Religion

Blasphemy at Mexico City Cathedral MEXICO CITY, Mexico- For nearly 250 years Spaniards in Mexico have been directing the building of what has come to be known as the Metropolitan Cathedral, which sits on the north side of the zocalo in the historic center of the city. This cathedral also sits directly on top of what [...]

Santa Muerte Saint of Death Mexican Beliefs PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- “Santa Muerte?” a young Mexican guy asked me as I was sitting on Panteon beach drinking a beer. I looked at him puzzled. He pointed to the tattoo of the skull and crossbones that had made a home for itself on my shoulder a long time [...]

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- The town of San Cristobal was dead on November 4, 2010. This was to be a day of festivities, I expected parades, people dressed in skeleton outfits, ghouls, skulls, and all of the other visual representations of death, for this was Dia de los Muertos — the Day of [...]

Third day of La Merced Festival in Mexico, all black powder, smoke, and explosions SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- The streets were decorated with a single, neat line of black powder, every fifty feet or so there was an M-80 set upon this line, primed to explode. A crowd of people gathered at the [...]

Virgen de la Merced/ The Virgin of Mercy Parade in Mexico SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- The beating of drums and the sounding of horns emitted from the street out in front of my hotel in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. This sound was accompanied by the stomping of a thousand feet, and [...]

SUCHITOTO, El Salvador- Every May 3rd, the people of El Salvador celebrate a holiday called Dia de la Cruz — The Day of the Cross. It is a pre-colonial harvest celebration that has now co-opted a Christian overcoat which occurs right before the start of the rainy season. It is a harvest festival, and like [...]

MYSTIC, Connecticut – “The more little miracles I witness the more I believe in the big ones,” Tom spoke as we sat on the side of highway 1, a tick east of Mystic, Connecticut. Thomas Helling was wearing a t-shirt with a large star of David printed upon it’s front in bright blue that had, “Jesus loves you,” superimposed over it.

Don’t wish me a Merry Christmas! It is politically incorrect!  — I come from a Christian home. My family celebrates Christmas. I celebrate Christmas, too. Culture is nothing other than the onward play of doing what you have always done just because you have always done it. The connection between logic and culture is irrelevant [...]

MYSTIC, Connecticut –Thomas Helling grunted a little as he picked the heavy 10 foot high wooden cross up from the side of the highway and hoisted it to his shoulder. Jesus’ instruction to his disciples was “Walk on.”