Religion in Mexico

[Micah]

Religion in Mexico

Religion in Mexico

Where angels fear to tread

Evangelicals are swooping on long-ignored regions

Mar 24th 2012 | BEJUCAL DE OCAMPO | from the print edition

Higher up the mountain Vidal Pérez, a local leader of Jehovah’s Witnesses, says his church does not offer handouts. But it does provide free religious services, such as marriage, that cost money elsewhere. A nearby branch gives sermons in Mam, a Mayan tongue that the local Catholic church does not support. And members flock to the Witnesses’ Kingdom Hall for social services, from marriage counselling to rescue from alcohol, a local curse that leaves men snoozing in the gutter.

[Greenfield]

Higher up the mountain Vidal Pérez, a local leader of Jehovah’s Witnesses, says his church does not offer handouts. But it does provide free religious services, such as marriage, that cost money elsewhere. A nearby branch gives sermons in Mam, a Mayan tongue that the local Catholic church does not support. And members flock to the Witnesses’ Kingdom Hall for social services, from marriage counselling to rescue from alcohol, a local curse that leaves men snoozing in the gutter.

Thanks for sharing Micah. I remember reading about Bejucal de Ocampo - majority Jehovah's Witnesses - in the Awake! magazine about Jehovah's Witnesses. What a cool thing to think about.

[rocket]

Awake 8/10 Frequently Asked Questions

WHERE TOLERANCE PREVAILS

The town of Bejucal de Ocampo in southern Mexico is a little out of the ordinary. “The majority of the inhabitants are Jehovah’s Witnesses,” says a report in the newspaper Excélsior, adding: “An environment of religious and governmental tolerance prevails. . . . The inhabitants have traded drunken bouts and cigarettes for songs and Bible reading. They also respect the authorities.”

Despite the presence of different religions in the town, “religious conflicts or arguments have not arisen,” states the report. It also says: “Hostility has no place, and religious diversity does not prevent neighbors from greeting one another . . . Each family freely professes its religion, and this does not prevent their integration as a society. It does not seem strange to anyone that Jehovah’s Witnesses have an enormous presence in Bejucal.” What is more, their children ‘dress modestly, make good grades, and are well behaved in class,’ noted a high-school teacher there, who is not a Witness.