On Sat, 8 Jan 2005, Sachin Phadte wrote:
What exactly are these uncomfortable factors that went into the equation? I heard somewhere that there was an order from the Pope that divided the would between Spain and Portugal for purposes of spreading Christianity. I also understood that aspects like setting up the office of Holy Inquisition had to be done through the King of Portugal in case of India. Can Tony help us all to take this discussion forward?
The misuse of religion and its abuse by colonialism, racism, Nazism, slavery, Apartheid, anti-Semitism and other such forces is well documented and easily accessible even via the Internet.
If you want to find out more, for instance, on the Inquisition or the Crusades, just search http://en.wikipedia.org for these terms. Or look for the entry on Henry VIII to see how religion was abused by the royalty and other dominant interests in its time.
The 'division of the world' by the Pope is a well-known historical fact, and doesn't require those who thrive on today's religious rivalries to bring it to the fore. In a theocracy -- that Portugal was, including for much of the 20th century -- the division between Church and State was very thin indeed. This was not the case during the times of the Republican Revolution of 1910, when Portugal was ruled by more liberal ideas. At other points in the past, the Portuguese Establishment turned 180 degrees to, at one stage, even expel the Jesuits. History has taken on different trajectories at different points of time.
This, however, is no reason for modern day political forces -- particularly the Religious Right (including in India, which calls itself Hindutva and has little to do with the religion of Hinduism though it would like to claim it's the same thing) -- to make use of past realities to justify the continued misuse of religion for political or other purposes today.
Incidentally, all religions have been prone to misuse by the dominant players of any era. It isn't realistic to argue that 'my religion is less bigoted than yours'. This probably applies for people who subscribe to no overt 'religion' too ;-) FN
