Catholics in Mexico

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hays1122

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I’ve been hearing about all the horrible murders and drug cartels creating such war like conditions in Mexico.
And I was thinking about the fact that Mexico is about 90% Catholic.
How can there be so much murdering and killing when those people are always praying and going to Mass.
I mean when ever I’ve been across the border as a tourist. I see pictures and other religious objects all over businesses and homes.
They seem to be very religious people. And very dedicated Catholics.
Yet on the news It’s looking more like a Muslim country.
What’s going on?
Are the Catholics in Mexico different kind of Catholics?
 
I’m sure there are people from Mexico that can respond. My view from going to Mexico is past lack of government responsibility allowed a very small percentage to do some extremely bad things. However, corruption on a small level is pretty rampant and considered normal. Having police pull you over in Juarez for $10 or $20 is pretty common.

FYI, In absolute terms, Mexico has the world’s second largest number of Catholics after Brazil. I respect the Mexican Catholics I have known immensely.
 
What I find hard to understand is how so much evil could be going on when 90% of the people belong to the catholic church.
All those prayers and going to mass,seems like it would be a holy peaceful place.
 
LeroyCRHP said:
I’m sure there are people from Mexico that can respond. My view from going to Mexico is past lack of government responsibility allowed a very small percentage to do some extremely bad things. However, corruption on a small level is pretty rampant and considered normal. Having police pull you over in Juarez for $10 or $20 is pretty common…
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Those cops in Juárez are pikers. I was fined $80 for sitting in a parked car, off the street, without wearing a seat belt in Guadalajara.😦

Just as there are bad apples in the US, and not just high-ranking politicians, there are criminals in México.

A huge majority, beyond the Catholics are law-abiding, to the point that in one place with which I am familiar, the highest elected official hired a former US Army Military Policeman, a naturalized US citizen from that city, to be the new police chief, then backed the new chief when he fired the whole department and hired new people who were sent to law enforcement school before allowing them a badge or gun.👍

I have a friend in another state where the general population has become tired of the drug traffic and cops being paid off. Some of the citizens are now detaining suspects and calling the Federales. The latter are mostly no-nonsense types who will pull the trigger on a known traficante if he makes a false move. My friend knows some of these things up close; her uncle was recently arrested as a capo’s bodyguard and is now in custody in México City.
 
A lot of those “Catholics” though are not really, but are more just superstitious than anything. Many belong to the cult of “Santa Muerte”
 
hays1122 said:
I’ve been hearing about all the horrible murders and drug cartels creating such war like conditions in Mexico.
And I was thinking about the fact that Mexico is about 90% Catholic.
How can there be so much murdering and killing when those people are always praying and going to Mass.
I mean when ever I’ve been across the border as a tourist. I see pictures and other religious objects all over businesses and homes.
They seem to be very religious people. And very dedicated Catholics.
Yet on the news It’s looking more like a Muslim country.
What’s going on?
Are the Catholics in Mexico different kind of Catholics?
Click to expand...
Mexico may used to have been 90% Catholic but that is not the case anymore. Not by a longshot. The evangelical communities have made huge inroads in ripping people away from Catholicism and many who still claim to be Catholic are Catholic in name only, in actuality belonging to cults such as La Santisima Muerte and others.
 
I live on the US border with Mexico, I come from a Mexican family (we live on both sides of the border), and I cross the border frequently… so I’m quite familiar with Mexican society.

Basically, all the violence that you see on the news these days about Mexico isn’t done by your average Joe (or Juan). It is the drug cartels that are doing all these killings and beheadings. Anybody who belongs to or is associated to a member of these cartels (especially members’ family) runs the risk of something bad happening to them by a rival drug cartel. What I’m trying to say by this is that the killings are not random. They are all premeditated against specific individuals. If you have nothing to do with these drug cartels nothing bad should happen to you.

With regards to being a devout Catholic, I seriously doubt that the drug cartel members are devout Catholic. Maybe they are only “craddle” catholics at most.

You should go to Mexico and talk to the average Joe on the street. You’ll see that people are very friendly, helpful and warm.
 
hays1122 said:
I’ve been hearing about all the horrible murders and drug cartels creating such war like conditions in Mexico.
And I was thinking about the fact that Mexico is about 90% Catholic.
How can there be so much murdering and killing when those people are always praying and going to Mass.
I mean when ever I’ve been across the border as a tourist. I see pictures and other religious objects all over businesses and homes.
They seem to be very religious people. And very dedicated Catholics.
Yet on the news It’s looking more like a Muslim country.
What’s going on?
Are the Catholics in Mexico different kind of Catholics?
Click to expand...
Since your profile shows you are protestant, could this possibly be a veiled put down of Catholics.?
 
Deacon_Ed_B said:
Since your profile shows you are protestant, could this possibly be a veiled put down of Catholics.?
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No it is not a veil put down of Catholics. I am here to learn about the Catholic faith. And as I stated,I having been a visitor to Mexico. I have seen all the religious icons and relics almost in every building and business. Those people along the sidewalk selling items will usually have religious items for sale. Plus I see them make the sign of the cross many times. It just seems like a very religious country. And I am wondering why a country with so many Catholics who believe in saying the Rosary everyday and attending mass as much as possible could have such problems as what I’ve been hearing about lately. They have pictures of the virgin of Guadalupe all over the place. I have a feeling if I could walk into 10 homes in any neighborhood I would find a picture of the virgin or Jesus in everyone. Where as here in the USA,I could walk into any 10 homes and maybe find one home with a picture of the virgin or Jesus.
I will not put down Catholics. I respect Catholics. I would ask the same question if I found out Mexico was 75% Baptist. Of course I wouldn’t ask here at a Catholic website. I’m kind of sure someone would say,“IT’s because they’re protestants!”
What’s happening in Mexico is so sad. And scary since it’s being brought into our own country.
Maybe I’m hoping every Catholic will join me in praying that those criminals realize how inhumane they are behaving.
I mean I gotta believe they see the face of Jesus and or the Virgin of Guadalupe every day. One way or another.
No,please don’t think I’m trying to make it look like there’s something wrong with the Catholic church. My thought was,how can people act so cruel and kill each other like that when they have all those religious icons everywhere they look?
Maybe it’s the same thing as all these religious leaders being arrested for awful crimes here in the U.S.
The devil and his demons are putting in over time.
 
I suspect that the drug cartel members just think (if they think at all) that religioius stuff is for old ladies and the weak.

I’ve also noticed that Mexicans tend sometimes (hate to generalize) to be passive where Americans might be more aggressive. They do not run to the scene of an accident to see if they can help – they run away from it, worried that they might be jailed as somehow implicated. At least that’s what my Mexican in-laws explained to me.
So if bad stuff is coming down, they might be more inclined to back off and look elsewhere. Especially since, if they call the police, they’d be likely to get somebody corrupt who might arrest them.
Imperfect as the US is, we should appreciate the law and order we have. Though I know if you belong to a minority, it may be even less perfect.​

 
Viki63 said:
I suspect that the drug cartel members just think (if they think at all) that religioius stuff is for old ladies and the weak.

I’ve also noticed that Mexicans tend sometimes (hate to generalize) to be passive where Americans might be more aggressive. They do not run to the scene of an accident to see if they can help – they run away from it, worried that they might be jailed as somehow implicated. At least that’s what my Mexican in-laws explained to me.
So if bad stuff is coming down, they might be more inclined to back off and look elsewhere. Especially since, if they call the police, they’d be likely to get somebody corrupt who might arrest them.
Imperfect as the US is, we should appreciate the law and order we have. Though I know if you belong to a minority, it may be even less perfect.​

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I believe there is a general fear of the police in Mexico. So it might explain why few people may offer help in cases where the police will be involved. Mexican jails don’t have exactly a good reputation.

Otherwise Mexicans are willing to help in otherwise “normal” situations.

A few years ago a friend from Europe was visiting my hometown and I took her to Mexico to a small peaceful village a few miles from the border. At dusk she needed to go very badly to the restroom and she couldn’t hold it any longer. There were absolutely no public restrooms. Everything was now closed and we (or she) had nowhere to go. So we asked some food vendor on the street where to find a restroom nearby. The vendor told us that all was closed, but that he knew somebody who lived very near the plaza we were at. He walked with us to that friend’s house, knocked on the door, explained the situation, and lo and behold, they actually let us in for my friend to use their restroom. I thought that was very really nice of them. They were willing to help by letting some strangers into their house after dark–they didn’t have to do that and quite frankly I don’t know how I would have reacted in such situation if people came knocking on my door asking for the same favor States-side.
 
Maybe I need to explain what I was trying to find out a little more clearly.
As anyone who listens to the news about the war in the middle east knows that the muslim religion is being looked at more closely. We are hearing all about how they hate anyone who does not call allah their own god. Christians are considered enemies.
So when we hear of all the suicide bombers and beheadings we feel that it’s because they don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ.
I really thought that was the reason for the hate in that part of the world. They hate our God.
Yet now that I’m hearing about our neighbor Mexico,the beheadings and mass murders by the drug cartels. I couldn’t help but wonder how can they be acting the same as those who do not have the word of God all around them.
It’s not just a few hundred murders anymore. This is a war within that country.
This is a christian country.
That’s why I asked how this could be happening in a country where 75% are Catholic which is a very spiritual religion.
At least here at this site I get the idea that Catholics take going to mass seriously. Confession is very important. Prayer is like eating for nurishment. Catholics are supose to say the rosary daily.
I’m not saying anything against the Catholic church. If I had found out they were 75% baptist or whatever I’d be asking someone of that faith the same question.
And to anyone who thinks because I call myself a protestant I am trying to make the Catholic faith look bad.
I am protestant only because my mother was protestant. She raised me to respect my parents and believe that they know what is best and the truth. I am sure there are many Catholics who can say the same thing as to why they are Catholic.
 
hays1122 said:
Maybe I need to explain what I was trying to find out a little more clearly.
As anyone who listens to the news about the war in the middle east knows that the muslim religion is being looked at more closely. We are hearing all about how they hate anyone who does not call allah their own god. Christians are considered enemies.
So when we hear of all the suicide bombers and beheadings we feel that it’s because they don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ.
I really thought that was the reason for the hate in that part of the world. They hate our God.
Yet now that I’m hearing about our neighbor Mexico,the beheadings and mass murders by the drug cartels. I couldn’t help but wonder how can they be acting the same as those who do not have the word of God all around them.
It’s not just a few hundred murders anymore. This is a war within that country.
This is a christian country.
That’s why I asked how this could be happening in a country where 75% are Catholic which is a very spiritual religion.
At least here at this site I get the idea that Catholics take going to mass seriously. Confession is very important. Prayer is like eating for nurishment. Catholics are supose to say the rosary daily.
I’m not saying anything against the Catholic church. If I had found out they were 75% baptist or whatever I’d be asking someone of that faith the same question.
And to anyone who thinks because I call myself a protestant I am trying to make the Catholic faith look bad.
I am protestant only because my mother was protestant. She raised me to respect my parents and believe that they know what is best and the truth. I am sure there are many Catholics who can say the same thing as to why they are Catholic.
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The beheadings and the killings are about which drug cartel takes over which drug trafficking route, which in turn leads to more profits, which is what all that mess is about: money.

The drug cartel members are in many ways seekers who obviously do not know God nor have any fear of God. From your post I get the impression that you expect Catholicism’s dominant presence to have a positive influence on the drug cartels. I don’t see how the Church should have any influence on them when the narcs themselves don’t have any relationship with the Lord (ie. no active prayer life, no church attendance, no going to confession). The narcs are probably atheists or too apathetic to care about religious issues. (And yes, even if the dominant religion were baptist, mormon, or , or even atheist, the narcs would still be narcs doing their crimes)

What I’m trying to get at is that the violence in Mexico has nothing to do with religion. It’s all about narcs who profit through drug trafficking. They have a Machiavellian way of winning business and competing for profits, thus the violence. In the Middle East the violence is mostly from religious radicals who abuse religion and commit crimes in the name of the Lord. In Mexico, the violence is about money. For the narcs, money itself is their god (sadly).

And to conclude, remember that 2000 years ago Jesus Himself once lived among men. His presence was not enough to have a positive influence on the elder Pharisees and Jews. In the end, these people were similar to Mexico’s narcs and wanted to kill an innocent man.
 
What I know is only from my parents living there for a number of years plus extrapolating from “Catholics” in different countries about whom I’ve read.
  1. the people who refer to themselves as Catholics in this country are 23-25% (depending on who you read) whereas the practicing Catholics are only 12% of the population and the people who truly follow the Church (or try) are supposedly just a portion of those. So, I would guess that the same applies in other countries - those that can practice their faith openly that is.
  2. humanity has fallen (Original Sin) and even tho’ a person may try a “righteous man sins seven times a day”. Think of children growing up amongst squalor, violence, drugs, etc. with that being most of what they see or know…:confused: Like the above poster mentioned, look at Jesus’ life.:rolleyes:
  3. where a person takes drugs (including liquid drugs like alcohol), a person is much less likely to be able to withstand concupiscence or the devil.
  4. my parents said that, as long as you stay out of border areas, that the Mexican people they met were the nicest/friendliest they’ve met anywhere who would do most anything for someone!
  5. they also said that the police are so poorly paid and Mexican “tradition” has almost expected them to be “on the take” that they didn’t see how it could be otherwise. (Remember, towns around the border have a lot of people who are either seen as rich and bad or are involved in the drug trade - probably the first group became understood as rich and bad because of the drug cartels and also thoughtless Americans.)
  6. Remember, Catholics are sinners who need a spiritual hospital with the fullest treatment that is known, however only a few persons have the moral courage, etc to become saints/Saints. Remember, God doesn’t force Himself on anyone! The rest of us (Mexicans included) do better than we would have done otherwise, but still need a lot of work.
 
brigid12 said:
  1. my parents said that, as long as you stay out of border areas, that the Mexican people they met were the nicest/friendliest they’ve met anywhere who would do most anything for someone!
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Not all of the border areas were created equal. The more famous borders like San Diego/Tijuana, El Paso/Ciudad Juárez could perhaps have a “big city” phenomenon, meaning that the locals can be rather reserved and not so open, due to a large anonymous population in the area (similar to any other metropolis in the interior).

But if you ever visit Mexican border towns which are small (e.g. Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras, Del Rio/Ciudad Acuña), you’ll see that the people are very friendly and violent crime is virtually unheard of.
 
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