Separation of Church and State in Latin America Essay

Separation of Church and State in Latin America Throughout Latin American history, the Roman Catholic Church has played a tumultuous role, from passive soul saving to aggressive revolutionary actions. As the countries have turned toward democracy the Catholic Church has had to recognize that along with modernization comes the promotion of two democratic ideals: the separation of Church and State and the endorsement of secularization. While many countries are still working toward a separation of Church and State, Costa Rica, a long-time democratic country, has continued to recognize Roman Catholicism as the official religion of the country and to look to church and clergy for support. Though the Costa Rican Church is removed from the†¦show more content†¦One must love ones enemy and not judge others. A true Christian must repent of his/her sins and constantly struggle to do the will of God. Catholics believe that a person is born sinning and will die sinning; the only hope for redemption is by confessing ones sins, praying for forgiveness, and continuously trying to live in the way God commands. The reward for this struggle is not in life, but in the life to come, the life after death. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, society as we know it will always be in a state of chaos, will always be sinful, even if the entire world converts to Catholicism. Within the Catholic Church, there is no goal comparable to that of reaching the Kingdom of Heaven. In order to reach that goal, rules and regulations, established by God and the Church, must be followed. The rules cannot be changed or voted out by the people. In contrast to the authoritarian structure of the Catholic Church, democracy means to be ruled by the people (Webster, 206). A democratic society, by definition, seems to be an ideal choice for a government that hopes to succeed. Citizens of a democratic country elect officials by a vote. Any person who wants to make or change a law has the right to do so by gathering support and taking the steps set forth by the government, in the constitution, to complete the lawmaking process. An officialShow MoreRelatedLiberation Theology And The Cultural Destruction Of Third World Countries927 Words   |  4 Pagesroots stem in Latin America, where there was need for salvation and redemption of the faith. The 1960s were a time of worldwide human development, and even the Roman Catholic Church was involved. Without liberation theology, the church would have never seen a need for change and reformation. Liberation theology applies modern happenings to the religious world, and offers solutions for these modern problems. 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