>As most of you already know, in the late 16th and early 17th
>century the kings of Spain and Portugal signed a treaty
>dividing the ownership of the "new (undiscovered) world"
>between them. This included the people, the land and all
>other living and non-living things.

The Pope gave these kings the right in exchange with spreading the word of "God". Why do you think this was cool? Any and all non-Catholic land was at placed under the control of European imperialists. Why?