U.S. Pastor Returns to See Evangelical Church Thriving in Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. Pastor Returns to See Evangelical Church Thriving in Cuba
By John Rice Associated Press Writer
Published: Nov 21, 2003




CAMP CANAAN, Cuba (AP) - Paul Northrup raised his hands and shouted "Alelujah!" A congregation of more than 1,000 Cubans echoed back.
The small church that Northrup planted in central Cuba 50 years ago has grown and thrived since he left in 1959, becoming a small part of a broad movement that Cuban evangelicals have built across their socialist nation.

"They told us when we left, the work would fail," Northrup said. "There were seven churches then. Now there are 53." (snip)

(snip) Northrup recalled seeing rebels that Batista's men had hung from streetlights. Another day, "Batista sent his planes in at night. One had a searchlight and the other planes would strafe where they thought the rebels were." (snip)

(snip) But the wall was starting to crack by 1984, when Castro attended a Protestant service with Jesse Jackson. The collapse of the Soviet Bloc later led the government to abandon official atheism and to openly, if warily, accept religious faith. (snip)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAIXJZW9ND.html

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I posted this to emphasize for readers who haven't read much about Cuba, to call their attention to the kind of world most people in Cuba were experiencing under Batista. I don't think a lot of Americans have known that political dissidents were hung from light poles, or dismembered and hung in trees, or that there were death squads cruising the streets, or torture chambers.

Also thought maybe some readers would be surprised to see the Rev. Jesse Jackson actually moved quietly behind the scenes and visited with Fidel Castro years ago, and perhaps paved the way for encouraging more religious events in Cuba. (The reason more people don't remember much about the Pope's visit to Cuba is because the very moment he arrived in Havana, the story on Monica Lewinsky broke, and the major news reporters returned to the States to start covering that story, leaving the Pope's visit totally uncovered, and forgotten.)

(snip)

[La_Serpiente]

1. I remember when el Papa went to Cuba

It was one of the rare times Cubanos got to show religious symbols in public.

But who are these evangelistas? I have no problem, but sometimes, they are not patron saints either. Look at Montt in Central America. This is why I am always concerned about who is running the strings in these large Christian movements.

[Judi Lynn]

2. You're right, La_Serpiente, about Montt

Reagan praised him for his moral uprightness, and his good pals were Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell.

I grabbed this from google:

(snip) In March 1982, Ríos Montt seized power in a bloody coup d'etat that was quietly backed by the CIA and the Reagan White House. He and his fellow generals, Maldonando Schadd and Luis Gordillo, deposed Gen. Romeo Lucas Garcia and set up a military tribunal with Montt at its head. The junta immediately suspended the constitution, set up secret tribunals and began a brutal crackdown on political dissidents that featured kidnapping, torture, and extra-judicial assassinations.

The generals also unleashed a scorched earth attack on the nation's Mayan population that, according to a UN commission, resulted in the annihilation of nearly 600 villages. Within 18 months, more than 19,000 people had perished at the hands of Ríos Montt's death squads. The killings continued even after Ríos Montt was eased from office in 1983. By 1990, more than 200,000 people had died in Guatemala's bloody civil war, with more than 90 percent of the dead killed by government forces. Of those, more than 83 percent were indigenous Mayans. (snip)

(snip) Ríos Montt shrugged off such talk as leftwing propaganda. "We don't have a policy of scorched earth," he sneered. "We have a policy of scorched Communists." (snip)

http://www.americas.org/Clippings/2003-7-16-Back_to_the_Future_Rios_Montt_Guatemala.htm

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The fact that a news article actually referred to the murders going on under Batista is what I found interesting. Usually, our media practically denies Batista's bloody history.

[Mika]

6. "one of the rare times Cubanos got to show religious symbols in public"??

"I remember when el Papa went to Cuba
It was one of the rare times Cubanos got to show religious symbols in public."


What? I just can't let that little smear stand.

I know you are mistaken.

Maybe you meant that it was one of the rare time Cubans could place religious symbols on state property during an official state visit. (Cuba has this little constitutional thing called separation of religion and state.) I've been to Cuba many times and saw no prohibition of religious symbols except as noted.


Otherwise, Cubans are free to display their religious symbols publicly.

[lumpy]

8. It is my understanding that Cubans

haved never been repressed from practicing their religion under Castro's government. Just another unfair smear against the Cuban government. Leave Cuba alone !

[MrPrax]

7. Since we're down the memory hole

I remember the Pope's tour of Central America in the 80s...he publically 'scolded' the Nicagrauan ArchBishop on the tarmac to headlines, 'Pope denounces Commies!!', and this was just after he came from El Salvadore...hmmm
You admonish people for setting up health clinics, but praise people that murder your own Bishops and nuns...
I am sure Castro's invite to the Pope was strictly for appearances and politics...

Yeah a Bush-Rio Montt '04 tix...their both fundies

[Socialist Christian]

3. Does anyone find it odd to see 1984 in there?<nt>

[Vogon_Glory]

4. Will This Cuban Church Repudiate Suplly-Side Jesus?

It'll be interesting to see if this church wholly embraces the beliefs and politics of its US founders or if it will repudiate the "supply side Xianity" so popular among Far Right evangelicals.

I'm expecting that at least some of these evangelical churches will have some very caustic things to say about what First World evangelicals have chosen (not) to do about the poor.

That could prove embarassing...

[loudnclear]

5. "...sent his planes in at night.." Where have I heard this before?

Sounds like "terrorists" to me!

Thanks for posting and keeping up with the Cuba issue. I hope to be able to visit Cuba one day soon.