The Opposing Beliefs of Bartolome de Las Casas and Juan Gines Sepulveda The Spanish began colonizing the New World with the intent of spreading Christianity and obtaining land to expand the Spanish Empire. The Spanish explorer Bartolome de Las Casas and humanist Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda had differing beliefs upon how Natives within the Americas should be converted to Christianity and how they should be treated once their land was colonized. Bartolome de Las Casas believed that the Spanish ,while colonizing the New World, should practice the conversion of Natives to Christianity in a peaceful manner which would not disturb their daily lives. However, Juan Gines de Sepulveda supported the belief that Natives were inferior and needed to be colonized
…show more content…
However, other beliefs they held were the complete opposite of the other. Las Casas and Sepulveda shared the assertion that once the Spanish colonized a new land that it was imperative to convert the Natives of that land to Christianity. The Natives were to be baptized by a priest and saved as a new born Christian. Both men shared that common goal and advocated for it heavily, but Las Casas and Sepulveda did not agree upon the method in which the Natives should be converted to Christianity. Las Casas believed in converting the Natives in a reasonable time and fashion. Sepulveda believed that the Natives did not have a developed civilization and were quite similar to savages opposed to humans. Due to Sepulveda’s belief in that Aristotelian doctrine, he advocated for Natives being converted quickly and by all means necessary regardless of how brutal those methods could be. Las Casas believed that the Natives did have a developed civilization but the only reason Sepulveda was unaware of that fact was due to him having no personal experience with Natives. Las Casas felt that the Natives were human and, although they were not equal to the Spanish, they should still be treated within a humane fashion. Those beliefs were argued at the Valladolid Debate however, after the debate the Spanish adopted neither of the men’s
However, other beliefs they held were the complete opposite of the other. Las Casas and Sepulveda shared the assertion that once the Spanish colonized a new land that it was imperative to convert the Natives of that land to Christianity. The Natives were to be baptized by a priest and saved as a new born Christian. Both men shared that common goal and advocated for it heavily, but Las Casas and Sepulveda did not agree upon the method in which the Natives should be converted to Christianity. Las Casas believed in converting the Natives in a reasonable time and fashion. Sepulveda believed that the Natives did not have a developed civilization and were quite similar to savages opposed to humans. Due to Sepulveda’s belief in that Aristotelian doctrine, he advocated for Natives being converted quickly and by all means necessary regardless of how brutal those methods could be. Las Casas believed that the Natives did have a developed civilization but the only reason Sepulveda was unaware of that fact was due to him having no personal experience with Natives. Las Casas felt that the Natives were human and, although they were not equal to the Spanish, they should still be treated within a humane fashion. Those beliefs were argued at the Valladolid Debate however, after the debate the Spanish adopted neither of the men’s