The Latin Flavor of Catholicism (school, catholics, homosexual, pictures)

[tvdxer]

One thing that I have observed, both in Mexican culture and Mexican-American (and Latin America in general's) culture, is a certain flavor of Catholicism that combines outward devotion with some rather non-Catholic things. Examples would include:

* I have a relative who is gay and in a relationship with a Mexican-American (born in Mexico). Yet another relative claims that he is "very religious" and "very Catholic", with religious statuary all over his house. The point that I am not trying to make is whether it is possible to be Catholic and a practicing homosexual at the same time. It's simply that it would be hard to imagine a person with these characteristics. Most gays in the US seem to be atheists, agnostics, or liberal Christians of some variety, not ardent Catholics.

* I know a few girls in Mexico who have Twitter accounts and post to them often. By some of their postings you would think that they have an incredibly deep belief in God and they even go on religious posting streaks. Yet they also post some sexual trivia, one girl is a huge fan of 50 Shades, and they tend to dress immodestly in their pictures.

* When I visited Costa Rica in 2005, a country which is less religious than Mexico but still very Catholic, "perreando" (grinding) to sexual lyrics was a common pastime. Yet the same person who invited me to "perrear" her and complained that we Americans would not dance, drink (we were there on a high school trip which forbade alcohol consumption), etc. also went to a service, on a Friday, to pray for the then-recently deceased Pope John Paul II. Shortly after my return, the overwhelming opinion on the Costa Rican forums was that Terri Schiavo should not be disconnected from a ventilator.

* In Mexico (and I would suspect other Latin American countries as well), it is common for Catholics to marry outside of the church in a civil ceremony, or simply stay together and be married de facto, yet still practice the faith, maybe even go to Mass, say pious outpourings when something is wrong, etc.

* I would not be surprised to see a Mexican gangster with a tattoo of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and from my documentary viewing many Mexican prostitutes pray.

Now, of course Americans do all of these things, but the religious brand of American generally doesn't post revealing photos of themselves to social media or subscribe to "risque" feeds, they don't grind up on each other, and most actively religious Americans get married in a religious ceremony, not simply before the Justice of the Peace.

Am I on to something here? What explains the open contradiction between high religiosity and things their religion would call "sin"? Is it that religion is a more of a shared thing south of the border, while it is a more personal thing in el norte?

(Mod: This should be moved to the "Americas" forum)

[mexguy]

Originally Posted by tvdxer

One thing that I have observed, both in Mexican culture and Mexican-American (and Latin America in general's) culture, is a certain flavor of Catholicism that combines outward devotion with some rather non-Catholic things.

Mmm, that happens in all the world, not only in latin america.

Originally Posted by tvdxer

Examples would include:

* I have a relative who is gay and in a relationship with a Mexican-American (born in Mexico). Yet another relative claims that he is "very religious" and "very Catholic", with religious statuary all over his house. The point that I am not trying to make is whether it is possible to be Catholic and a practicing homosexual at the same time. It's simply that it would be hard to imagine a person with these characteristics. Most gays in the US seem to be atheists, agnostics, or liberal Christians of some variety, not ardent Catholics.

Same in Mexico, being catholic is incompatible with being homosexual. The case you mention, must be a special one.

Originally Posted by tvdxer

* I know a few girls in Mexico who have Twitter accounts and post to them often. By some of their postings you would think that they have an incredibly deep belief in God and they even go on religious posting streaks. Yet they also post some sexual trivia, one girl is a huge fan of 50 Shades, and they tend to dress immodestly in their pictures.

Young girls are like that everywhere.

Originally Posted by tvdxer

* When I visited Costa Rica in 2005, a country which is less religious than Mexico but still very Catholic, "perreando" (grinding) to sexual lyrics was a common pastime. Yet the same person who invited me to "perrear" her and complained that we Americans would not dance, drink (we were there on a high school trip which forbade alcohol consumption), etc. also went to a service, on a Friday, to pray for the then-recently deceased Pope John Paul II. Shortly after my return, the overwhelming opinion on the Costa Rican forums was that Terri Schiavo should not be disconnected from a ventilator.

Is common in Latin America have the same religion since born, in the case of Catholicism is the majority, but many people can believe and even go to church and still not practice what religion demands.

Originally Posted by tvdxer

* In Mexico (and I would suspect other Latin American countries as well), it is common for Catholics to marry outside of the church in a civil ceremony, or simply stay together and be married de facto, yet still practice the faith, maybe even go to Mass, say pious outpourings when something is wrong, etc.

Marriage in the church is something symbolic in Mexico, the marriage to be legal must be before a civilian judge.

Originally Posted by tvdxer

* I would not be surprised to see a Mexican gangster with a tattoo of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and from my documentary viewing many Mexican prostitutes pray.

Yes, criminals are religious anywhere in the world.

Originally Posted by tvdxer

Now, of course Americans do all of these things, but the religious brand of American generally doesn't post revealing photos of themselves to social media or subscribe to "risque" feeds, they don't grind up on each other, and most actively religious Americans get married in a religious ceremony, not simply before the Justice of the Peace.

Am I on to something here? What explains the open contradiction between high religiosity and things their religion would call "sin"? Is it that religion is a more of a shared thing south of the border, while it is a more personal thing in el norte?

(Mod: This should be moved to the "Americas" forum)

Your whole post sounds like the Americans do things right and Latin not, but all you said are just a list of things that really you do not understand, as not being part of the latin american culture.

[Litri]

The answer is simple, no Catholic takes his religion seriously. Catholicism is more cultural than anything else, in other words, give me the pomp and keep the message.

Catholicism is just like the Borg, a culture-religion that has been assimilating cultures during the last 1700 years, so Catholicism is packed with traits inherited from other cultures (sincretism).

Catholicism in itself is a marketing creation that used bit and pieces of classic religions, you have God (Zeus), the son of God that dies (Anubis), the Pope (Caesar), etc.

Maybe in the US there are serious Catholics, must be terribly boring.

[CorderoAries]

I don't know why the OP acts surprised. Religion has been constantly adjusted and adapted since it's beginnings and origins among and throughout humanity and mandkind.

Every religion has contradicted some of it's own views.

This is not just exclusive to Christianity or Catholicism. It can be said for every single religion.