In the past, the churches have always avoided engaging in political activities. According to theologians, church and politics are two separate things. Engaging in politics was thought to be wrong and therefore Christians were not allowed to engage in politics according to the Christianity beliefs (Espinosa, 34). However, churches have started engaging in political activities. Among the churches that have encouraged the Christians to engage in political activities are the Catholics and Protestants. This research paper will evaluate the intersection of religion and political activism.
The rights of the women in the society have been voiced by the theologists from the Latin America. It has been observed that the women had been recognized earlier as the weak people in the society. However, comparing the role that they play in the domestic activities, a woman cannot be considered as a weak creature (Espinosa, 178). The rights of women have always been violated in that they were not given education as compared to the men. It was assumed that their role is to carry out domestic chores at home. In addition, the women carried a lot of tasks at home without the assistance of the men. This is what the theologists who were from the Catholic Church were against. The theologists advocated for equal treatment of all the individuals in the society.
The Protestants in Latin America have also analyzed the problems that the women face when in jail. The women are usually given harsh sentences in jail. They suffer both psychologically and physically. The argument by the Protestants is that the women have a big role to play in the society and when they are sent to jail, they suffer more psychologically as compared to the men (Espinosa, 208). The women therefore try to do all they can to secure their freedom. According to the argument, the women reform at a faster rate as compared to men and therefore wish to go back to the society and perform their roles. This is why they suffer a lot in the process of trying to secure their freedom. The Protestants have advocated for better treatment of the women in the prisons. In addition, they have advocated that the women should be given reasonable sentences considering their roles in the society.
The minority groups in America include the Jews, Protestants, Indians, black Americans and Hispanics. There is a lot of discrimination among these groups in all sectors of the economy. The discrimination is mainly based on gender, race and religion. The fact that there has been a lot of immigration to America means that people of diverse culture are likely to be found in the country (Gaston, 282). It is important that the needs of these groups of people are addressed. The Catholic Church in Latin America has been emphasizing on the equal treatment of all the individuals in the country regardless of their race or religion. Generally, the church has advocated for globalization of politics whereby all the citizens of the country are able to vie for the seat that they wish to. The emphasis is that the other groups of the people living in the country should be willing to support people from minority groups in political affairs since they are also citizens of the country. All the citizens in the country should recognize the diversity of the people in the country and therefore treat everybody with due respect. This is what the Catholic Church specifically lobbied for.
The Christians in the region have also encouraged a good relationship between people regardless of the different languages that are spoken in the region. The catholic and protestant leaders in the Latin America have come up with movements that have aimed at pressing the government to provide better infrastructure in the region, employment and fairness in the treatment of all the people regardless of their race or sex (Espinosa, 336). These leaders believe that they are the institutions that correct the actions of the government and therefore have insisted in consideration of their opinions before decisions in the government are made. The church leaders always go to the public and give their opinions on public issues that are sensitive in the country. They therefore give their opinion in the hope that the governments will consider their voice.
After the emergence of the ethnologists who emphasized on the church involvement in political affairs, the Roman Catholics have actively engaged in active politics. The church have been emphasizing on the reduction in the difference in the income of the various social classes in the society (Espinosa, 347). The leaders of the church have been arguing that there is a large difference in the income of the poor and the rich. The church leaders have been advocating for policies that can reduce the difference. Vatican council ii has complained that there is injustice in that there is a huge difference in the income of the poor and rich nations due to exploitation of the poor countries by the rich.
Generally, there are various issues that have facilitated the active role that the church has started playing in political activities. The revolution movements in church have been facilitated by the ethnicity, racism, inequality and the exploitation of the religious groups by the capitalists. In addition, the violation of the rights of the children and the women has made various groups to come up and demand the observance of these rights. The Catholics and the Protestants have shown great participation in political affairs. Their aim has been to ensure equality and justice for all the members of the society. However, the revolutionists explain that their main role is to proclaim salvation of the people.
Work cited
Espinosa, Gastón, Susan, Virgilio P. Elizondo, and Jesse Miranda. Latino Religions and Civic Activism in the United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print
