Mexico's "Holy Death" Cult Growing

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[Dark Midnight]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13663803

I've just found this on the BBC news website and thought I'd share it here. Comments?

[Tiki]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13663803

I've just found this on the BBC news website and thought I'd share it here. Comments?

Hm, kind of reminds me of Tucson's Cult of the Black Madonna.

I am interested in the transparent effort to demonize the Holy Death religion by repeating again and again that many of its followers are said to be criminals, as if to tar non-criminal adherents by association.

[veggiewolf]

...
I am interested in the transparent effort to demonize the Holy Death religion by repeating again and again that many of its followers are said to be criminals, as if to tar non-criminal adherents by association.

Yes, because if a shrine is located in a poor neighborhood it must be due to the followers being criminals. *rolls eyes*

Aside from that, the story piqued my interest and I'd like to read more about it.

[harzgeist]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13663803

I've just found this on the BBC news website and thought I'd share it here. Comments?

I've just watched it, but as far as I'm aware, the clip didn't go too much into what the practitioners actually do. I might have missed it, however, cause my laptop had trouble with the audio. Does anyone have more information on this?

[stephyjh]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13663803

I've just found this on the BBC news website and thought I'd share it here. Comments?

I followed her for a while, but she's really not the kind of figure who's interested in a relationship--more like a series of transactions. Having worked with her, I can say that there's a reason that criminals and drug dealers tend to gravitate toward her; she's there for the outsiders, for those who don't have anywhere else to turn, but the price is always really high. And she wants what she wants, when she wants it...there were times when she demanded very specific offerings, which I had no legal means to obtain. Also, her way of doing things tends to be over-the-top and rather violent--I prayed for help to avoid eviction from my apartment, and the landlord was hospitalized within a week and dead within the month. When I was dealing with her, I was fresh out of the hardline Christian (first fundie Protestant, then strict Catholic) idea that it was normal to be afraid of one's deity, so I didn't know that there was any other way, but I wouldn't go back to her now.

[RandallS]

I am interested in the transparent effort to demonize the Holy Death religion by repeating again and again that many of its followers are said to be criminals, as if to tar non-criminal adherents by association.

Yes, that was pretty transparent, but from what I little I know of the cult, it is something that would attract criminals. However, so does the regular Catholic Church in Sicily.

[marshamarshamarsha]

http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/documents/Santa-Muerte/santa-muerte.htm

[Tiki]

Yes, because if a shrine is located in a poor neighborhood it must be due to the followers being criminals. *rolls eyes*

Aside from that, the story piqued my interest and I'd like to read more about it.

The push to besmirch La Santita Muerte by associating her with criminals seems, unsurprisingly, to be driven by the Catholic Church in Mexico. My understanding of her is that she is beloved by the poor because of her associations with protection, especially of the vulnerable. I don't know very much about her but I am inspired to find out more. I think it's interesting that she is almost the opposite of our locally beloved San Maximon.

[RandallS]

http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/documents/Santa-Muerte/santa-muerte.htm

A bit biased is several areas, but not to bad from what (relatively little) I know of the cult. My biggest complaint is that I get very tired of people trying to limit "religion" to activities like standard Christianity. "Because its practitioners do not seem to seek any spiritual enlightenment, simply favors and rewards, the cult of Santa Muerte is probably best described as not so much a religion as an esoteric practice wrapped in the trappings of a religious movement" was the most annoying part of the report for me.

[Darkhawk]

"Because its practitioners do not seem to seek any spiritual enlightenment, simply favors and rewards, the cult of Santa Muerte is probably best described as not so much a religion as an esoteric practice wrapped in the trappings of a religious movement" was the most annoying part of the report for me.

By that standard, the evangelical "convert to my god-named-Jesus or be cursed to spend eternity burning" is also an "esoteric practice wrapped in the trappings of a religious movement".  It's all about rewards and punishments, after all.

[RandallS]

By that standard, the evangelical "convert to my god-named-Jesus or be cursed to spend eternity burning" is also an "esoteric practice wrapped in the trappings of a religious movement".  It's all about rewards and punishments, after all.

LOL. You're right.

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