I mean, they're just Indians, right?
Who really cares, right?
Just hush up and accept what happened and move on, right?
No. No. And no.
A thousand times, NO.
Imagine this little girl, chased by a grown man on horseback, yanked off the ground by her collar and taken captive.
Jesus died for her.
He knew HER name on the cross.
He knew the hairs on her sweet little head.
He knew her giggle.
He knew her smile.
He knew her name.
My smart, kind, witty and very gracious Navajo advisor, Mr. Theodore Charles, told me to look up a document from 1493 that set hell in motion for millions of people.
Here is an excerpt of an article on The Document of Discovery.
But if you do not do this (accept Spanish rule), and maliciously make delay in it, I certify to you that, with the help of God, we shall powerfully enter into your country, and shall make war against you in all ways and manners that we can, and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and of their highnesses; we shall take you, and your wives, and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as their highnesses may command; and we shall take away your goods, and shall do you all the mischief and damage that we can, as to vassals who do not obey, and refuse to receive their lord, and resist and contradict him: and we protest that the deaths and losses which shall accrue from this are your fault, and not that of their highnesses, or ours, nor of these cavaliers who come with us…
Before we judge the papal edicts too harshly, we need to know of the Anglican connection to this Doctrine of Discovery. In 1496, King Henry VII granted a patent to John Cabot and his sons to possess all lands in the New World not previously discovered by Portugal or Spain. It is known as the 1496 Royal Charter of the Church of England. It reads in part:
And that the before-mentioned John and his sons or their heirs and deputies may conquer, occupy and possess whatsoever such towns, castles, cities and islands by them thus discovered that they may be able to conquer, occupy and possess, as our vassals and governors lieutenants and deputies therein, acquiring for us the dominion, title and jurisdiction of the same towns, castles, cities, islands and mainlands so discovered..."
You can read the whole article here: http://www.doctrineofdiscovery.org/krallsermon101506.htm
Can you imagine you're standing on a beach in Brazil and some twit in short pants and a silver helmet is reading this to you? Only you don't really know what reading is, because you don't have a written language. And you can't understand him anyway. And he and his peeps look gnarly and smell funny.
And the next thing you know, you and everyone you know is in chains.
Tell me where the mercy and justice and Christ-like behaviour was then and in 1864, and then we'll chat about why I write what I do.
Theodore Charles' son Mark Charles has a great blog, which you can find here:http://wirelesshogan.blogspot.com
