Hispanic Culture is a BATTLEFRONT!

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Jose045

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I am Hispanic and let me just say that the assault against the Church in Hispanic communities and countries is HUGE!!!
So many “churches” say they want to convert people to Jesus, but the real goal is to draw them away from Catholicism. Most I have seen send their missions exclusively or primarily to Catholic countries.

There are so many Spanish speaking “churches” and “pastors” drawing Catholics away that it’s just horrifying! And they are so deceitful and expert at convolution of facts! My fiance said she used to go to a “church” where they had communion-even called it the Eucharist.

As a Hispanic let me add the the greatest charlatans are in my opinion in this community. And there is something particularly warped about a turned away Hispanic Catholic. Perhaps it is because Catholicism in Hispanic countries is so strong that it requires a particularly aggressive warping and rejection of the faith for it to be effective.

The things they preach and say are often so warped, and they place a HUGE emphasis on the Holy Spirit in a very emotional sense. What I mean is that they have made up signs or defining factors to “show” that a person has accepted the Holy Spirit. Some of the requirements are as follows. Keep in mind that I have heard many times “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you know it because…”
~You will fall down.
~You will cry uncontrollably-often for an hour or more.
~You will speak in tongues.
~You will no longer make the same mistakes/your life will be lived totally differently. This of course is used to say you haven’t yet received the Holy Spirit. Also, that the “fruits” of your faith are not evident.

I was invited, and went to, the event of an “Expert” on the Holy Spirit a couple of times. He does the usual preaching, escalating in tone as the music increases in strength, then starts the screaming “Jesus help me” etc. Then speaks in “tongues”. He only uses one phrase over and over as far as I’ve seen at both of his shows and even when I’ve looked him up on youtube. He simply interjects it in the middle of a sentence, keeps talking, and does it every once and a while. Example: “Cast away the devil in the name of Jesus! Your life belongs to Jesus/urrababakaya-arrakachiama!” His followers use the same “phrase” constantly.

Frankly I believe that that the crying etc. comes simply from the emotions stirred up by theatrics and drama. I feel it’s a formula: There are people already there that want to experience a miracle, want to stop suffering, are searching for Jesus Christ. The preacher/Pastor starts out with an anecdote-a little child who was healed-an old lady who was dying but got new life… As the pastor speaks he slowly gets more passionate and the music accompanies his fervor. Soon the music is dramatic, and he begins to yell, even scream, “Say what I say: Jesus I can’t stand it anymore, Jesus help me” etc. Then the speaking in “tongues” happens… Already emotional people get caught up in the drama and there’s crying and all sorts of stuff.
Leaving one event I overheard an old person tell their friend while limping along that she was not cured that night and blame it on herself.

Also…
In almost every single event or meeting I have gone to (I like to see/hear what is going on) they make an issue in one way or another about “religion”. It’s always something about how the Jews who were against Jesus were “religious”. Always a comment about religion or “religiosity”. They make it sound so simple and pure: “Just love Jesus without all the religion/religiosity”. “You can’t put God in a box”.
They have sermons, music, even plays… and the religion comment is almost always there. They then praise Jesus and everybody starts to get all emotional.

Another thing I have seen a lot of is the praying against the devil for nearly everything. Someone has a stomach ache: “I command you to leave in the name of Jesus, devil of sickness!!”
Someone feels sad: “I command you to leave in the name of Jesus, devil of misery!!”
Someone is having money problems: “I command you to leave in the name of Jesus, devil of poverty!!”
I have even seen the devil be blamed because a car breaks down, because you lose a job, because you get hurt, and on and on and on.
And yes, I have heard of praying over a car because it broke down.

The get togethers often are someone playing “worship” music from a cd and praying at the same time. They spend 15-20 minutes doing this at the beginning and end with some talking in between and this is considered worshiping fully. The Catholic Mass is, of course, “boring” and you get nothing from it. The thing is that the music affects one’s emotions, people are in a room with others caught up in-or instigating-the same things. It just seems so fabricated and predictable.

And these people actually have the gall, or perhaps the lack of neurons, to claim that the Catholic Church went wrong and that it added the ideas of man to worship, and even go so far as using the “there will come false prophets” against the Church. Never mind that this was written in the bible, which was canonized by the Church, over a thousand years before their drive-through worship group was concocted. But then why allow the facts to get in the way of making vast claims based on hearsay.

Although I’d say most, almost all, of these people are wonderful people and truly love Jesus, but isn’t a truth mingled with a lie like mixing good wine with rotten juice?

I believe we should ask for apologist sources to be available in Spanish, or help to make it so. It’s so important! Catholic schools and Churches should be more proactive to prepare children and adults for these assaults.

I have stepped into that world. My fiance is still caught up in much of that world. I have seen just how it warps people’s views and perceptions. I believe the de-formation was satanic in design and with the purpose of fragmenting Christ’s Church.

:knight1:
Deus lo vult!
 
Protestants will target Catholics, I think, because despite their view that we are a pagan religion or a cult, it’s actually easier for them to evangelize Catholics versus say Muslims who live in places where being involved in conversion means death or angry humanists who will lash out and say the most disgusting thing they can think of.

I was disappointed to learn that only 21% of Texas, for instance, is Catholic, but 64% Protestant.

I really hope that Catholics can do a better job at reaching to Hispanics and Asians in the USA, because other faiths will.
 
Hi Jose,

I’m of mixed Hispanic/Anglo origins on my father’s side, so I grew up sort of half in that culture (know the language, traditions, etc., and also those of Anglos) thanks to my grandmother and extended family, and I have seen what you write of first hand. Protestants, especially of the Pentecostal/charismatic variety, are targeting Latin American, historically Catholic, countries and populations from those countries elsewhere and have been for decades. It’s really disturbing to me, even as I am no longer Roman Catholic myself. I think your suggestion of finding apologetic material in Spanish is a great idea. Unfortunately I only know such material for Orthodoxy, not Roman Catholicism, but given the relative size of the Hispanic population within each church, I have to assume that there are many more such resources in Spanish for the defense of the Roman Catholic Church. May God help you and your fiancee to break away from the influence of these people, as what they are doing is truly in service of the demonic. And may He help those “pastors”, as well, as they know not what they are doing. 😦
 
I work with the hispanic community in my area and I agree with you. I’ve seen everything you have outlined, in the protestant-converted hispanic community. And in the Catholic hispanic community I’ve seen priests perpetuate the bad catechesis of their flock by changing the Mass so it’s more “spiritual” and encouraging people to become emotional and “feel the Spirit” during Mass.

It’s crazy. People prefer to feel emotional rather than follow the teachings of the Church, so many times they continue on in their incorrect beliefs or sinful lifestyles, yet raise their hands up to heaven and close their eyes while singing the Padre Nuestro each week.

It bothers me immensely. I’m still praying about what action, if any, to take about a certain priest who does not follow the rubrics of the Mass and uses his homilies to preach about things like limiting the size of your family to 3 kids, or how Pope Francis is finally going to change the Church, or how great Nelson Mandela was. It’s disturbing.

Thanks for the post! 🙂
 
This really is ashame but not surprising. The Catholic Church will survive but is facing global persecution and I’m afraif this is only the beginning. I will say that I am not Hispanic but went to “Our Lady of Guadalupe” service last Thursday and was deeply moved by the dedication and devotion displayed by this parish who filled the church with standing room only at 4:30 am.
I know that Radio Maria has Spanish speaking outlets and have apologetic programs and prayer hours. Maybe it could be used as a tool for Evangilizing

www.radiomaria.us
 
dzheremi said:
Hi Jose,

I’m of mixed Hispanic/Anglo origins on my father’s side, so I grew up sort of half in that culture (know the language, traditions, etc., and also those of Anglos) thanks to my grandmother and extended family, and I have seen what you write of first hand. Protestants, especially of the Pentecostal/charismatic variety, are targeting Latin American, historically Catholic, countries and populations from those countries elsewhere and have been for decades. It’s really disturbing to me, even as I am no longer Roman Catholic myself. I think your suggestion of finding apologetic material in Spanish is a great idea. Unfortunately I only know such material for Orthodoxy, not Roman Catholicism, but given the relative size of the Hispanic population within each church, I have to assume that there are many more such resources in Spanish for the defense of the Roman Catholic Church. May God help you and your fiancee to break away from the influence of these people, as what they are doing is truly in service of the demonic. And may He help those “pastors”, as well, as they know not what they are doing. 😦
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I’m not Hispanic, but I second your post otherwise.

I’ve met Latin American Protestants in person or seen them on Facebook so often that I was pleasantly surprised to find out a Latina classmate this semester is a practicing Catholic.

It really bothers me how Evangelicals deal with Catholics and Orthodox, never stopping to consider whether they might just perhaps be the folks on the wrong path. Señor ten piedad.
 
Trebor135 said:
It really bothers me how Evangelicals deal with Catholics and Orthodox, never stopping to consider whether they might just perhaps be the folks on the wrong path. Señor ten piedad.
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There are many who are really very well meaning people-very welcoming and loving and I believe their motives are good. But they can also be extremely arrogant and condescending in a “friendly” way. It is truly amazing that they never consider it may be them who are wrong.

The Hispanic Evangelicals seem to have developed a very effective psychological sales pitch. All the sermons I see are centered around emotion-and I mean to the point of screaming so loud that the voice is distorted through the speakers. They make just about every problem a devil-related issue. They almost always put down religion and speak negatively of it by using words like “religiosity”. Jesus, they claim, was not religious, and they make comparisons with religious people equaling pharisees. Of course the scheme is to legitimize personal interpretation and undermine authority. They also seem to have an obsession with thinking that they must do Jewish things because Jesus was Jewish.

They are also HUGE on “liberation”. It’s the devil in everything.

It can be extremely frustrating trying to have a conversation with these people that involves reason. I’ve been told that I read too much and seek too much knowledge when I defend the Church. Go figure.

:knight1:
Deus lo vult!
 
OK so here is an example.

I have been to two of this man’s shows. It is the same exact thing each time-same lines, same screaming. In my opinion he is doing a psychological/emotional manipulation.

He does say good things: to renounce sin, to turn to Jesus, but it just seems so emotionally grounded.

youtube.com/watch?v=DdTABJlzKcM

At 52:50 he is saying “Away with you cancer/hernia/tumor/Spirit of Asthma/arthritis/spirit of epilepsy, etc.in the name of Jesus.” That God is recreating tissue etc.

“sal” means “leave” in Spanish.

At the end he is saying for those who had sight problems to wipe their eyes, for those who had trouble bending to bend, etc. Then he says if you don’t do it you didn’t believe.

In this video: youtube.com/watch?v=VeH_qL0fJrQ
at 1:17:27 he says his “speaking in tongues” phrase. I have been to two of his shows and it’s the same phrase over and over. On the internet same thing. People I have met who go see him, when they pray they say the same exact thing. I’ve also experienced people saying that phrase in the middle of someone preaching.

I don’t want to knock other people but this all just seems so contrived and preying on the weak minded.
 
:byzsoc: I think the reasons they are so successful in the Hispanic community is due to the fact
that many never either A.Recieved any religious instruction or B.Or did not recieve much instruction at all.If this is the case it is the Church’s fault for not being more aggresive in the sense of teaching the faith. I assume if you live say in a dicoese with a large hispanic population like LA or San Antonio you might find apologetic material in spanish. You might also contact the Daughters of St.Paul who run book stores and such.The sisters publish books so maybe they have some material for you in spanish along this line.
There was a group of sisters the Catechist Missionary Sisters of St.John who were founded in the Rio Grande valley of Texas. They were hispanic and worked as catechists. They moved to Taylor ,Texas .The motherhouse is still there,but there is only one sister left .When she passes away that will be the end. I do know that there are hispanic communities of sisters from Mexico and elsewhere who work amongst the hispanics here in the states.Maybe with their work and that of other latinos those who became protestants can be re converted to the church.
 
HollyDolly said:
:byzsoc: I think the reasons they are so successful in the Hispanic community is due to the fact
that many never either A.Recieved any religious instruction or B.Or did not recieve much instruction at all.If this is the case it is the Church’s fault for not being more aggresive in the sense of teaching the faith.
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That is true. I worked at a Catholic mission and they had teachers that would say things contrary to the Catholic Faith. Even the religion teacher said that he taught whatever he felt is right.

I wrote the president of the school about us being more proactive regarding preparing these kids for the world’s attack on their faith. The call fell on deaf ears. But then she was a liberal “nun” who once lost her cool when I defended Columbus and the Church by **screaming **that the Church had been murdering people for hundreds of years.

The principal of the elementary was a Mormon.

I just found it to be ridiculous in the extreme.

I don’t know what’s going on. How are these people allowed to do such things?
 
Adult Catholics can learn their faith on their own. The internet is a treasure trove for every kind of Catholic Faith Formation, from the written word to YouTube. And there are often Catholics books in local libraries, not to mention new and used books at bookstores.
 
kkollwitz said:
Adult Catholics can learn their faith on their own. The internet is a treasure trove for every kind of Catholic Faith Formation, from the written word to YouTube. And there are often Catholics books in local libraries, not to mention new and used books at bookstores.
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True, but I am pointing out that there doesn’t seem to be much in Spanish for Catholics. Spanish resources would help even apologists. If anyone knows of any, please post.
Thanks
 
As a Hispanic I agree with you. I think we really need to work on teaching the faith to the young and not sprinkle it down like as if we were plants just spill it all out.
 
Jose045 said:
True, but I am pointing out that there doesn’t seem to be much in Spanish for Catholics. Spanish resources would help even apologists. If anyone knows of any, please post.
Thanks
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Catholic apologist John Martignoni’s site BibleChristianSociety.com has a Spanish version. I’m not Latin, though, so can’t comment on the quality of the translation work.
 
I don’t know if this is true, but a friend of mine related to me that when he lived in Mexico, there were many Protestant missionaries who would approach Catholic women whose husbands were abusive or neglectful and tell them that it was because the Catholic Church turns a blind eye to the evils of alcohol. And that supposedly this line worked on a lot of these women, because they were desperate to have intact, sober families.
 
I don’t know any hispanics, but I have always viewed the hispanic community as being catholic, and being the reason for a growing amount of catholics in this country. I have heard that more hispanics are becoming evangelical. It could be because they use the “once saved always saved” idea on them, and other evangelical teachings used to turn catholics away. This shows that we must do a better job evangelizing to them, and must reach more to them.
 
People from my Wife’s church sent a Pastor to Cartagena, Colombia to share the Gospel. they say many people there, not know Jesus. the most sad part of this issue is that many of the ones that live the church , always stated WHEN i was catholic… i used to be a drunk, … Never read the Bible, the priest used to look at me weird, even some say i used to be a altar Boy, but now I really find Jesus.
 
It is truly disturbing.

I am struggling with this situation with my fiance, who is "non-denominational. She is a wonderful person and her family is great, but they are former Catholics. I have found myself having to correct them more than once. She gets upset but hey, don’t comment on my faith and expect me to stay quiet-I don’t care who it is!

Either way, we Catholics need to realize that we are at war: our faith is being attacked by these people with the intention of wiping it out. We need to evangelize and we need to teach people about the truth and the facts! Whatever weakness we leave open the enemy will make use of!
 
My parents were of Spanish descent. So I am familiar with the Spanish temperament, their passion and feelings. Also with the great Spanish saints, St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Theresa of Avilla to mention a few. I was born in New Jersey, USA, and you can’t get more American then that. I was well educated in my Catholic Faith, I studied for the priesthood. God had other plans for me. As a lay person I became a Lay Apostle, trying to bring back fallen aways to the faith. God led me to the Charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church. I witnessed young adults speaking about Jesus so openly, this attracted me as I was a confraternity teacher, and was not very effective in communicating my Faith. I learned that we Catholics were indoctrinated, and Sacramentalised but many never really converted, and I judged this by what I saw going in their lives which was contrary to our Faith. I also learned that a lot of our education was not Christio-centric, and our Faith is just that. I witness Satan moving in. I saw a lot of scandal and I was really hurt, I loved my Faith and Christ. I was one of the pioneers in our area to start prayer groups, and using the Charismatic movement to bring about spiritual renewal I was afraid that some members would go off the deep end so I tried to guide them but was deligated to a back seat.at the meetings. God was showing me that He was in charge, and doing His thing. Young adults were at odds with us tradionalists. They were tired of the tradional way of teaching the faith. You see, we were very intellectual, very doctrinal, and also very spiritually arid. Kids and young adults would say "We are getting nothing from our traditional ways of Faith, we were not getting anything from attending Mass. They and we needed religious sentiment as well as conviction of our faith, not just conviction which is purely spiritual,thats why it is spiritually arid,dry. What happen to me, is that God taught me to reach them where they were at. I prayed and I must admit Satan made it very hard for me, but the Holy Spirit led me to continue to participate in the meetings. So I started to step out in faith, and the next I know I’m beginning to expeience what the young adults were experiencing. Now I had the advantage because I could use my Catholic education in a charismatic way. I experienced discernment, tongues, praise, prophesy and some minor healings. I was respected because I was one of them now. I also realize that they needed to grow in thein faith. I was able to now communicate with them on their own level. Many began to move deeper into their Faith and became Catholic leaders. I learned from St. Thomas Aquinas that Charism have been around since the begining of the Church, it is not new, but new to us. Charisms are edifying grace, not sanctifying grace, given to attract, and to build the Church. One can be charismatic and go to hell, as Jesus said. What happen is that the Pentecostal demension of our faith has become a faith in itself, and that was never intended. We made a religion out of Charisms. I’m afraid many traditionalist and priests fail to recognize what St.Paul said “We become all things to all men for the sake of the kingdom” If the Charisms are used wisely they are beautiful instrument for building the Church, they add religious sentiment to our religious convictions, we become whole, in our faith by the use of our minds and feeling, not just our minds In medio stat virtus, in the middle way is strength. Pray as you can, not as you can’t. worship God as you can, not as you can’t. The Spanish,the Italians, and the French are known for demonstrating their feeling as they constitute the romantic languages, they are not the only ones, but I can see where they might have a harder time in controlling their feelings. St.Padre Pio was very gifted with Charisms, because it was needed in his part of the country, we need it too. If more educated, and holy Catholics were to become like St.Paul, who was also Charismatic instilled the truths of our Faith by using the gifts we would again build the Church as Christ desires.
 
I’m Hispanic and although the devotion in my community is largely Catholic, I still see the effect of Hispanic pentecostal churches among our community. I’ve been to several. I’m a Catholic through and through, and I believe the Catholic church is a staple part of my Hispanic heritage and has played a role in my community for a long time, and I’m proud of my Hispanic Catholic roots. Many of the Hispanic pentecostal churches in my town are small, 60 member congregations that meet in various office suites in strip malls or next to banks in little suites that feel more like a Chiropractors office instead of a church. And they all have really weird names like “Palabra Vida” or “Agua de la Vida” or “Ministerios en Accion”. Not one of them meet in an actual “church” building. They are also all very cult like. I’ve seen it personally, as I’ve attended a few. Very creepy. Most of the pastors’ sermons were overly emotional and at some point become focused on their own congregation and how God was going to help them grow and how it’s very important to donate money so they can spread the word. He keep talking about how he wants to be in a big church someday. Another pastor was even saying in his sermon that he doesn’t make any money and is on unemployment.

There was a carnival in my town not too long ago, and several of the Hispanic congregations had booths set up selling Pupusas and Tacos. I knew a young guy who was working at one of the booths, his parents were devout members of one of the congregations, right across from them was a “competing” congregation also selling Pupusas. A lady bought some Pupusas from the “competitor” congregation and came to sit on the tables set up by the other congregation, and that congregations pastor got so mad because she bought from the church across from them, he yelled at her and told her since she bought from the other church she cannot sit on their tables. That’s ridiculously cult like.

I love the Catholic church and I love that it’s part of my Hispanic culture. I proudly drive my car with a decal of La Virgen de Guadalupe on it. She is greatly loved in our culture and has become a symbol of our culture. I’m so proud of my Catholic roots. I’m a proud Hispanic man, and I’m a proud Catolico. But this rise in Hispanic pentecostalism will have a negative effect on our culture. They are very cult like. Extremely emotional with no substance.
 
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