Comments on: The Latino Catholic-Protestant Divide on Same-Sex Marriage

By: Chris McCoy

Chris McCoy — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:27:25 +0000

Burr said

Protestant Latinos tend to be the “born again” simple minded obsessive sort (mostly suckered in by missionaries and whatnot)

My observation is that converts to a particular religion that tend to be the most literal, the most fundamental, and the most zealous. They are the most likely to attack other people, even in their own new-found religion, for not being “true believers” or “holy enough”.

These newer (relatively) evangelical sects rely on the energetic zeal of new converts to “keep the faith alive” – but that zeal has a price – one-up-manship, holier-than-thou fundamentalism.

By: Truthteller

Truthteller — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:23:30 +0000

The issue is clearly about religion and not about some innate characteristic in any one group that makes them disapprove of equality in marriage.

Maybe now the vitriol demonizing Latinos will end and people will target the real problem. Religion.

By: Richard Rush

Richard Rush — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:01:13 +0000

Burr, although I was not raised Catholic, your assessment of Catholics is entirely consistent with my anecdotal observations. The pronouncements emanating from the top of the Vatican just seem to lose steam as they filter down through the power structure to the priests and nuns who seem like little more than employees. There is a Catholic TV station here, and its most memorable characteristic is that it is b-o-r-i-n-g. The most amazing thing is that every night they play a video of nuns saying the rosary, and they show zero enthusiasm while looking like they are nodding off and will fall off their seats. It’s truly fascinating.

On the evangelical Protestant side are charismatic preachers “on fire for ~~God~~ power” who know how to whip people into a frenzy. And these preachers are often entrepreneurial religious businessmen, not just employees of an organization with its corporate headquarters thousands of miles away.

By: Burr

Burr — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:59:58 +0000

As a Latino raised Catholic and observing my immediate and extended family’s reaction I’d have to say those reasons are dead on. Protestant Latinos tend to be the “born again” simple minded obsessive sort (mostly suckered in by missionaries and whatnot), whereas Catholics see it more as part of their cultural heritage and a ritual practice rather than something that dictates every part of their lives and all of their thoughts. Family comes first and priests are treated with skepticism and seen as lacking real world experience with families and relationships and thus aren’t worth listening to when it comes to these things.

By: AJD

AJD — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:47:14 +0000

It’s a better place for your heart to be ;)

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:39:43 +0000

As a non-Catholic looking purely from the outside, I see two very distinct types of Catholics.

The ones who are my neighbors – whether Latino or Filipino tend to be the type discussed here. They tend to be Catholic in a communal way and are very non-judgmental and socially accepting.

But then there are those who are like Maggie Gallagher or my friend Mikey’s parents (who spend their vacations protesting abortion clinics) or the Pope. These folk seem to have an entirely different religion from the Catholics that I see in Southern California.

By: Jim Burroway

Jim Burroway — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:57:55 +0000

My brain said Franco but I guess my heart was in San Francisco. Corrected.

By: AJD

AJD — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:48:54 +0000

One little correction: In the last paragraph, it should be the “Franco-era’s,” not “Francisco-era’s.”

This was an interesting post, especially the part about the differences between Catholic and Protestant Latinos. Having come from an Irish Catholic family, I can say that a tolerance for ambiguity and a social life centered around family, in a way that could lead to greater support for GBLT rights, isn’t limited to Latino Catholics.