EWTN Again: Thomas E. Wood & His Justificaton of Colonialsm & Religious Imperialism

Suffice to say, I should have been in bed 2.5 hours ago.  I was drawn, as I regularly am to scan subject matter in numerous television sources. I chose EWTN, the roamin catholic channel again and heard one of the most reprehensible justifications for European church and state imperialism in the western hemisphere as I had heard in some time. The episode was on international law as part of series called, "The Roman Catholic Church: Builder of Western Civilization" based on a book by Thomas E. Woods who also hosts the show.  

In addition to incredibly racist ideas about indigenous peoples, Woods went on the give the catholic church a pat on the back for asserting that they espouse treating all people equally whether they are baptized into the faith or not.  (long pause)  And he was talking about the 15th century.  (long pause)  The racist, imperialist papal bulls were written in the 1400's.  (long pause)  That's the 15th century.  (long pause)  That's when the roamin catholic church decided it would reduce to servitude any nation not already held by a christian prince. (long pause) This boggles my mind that grown-ups say these things and have a 24/7 global tv channel to say them on.

http://ewtn.edgeboss.net/download/ewtn/audiolibrary/cathbuildciv_11.mp3

Here's more on Woods and his twisted historical perspectives:

http://www.libertyclassroom.com/free-sample-from-trails-west-how-freedom-settled-the-west/

In this video lecture, amongst other things, Brad Birzer, a libertyclassroom guest professor asserts that Sitting Bull was a catholic, befriended and converted by a catholic missionary.  Interestingly enough, it seems Birzer nor Woods reads catholic writing as catholicism.org writes that Sitting Bulls vaunted catholicism was somewhat questionable.  Suffice to say, Woods, his EWTN show and his website leave a lot to be desired at first glance. 

At best, it's a body of questionable work that seeks to rationalize European colonial exploitation and religious imperialism, glossing exasperatingly over the pivotal role the church played in the genocide and exploitation of indigenous peoples from north to south America and Africa and glorifying the church's role as the source of western cultural genesis.  If Woods could actually draw a bead on what that means, he might not want the church to take any credit for any of that.

retrieved from http://harvardpolitics.com/interviews/getting-to-know-scholar-thomas-e-woods-jr/