After his discovery of Mayan idolatry and sacrifice, he justified violence towards the Mayans through the philosophy of "destroy and rebuild". As a result of their deception, torture was used to obtain confessions from the Maya, many traditions were banned, and most of the Maya's precious historical books were destroyed. The friars who had previously preferred psychological manipulation to the Indians judged themselves to be above the law and inflicted punishment on the Maya without having the right to do so. The pathetic confessions of the Indians raise the question of whether it was the "confusion of languages", the inadequacy of teaching or sheer terror that drove them forward. Not all guilty Indians were punished. Those who suffered the wrath of the church were to be an example to other “idolaters” and “backsliders.” The roles were reversed when frightened Indians sought refuge with encomenderos who viewed the church as a threat to their livelihood and wanted to protect their