Christian imperialism is the use of force or coercion to spread Christianity to other peoples and cultures. It was practiced by Spanish colonizers in a number of ways, including:

• Missionizing: The Spanish established missions in California and other parts of the Americas to convert Indigenous peoples to Christianity.
• Forced conversion: Indigenous peoples were often forced to convert to Christianity, and those who refused were often punished or killed.
• Destruction of Indigenous cultures: The Spanish destroyed Indigenous cultures and religions in order to impose their own Christian beliefs.

Gendercide is the intentional killing of girls or women. It was practiced by Spanish colonizers in California in order to reduce the Indigenous population and to make it easier to convert Indigenous men to Christianity.

Two-Spirit people are people who identify as both male and female. They were an important part of Indigenous cultures before the arrival of the Spanish. Two-Spirit people have preserved the legacy of their ancestors by passing down their traditions and stories to future generations.

Response to John Corrigan and Lynn S. Neal’s chapter, “Religious Intolerance in Colonial America”

Religious intolerance is the refusal to tolerate people of other religions. The authors of the chapter provide the following definition:

Religious intolerance is a complex phenomenon that can be defined as the refusal to tolerate people of other religions. It can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including discrimination, persecution, and violence.

The English colonists in the “new” (to them) world treated people of different ethnic and religious belonging with intolerance and discrimination. They believed that their own religion, Protestantism, was the only true religion, and they viewed people of other religions as a threat to their society.

The colonists treated Jewish people, Indigenous people, women whom they suspected of witchcraft, and Quakers with particular harshness. Jewish people were banned from many colonies, and those who were caught living in the colonies were often expelled or imprisoned. Indigenous peoples were enslaved and forced to convert to Christianity. Women who were accused of witchcraft were often put on trial and executed. Quakers were persecuted for their religious beliefs and were often banished from the colonies.

Similar dynamics played out in New Spain and New France. The Spanish and French colonizers were also intolerant of people of other religions. They established missions to convert Indigenous peoples to Christianity, and they forced Indigenous peoples to convert or face punishment. The Spanish and French colonizers also discriminated against and persecuted Jewish people, Protestants, and other religious minorities.

Conclusion

Christian imperialism and religious intolerance were major forces in the colonization of the Americas. The Spanish, English, French, and other European colonizers used their religious beliefs to justify their domination of Indigenous peoples and other groups. The colonizers’ religious intolerance led to widespread discrimination, persecution, and violence.

Despite the challenges they faced, Indigenous peoples, Jewish people, and other religious minorities have survived and thrived in the Americas. They have preserved their cultures and traditions, and they continue to fight for religious freedom and equality.