rigo's final words

rigo's final thoughts:

finally finished that book up. i had like 10 pages for the longest time. had a buncha shit go down that kinda didn't make me feel like reading.

anyway. here's what she ends the book with:

"We discovered that the Bible has been used as a way of making us accept our situation, and not to bring enlightenment to the poor."

"We also denounce the stance of the Church hierarch because it is so often had in glove with the government. . . they call themselves Christians, yet they are often deaf to the suffering of the people. Many who call themselves Christians don't really deserve to be called Christians. They have no worries, and lovely houses. But that is all. That is why I say that the Church in Guatemala is divided in two. The Church of the poor has the same beliefs as the poor. And the Church as a hierarchy, as an institution, is still a little clique. The majority of our people are Christian, buyt if our own sheperds (as they're called) teach us bad examples, and go hand in hand with the government, we are not going to follow them."

In effect she's denouncing the corrupt, powerful Catholic church and trying to instill a better form that suits her people.

It's too bad that all culture hovers in some form around religion. Is there any out there that is totally independent? Maybe all humans require answers to their fears: To know about the unknown; how people came into being, and where they will go when they die.

reading this book makes me want to go back to Guatemala and help these people out. but then comes my persisting dilema when i ponder if i should try something like the Peace Corp. Are the people who i intend to help really in need of help? what these organizations do is try to westernize the pre-existing culture's way of life. In some cases it may be beneficial, for instance in places where people are dying because droughts or other misfortunes are hindering their former lifestyle's productivity. but in the case of guatemala, the people enjoy their culture and would be fruitful if left to it. but other people from around the world introduce business and big agriculture and push for obtaining lands that aren't there's and in return recieving cheap labor from the people that previously (and continued to) occupied it.

do i really want to go over there and establish some sort of agriculture or tourist location to bring money to people who never needed the concept of money to begin with?

but i guess some technology is addictive. younger people shy away from old tradition when new technologies have the potential to fall into their lap. i think people are inherently lazy and they are therefore willing to adapt to their new environment to enhance their slovenly behavior.

so i'm stuck. help, or don't help? i guess they way the people were previously living, the major fears come down to life or death. but with the introduction of technology and big business, the new worries are mostly about comfort.
now, i'm all for comfort, but shouldn't tradition be something that's cherished?
but. ours has evolved so much, why shouldn't theirs?
i dunno. i'll just read about it and bitch.
i'm too lazy to apply for that shit anyway.
mandatory volunteer work before i can even apply?!? what's that shit all about?