Final Reflective Essay

Throughout this semester I have been given the opportunity to learn more about the Latin American culture. I chose to focus on religion because it is a topic that interests me, and I can now say it was a great decision. I was able to learn a lot about Latin American beliefs and grow more aware of just how diverse this world truly is.

My portfolio definitely benefited from the peer reviews. Other students were able to catch things I missed and give me feedback on my work. This helped me further improve my portfolio. I believe that my portfolio has strong information in it and is well written. However, it is a little weak in terms of creativity. I am not very creative when it comes to decoration and visuals and this was reflected in my work.

When creating my portfolio, I mainly used words to convey my messages. I am good at writing, so I decided it would be best to play to my strengths. I centered my presentations around my writing in hopes that this would make for the best result. This is how I was able to connect my portfolio to my personal pursuit of being a writer.

I was able to learn a lot through my research during this course. I hope that I can use this knowledge along with what I have learned about the Spanish language to interact and relate to others. This project and this course have been wonderful opportunities for me to grow as a person and a global citizen. Even though I do not plan to develop my Spanish skills much more, I still hope I can use what I have learned this semester in every part of my life to come.

Latin American Religion Today

In this final cultural entry, I would like to discus Latin American religion today. Religious identity in the region has changed a lot throughout history and now we have arrived at its current position. At first glance one would think that Catholicism still dominates the region. It has for hundreds of years and the current pope is Latin American. However, several surveys have shown the number of Catholics declining. In the early 20^th century, about 90% of Latin Americans identified as Catholic. Now the number is 69%. This is due to people converting to Protestantism and Atheism.

Most of those who have rejected Catholicism were raised Catholic. This rejection started in the current generation as they began to question the beliefs of their ancestors. Some wanted a closer relationship with God. Others wanted a more personal worship experience. The reasons are all different, but the result remains the same. The Catholic Church is losing ground in Latin America.

Studies also show that Latin American Catholics are less likely to align with the teachings of their religions then Protestants. Catholics are less likely to tithe, pray, and attend services. They are also more likely to support abortion and homosexuality, both forbidden by the Church.

It is undeniable that Latin Americans are slowly losing their Catholic identity. Though it is sad to see a centuries old tradition beginning to die out, it is good that people are beginning to think for themselves instead of blindly following the teachings of their families. However, in the end, it doesn’t matter whether this change is good or bad. It is still a defining factor in Latin American culture today.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/upshot/latin-america-is-losing-its-catholic-identity.html

http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/religion-in-latin-america/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mariano-lozano/catholicism-in-latin-america_b_10281874.html

Religion before Catholicism

In my last cultural entry, I talked about Catholicism and how it took hold of Latin America through the work of the Conquistadors and Jesuits. In this entry we’ll go back even further to discover what Latin Americans believed before the Western world invaded.

The native tribes of Latin America were polytheistic in general. Tribes of natives had their own gods that they prayed and sacrificed too. They believed that if these gods were pleased by their offerings, they would see prosperity and growth. However, if the gods were displeased, then famine and plagues would be sent upon them. This caused some tribes to take extreme measures to please the gods, resorting to human sacrifice and in some cases cannibalism.  These horrific acts caused most to think of natives as evil savages when the majority didn’t practice them.

When the Western forces moved in, they sought to eradicate these religions completely. They had a simple policy: convert or die. The Catholics wanted to stomp out the religious practices of these natives so if they didn’t give up their gods, they were killed. The Latin Americans lost their religious identity, replaced by the religion imposed on them by the invaders. While this did stop them from performing some of the horrific things they used to do, they still lost an important piece of who they were, not to mention that the methods employed by the invaders could be just as horrendous.

The shift from polytheism to monotheism was important in Latin American religion because of how it changed the natives. Yes, they did lose an important part of their heritage, but they gained moral values that weren’t there before. They gained a new identity that was better than their old one, an identity that remains today.

Sources:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/south-american-indian-religions-history-study

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Native-American-religion#toc242869

https://www.shmoop.com/spanish-colonization/religion.html

Initial Reflection and Topic Proposal

In the world today it is important to be aware of the cultures of others. We should respect the traditions of others and this means we need to know things about them. To gain this cultural competence, one needs to put time into researching these other cultures. I hope to gain some cultural competence by the end of the semester by putting effort into researching Hispanic cultures.

I have decided to focus my research on religion. As a religious person myself, I am eager to learn the beliefs and values of Hispanic cultures. I also believe that religion is important in influencing a person’s identity so focusing my study on it will give me a better understanding of Hispanic people in general. I am excited to begin my research and look forward to becoming culturally competent.

Catholicism in Latin America

Prior to their invasion by the Europeans, Latin American cultures practiced various religions involving human sacrifice and Cannibalism. Beginning in 1492 however, these natives were introduced to Catholicism. As their world became more civilized, natives would begin to embrace this new religion, giving up their own customs in the process.

The conversion of Latin America to Catholicism began with the conquistadors destroying temples and idols dedicated to pagan gods. They found such things satanic and resolved to wipe them from their colonies. After the natives had been conquered and provinces had been established, The Europeans began sending priests to convert their new citizens. Of all those that reached out to the natives, the Jesuits were the most successful.

The Jesuit order was founded in 1940. They went to South America a few years after due to being inspired by St. Thomas Moore’s book Utopia published in 1516. The order wanted to restore the world to its Christian basis and decided on the New World as a starting place. They were given land as well as self-governing authority by the King.

By the early 1700s the Jesuits had grown powerful economically as well as socially. Their large plantations, farms, and mines had yielded large amounts of goods to sell. They had managed to pacify the Natives around them despite losing many of their own. The order had succeeded in establishing the utopia they had hoped for. The next step was converting the Natives to Catholicism. They found that the Natives quickly excepted their faith but hesitated to let go of their old customs such as Cannibalism and Polygamy. Because of this, the Jesuits didn’t allow Natives still practicing these things into their Cities. They also isolated themselves from Spanish and Portuguese societies.

The Jesuits found themselves unable to protect their Native converts however. Portuguese and Spanish forces often raided Jesuit settlements to take easy slaves. Eventually, the Jesuits were given authority to arm the Natives and turned them into a force capable of repelling these attacks.

With their settlements safe, the Jesuits once again began the process of converting the natives. After not having much success with conventional methods, they began using trickery. Tactics such as having their own idols command them to follow the Jesuits were often employed.

By the middle of the 18^th century, the Jesuits had begun fighting for the land they owned once again. This time their opponent was the Spanish government. They tried to stand up against this new threat but Pope Clement XIV dissolved their order in 1773, taking away any power they had left.

With the Jesuits in exile, the societies they had created collapsed. Their influence remained however as many of their old subjects revolted against the governments oppressing them. Some natives continued to practice Catholicism such as the country of Paraguay which was practically a Catholic nation. The Jesuits had played an important role in the spread of Catholicism in Latin America. Their downfall had been the jealousy of other Catholic organizations closer to the pope.

Religion in Latin America has a long history involving both bloodshed and mercy. Both the Conquistadors to the Jesuits, along with other smaller religious organizations, played a major role in shaping Latin America’s religious identity today. Though some have turned from this traditional religious practice, many are still following the practices of their ancestors and keeping the history of Latin America’s Catholicism alive.

 

Sources:

http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1982/5/82.05.07.x.html

https://www.thetrumpet.com/10541-a-brief-history-of-catholicism-in-latin-america

http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0180.xml