Critical differences about cultures, beliefs, and tensions between religion have recurred throughout history. Native Americans lived on this land that we now call America for centuries following their own way of life. During the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Europeans started to come over to the new world, they discovered a society of Indians that was strikingly different to their own. The Europeans considered the Indians to be extremely primitive and basic, while, considering themselves civilized. The Europeans considered that they were model societies, and they thought that the Indians society and culture should be changed to be very similar to their own. Eventually their lives would be destroyed due to the Europeans colonization. This changed the Native Americans structure of society and life for the worst. These changes were caused by a number of factors including disease brought over from the settlers, loss of their land, laws that violated Native American culture, slavery, imprisonment, and even death. To say the least the most important aspect of all was the attempts to abolish their religion.
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An interesting question that comes to mind and brings up an ideal topic for discussion is why did Indians (Native Americans) have trouble understanding Christianity? All religions have their accepted dogma, or articles of belief, that followers must accept without question. This can lead to inflexibility and intolerance in the face of other beliefs. When Europeans first set foot upon the shores of what is now the United States they brought with them a social structure which was fundamentally based around their idea and understanding of Western European Christianity. .
Native Americans already had a civilization of their own, including religious beliefs and practices, that closely paralleled the beliefs and practices of European civilization. The European Christians had trouble understanding how Indians could have such a different set of beliefs, because recorded in the Bible, all humankind was created by god, so why were Indian people not following the same beliefs, worn't they all created the same way, by the same god.
