What does it take to give a child a wonderful welcome to Earth? Read more →
Category: Religion
I believe in holy things – Part 3: Karma & Learning to walk again
People think karma is a list of good and bad acts, each one of which will be ticked off as it is returned to you. What do Buddhist monks think of karma? Read more →
I believe in holy things – Part 2: Be ready to enter the Temple & Gratitude for food
It’s important to be well-prepared to enter a holy place, but even so, sometimes the most important thing is to enter regardless. Read more →
I believe in holy things – Part 1: A visit to a Buddhist temple
What does the phrase “I believe in holy things” mean to you? Kurt finds his own answers in a Buddhist temple. Read more →
The Gift of Tongues vs Political Language
Speaking truth at multiple levels can make it more accessible. Read more →
Catholicism in Mexico: A death cult?
When I walk into a church in Mexico, I can’t help but escape the images of death. There will normally be several idols of Christ, bloody and beaten, on a cross or in a coffin. In the Cathedral in Guadalajara, there is a mummy in a glass coffin, which supposedly belonged to a martyr, a young lady beaten to death by her father, enraged by her ambition to be a nun. I saw a similar mummy in Pachuca, Hidalgo, with a similar story. Apparently this story is repeated in churches all over Mexico – an archetype, a story too good to be told just once, like a rerun of ‘I Love Lucy’.
The other day I walked into the sacred art museum, which is attached to the Cathedral. In the first room we walked into, while looking at the paintings, I had the uncanny feeling that the people in the paintings were looking at me, or waiting to look at me. My companion also felt that there was something dark about the place. (Unfortunately, I can’t show you any pictures of the museum as they asked us not to take photographs.) In another room, there was a stand intended to hold books for a chorus, in the shape of a ziggurat or burial mound, with Christ on a crucifix at the top. The whole thing was painted black. Again, I felt I shouldn’t turn my back on it. I wondered about the dark things this object had seen, wondering if children had been abused while perched on its shelves.
In another room, there was a particularly gruesome picture of Christ, apparently already very dead, with Mary Magdalene by his side, holding his hand. His hand was by her mouth, but instead of kissing it she appeared to be sucking it. In front of Christ stood a dark female figure in a black robe with very white skin, tears streaming down her cheeks. I assume it’s supposed to be Mary, but it looked like Death.
I hope I don’t offend anybody with this post, as this is just my experience as an outsider looking in, and obviously there are subtleties that someone more familiar with Catholicism would notice. However, I do think that people should be wary of these types of images. A man might make a fine idol for you to pray towards, and you might even kiss its feet, as I’ve seen many people do. If the man controls the image that you pray to, you can be sure that he also controls you. God needs no intermediaries.