penalties for one of their own turning against them. The major difference would be that the Native Americans religion was also a great deal of their culture. A mob familys religion (catholic or instance) would conflict with the killing of another human. But the Native Americans were not that way, if one was killed and they took hostages then the one killed could be revenged by killing a hostage. John Sassamon was not only killed because he turned against his people when he tried to warn the colonists. He also represented something that King Philip didn't like, a Native American turned English. In the book it says "The first casualty may have been the Pequot man whom an Indian interpreter, possibly Sassamon himself: 'What are you, an Indian or an Englishman?' The answerableness of this question would eventually kill Sassamon too." pg 47. The killing of John Sassamon was with out a doubt the beginning of the war. Even though that no shots were fired at any colonists war was declared by killing the only person that could stop it. Many people believed that the way to stopping King Philip was to convert him to Christianity, but this proved to be harder than it seemed. King Philip saw this feudal attempt to change him and saw a weakness in the colonists. He saw that religion played a big part in the colonies as seen on page 105 "as one colonist aptly put it, 'Our Enemies proudly exalt over us and Blaspheme the name of our Blessed God; Saying, Where is your O God?'"Religion played the largest part in the war because both sides believed strongly in their religion and were willing to die for them. On the colonist side they used religious ideas to justify the war. They believed it to be a "holy war", page 109 "And, as Pope Innocent IV had pronounced in the thirteenth century, Christians could wage wars agains infidels soley on the basis of their nonbelief in God." To believe that God is on your side when you are fighting to the death is a very h...
