough to empty their pockets into the plate. Now, there is an honest religion.
Idolatry (Christianese for Indigenous people’s religions and customs) is worse than raping children. Got it. Now I understand why modern Evangelicals are so eager to condone the sex crimes of their (male) members. As long as we are baptized, who cares about anything else, right? It’s also funny how an all wise, all knowing, loving god picks the most corrupt, selfish, incompetent, and cruel men to do his good works. Is there not one kind, gentle, and honest man in all of history to do god’s work? Now I’m convinced more than ever that corrupt people make religions in their own image to excuse their crimes.
These Fundamentalist wackos love their bloodthirsty and violent OT and its commands to commit genocide that they think its okay to liquidate the powerless if the opportunity is given. This ‘bloody’, violent, barbaric and ignorant savagery they think is the word of some god. What nonsense!
These wackos would be dangerous if they ever held political power.
I would just LOVE to be sitting right in front of this Jeff Maples as he came out with this claptrap!! How can he, and other apologists for genocide and chattel slavery, ignore all the warnings for good conduct that Jesus gave to his followers,as well as the New Testament letters regarding this subject?? Christians are expressly forbidden to engage in murder, slavery and abductions, stealing land from others, confiscating gold that belongs to others !! Who does he think he’s fooling ? Columbus was Roman Catholic, and a ” cultural Christian” at best, he HAD to know that human trafficking and prostitution wasn’t allowed among believers! I never even HEARD of these letters from Paul or Peter, until I actually held a Bible that someone gave me, for the first time. That Maples- ooff ! Talk about cherry picking !!