How Did Religion Affect The Aztecs

Religion created a massive barrier between the Native Americans and the English colonists, damaging the harmony that could have been established among the two cultures. The English set a goal to fulfil God’s providence and convert the Indians to Christianity, though failing caused Christianity to slowly arrive to abrupt halt in the new world. John Smith quotes, “What can he do less hurtful to any; or more agreeable to God, then to seek to convert those poor Savages to know Christ, and humanity, whose labors with discretion will triple requite thy charge and pains” (John Smith 7)? In the mindset of Smith, he believed it to be a cultural imperative with their hearts set on a path, gave a multitude of opportunities to share God’s word with the
This image that the Aztecs provide of the Spaniards, painting an inhumane and barbaric picture of the their culture. The two illustrations that are provided are contradictory towards one another. If the Spaniards viewed themselves as Christ-like, then why would they immediately result in fighting a war rather than trying to reason with the Aztecs seizing up an opportunity to spread Christianity to those who were never exposed. Bartolome states that they are free from any ‘desire of revenge,’ yet enact upon sinful actions without analyzing if what they are about to pursue would display Christianity, which is their goal as Christians. Fast forward in time, when evaluating a recorded passenger list of those bound for New England, the first name listed was “Joseph Hull, of Somerset, a minister, aged 40 years” (Passenger List 11). Once again we see that hope and spark in the eye of every newcomer to America with hopes of dawning their own Christ-centered civilization. However, this was just another external shell that was placed upon the immigrants to make others believe they are a holy and righteous