ABSTRACT
Localized religions characteristically define moral behavior in terms of local norms, values, and purposes: moral behavior is that which sustains the group and promotes its welfare. Universalist religions appear on first acquaintance to present a loftier definition of morality, one that emphasizes adherence to relatively abstract standards of love and fellowship. Western thought has been shaped by Christianity, a universalist religion that has always aimed to transcend ethnic or national boundaries; Christianity is understood to be a revelation that can be adopted by any people anywhere. In effect, Spanish colonialism in the Americas had arisen on foundations of pious religiosity coupled with unbridled greed, and their ultimate product was genocide. The most infamous case in modern times is undoubtedly the Armenian genocide of 1915-1917, an atrocity that only has begun to receive the attention it deserves. Adherence to a belief system requires an inescapably paradoxical stance on ethnocentrism.
