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Christ seeks souls, not property. ... He who wants a large part of mankind to be such that ... he may act like a ferocious executioner toward them, press them into slavery, and through them grow rich, is a despotic master, not a Christian; a son of Satan, not of God; a plunderer, not a shepherd.

— Bartolomé de las Casas In Defense of the Indians (1548)

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More quotes by Bartolomé de las Casas

Christ wanted love to be called his single commandment. This we owe to all men. Nobody is excepted.

In Defense of the Indians (1548)

These people are the most devoid of rancors, hatreds, or desire for vengeance of any people in the world.

History of the Indies (1561)

It should be kept in mind that their insatiable greed and ambition, the greatest ever seen in the world, is the cause of their villainies.

History of the Indies (1561)

More than thirty other islands in the vicinity of San Juan are for the most part and for the same reason depopulated, and the land laid waste.

History of the Indies (1561)

After the wars and the killings had ended, when usually there survived only some boys, some women, and children, these survivors were distributed among the Christians to be slaves.

History of the Indies (1561)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Bartolomé de las Casas (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.