“La Iglesia” in Politics? Religion and Latino Public Opinion: Religion and Latino Public Opinion
Nicholas F. Martini
Being both Latina and Catholic meant that I was able to attend both English and Spanish services offered in the parish. Attending both services allowed me to see the difference between the 8am English mass and the 10am Spanish mass. The obvious difference of the language was not the only difference apparent between the two services. Unlike those who attended the English mass, the Latinos who attended mass offered in Spanish were often seen in the front of the church after mass had already finished, discussing what had happened to them earlier that day or week. Latinos tend to be more expressive and opinionated about what they believe in.
Nicholas F. Martini demonstrates how religion influences Latinos view in “La Iglesia” in Politics? Religion and Latino Public Opinion. Nicolas Martini uses the church to indicate how important religion truly is in the lives of many Latino individuals and to demonstrate how religious beliefs are incorporated in the lives of these religious individuals (Martini, pg 988). We become aware of how religion has been the reason for debate in current issues such as abortions, stem cells research and gay marriages and how powerful it is when it comes to “political behavior” (Martini, p. 988). Religion in the eyes of many Latinos is seen as a safe heaven due to the fact that it gives them the sense of security and identity, since the church lets them keep their “Spanish language and their Latino identity” (Martini, p. 990). This type of support has helped those who are not accustomed to the US and has provided these people with a community where their lack of English or legal status means nothing.
Since religion is very active in the lives of many Latino- identifying individuals, many tend to intertwine their religious beliefs with their political perspectives. This results in many Latinos rejecting anything that goes against what they believe is morally right based on the church's teachings. The church has notoriously been known for not accepting the concept of gay marriage and tends to shun anyone identifying as part of the LGBTQ community; members of the church tend to agree with the church perspective on the issue. This is where we see an increase of homophobic attitudes and behaviors among those who identify as both Latino and catholic. Those individuals who reported to be “at a high religious behavior and beliefs” (Martini, pg 1004) supported the church playing a role in politics which is concerning since we have learned that “religion shapes Latino political behavior” (Martini, pg 989). Since it is clear that this institution gives the people a sense of belonging between both family life and parish life, these individuals are reported to be more conservatives and therefore have a personal opinion in regards to controversial issues which can impact political opinions in a negative way, such as keeping the LGBT community oppressed and not giving them equal rights.
Martini, N. (2012). “La Iglesia” in Politics? Religion and Latino Public Opinion: Religion and Latino Public Opinion. Social Science Quarterly,93(4), 988-1006.