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