Sowing the Seeds of Secular Humanism in Mexico

Patricia Lopez-Zaragoza n 1990, I was invited by the International Humanist and Ethical Union to attend a workshop in Brussels, Belgium, and to visit humanist organizations in the Netherlands

to exchange ideas. I returned to my country convinced of the importance of spreading secular humanist ideals in Mexico. After careful planning, in July 1991 the Mexican Ethical Rationalist Association was incorporated. Its general objec-tives are the same as those stated in the IHEU Declaration of Principles. Our particular objectives are as follows:

1. To divulge the ideals and principles of secular humanism as a rational, ethical system and let those who identify with it join into a humanist movement as a specific way to under-stand and evaluate social reality.

2. To set up an information system that will offer scien-tific facts and humanistic opinions on current affairs.

3. To promote the efforts of trained individuals and human-ist groups dedicated to planning and undertaking new academic, cultural, and sociopolitical activities that will include the defense of human rights and specific activities aimed at improving the integral well-being of minorities and margin-alized groups.

4. To create humanist projects concerning the future of Mexico and its relations with the rest of the world.

All these activities are to be developed in the long run, but we have started with the first one, that is, to disperse within Mexico the ideals of secular humanism. In November 1993 we received a $2,000 grant from IHEU to finance basic infrastructure expenses, such as a logo design, printed stationery, business cards, and leaflets—one of them explaining the aims of our group and the other stating the basic tenets of secular humanism. We convened a press conference where we presented our association to the media. We had the attendance not only of an important group of very influential journalists, but also of the press representatives of groups such as Amnesty International, feminist publications, and of cultural radio stations that cover Mexico City.

Recently we have also seen published several newspaper articles concerning the secular humanist point of view on matters like the defense of civil rights, the separation of church and state, and criticism of religion.

Patricia Lopez-Zaragoza is the founding president of the Asociacion Mexicana Etica Rationalista.

We have participated in five radio programs where we both explained our group's views and addressed special-interest matters, such as witchcraft, mysticism, and other magical beliefs. We have been invited to a number of top national television programs where we have debated topics like magical predictions, reincarnation, life after death, and others of like kind.

We have used these programs to disseminate information about the secular humanist point of view concerning magical and religious thinking and to critically analyze recent con-stitutional amendments that have granted churches a kind of legal recognition. Our views are a complete shock to many persons who for many years haven't been exposed to critiques of religion and superstition.

But, what practical results have we obtained with these early steps? The truth is that we have only received very limited feedback from the public. However, we are convinced that with an office and a phone in the association's name we will get a much wider response. On those premises we will set up our information center, where anyone will be able to consult books and magazines and translations we will do of humanistic material from all over the world.

We are now planning a first, large-scale conference, to be held within a couple of months. This meeting will be widely publicized and it will be aimed at younger people experiencing that stage of life where unconformity and the capability of questioning established values are still apparent. We'll maintain our visibility on radio and television talk-shows.

All our activities have the basic aim of getting the Mexican public acquainted with secular humanism. When this goal is reached, we are sure that our group will be able to survive and thrive. But, why is it so important to promote this ideal in Mexico? This country, as well as all Latin American and most developing countries, faces many pressures. It is continually drained of its resources in order to pay a foreign debt brought about by structural and economic causes, and not merely by the irresponsibility of the government.

Mexico's sovereignty has become severely impaired by the political and financial pressures exerted by the financial powers and their executor, the International Monetary Fund. This situation results in a constant deterioration of the standard of living, which now reaches inhumane levels for the greater part of the population, and also the practical destruction of national pride and identity, culture, and natural environment.

As you may already know, the conservative groups now

Summer 1994 49

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in power in Mexico have managed to overturn the article in the constitution that denied legal status to the churches. Now these, especially the Catholic church, openly take part in politics both through the right-wing confessional parties and through so-called business training seminars for govern-ment officials.

The majority of Mexican businessmen and high-level politicians are practicing Catholics, and many of them are under the influence of an extremist right-wing sect, the Opus Dei, which gives them constant indoctrination. They educate their children in private confessional schools; in this way, the future leaders of the country become more and more committed to an attitude contrary to the separation of church and state. There is a worrisome deterioration of the public education system, now subject to increasing budgetary cuts.

The prevalence of magical thinking among a large portion of Mexico's population has paved the way for the formation and growth of many destructive organizations and cults. Some of these groups are openly religious, like Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, the Church of the Complete Gospels, the Foursquare Gospel Church, the Apostolic Church of the Faith in Christ-Jesus, the Assemblies of God, and the Summer Linguistic Institute. They bloom in the cities and in the South-east of the country.

We have detected a growing activity from fundamentalist, United States-based movements and interdenominational groups with links to Jerry Falwell, the Religious Round Table, Christian Voice, and others. There are many other pseudo-scientific-oriented sects, such as Scientology, Silva Mind Control, and est groups; still others are politically oriented, such as Larouche's Labor Party, still active in Mexico, and DHIAC (Integral Human Development Association)—an ultra-right wing, Catholic fringe group.

Other magically based manipulative groups drive their members to peddling gadgets, foodstuffs, and books with enormous profits for their masters. There are a large number of pseudopsychological educational groups that recruit their members by offering fleeting, but satisfying, experiences. There is also a great proliferation of so-called self-help groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, Neurotics Anonymous, Dysfunc-tional Couples, and others with questionable therapeutic methods, generally based on supernatural intervention. The common denominator that these groups share is the practice of deception, fostering ignorance, and promoting blatantly false beliefs. Through these methods they manage to exert a kind of mental control that virtually destroys individual freedom and integrity.

Many other forms of social control, more subtle, are exerted through the formal educational system and through the power-ful media. This prevents the development of creativity and critical thinking among students. The broadcaster or journalist who tries to inform with a critical eye frequently is silenced in a coercive manner. Even if there is legally established freedom of expression, this right isn't respected in practice. The same is true of balloting and electoral rights. Many Mexicans have lost their lives in defense of elemental civil rights.

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On the other hand, budget cutting in welfare and health has led to alarming deficiencies even in basic public services. Mexicans must cope with deficient vaccination programs and substandard birth control services, partly caused by the open opposition of Catholic organizations like the notorious Pro-Life group.

Abortion cannot be legalized because of the opposition of high-ranking Catholic government officers. Complications from clandestine abortion is the cause of one out of every three deaths among women of reproductive age. During 1990, the Mexican state of Chiapas legalized abortion, but pressure by conservative groups was such that the bill was retired for further consultations over an indefinite period. This problem affects women directly and is extremely difficult to solve in a male-dominated society that discriminates against females in labor, social, and economic matters. Rape and sexual harass-ment invariably go unpunished. Although exploitation and misery are widespread, they are much worse in the case of women.

Other human rights are trampled in Mexico. Children, artists, intellectuals, minorities, paupers, prisoners, peasants, and workers suffer. The environment is continuously deteri-orating, and the government only acts when the situation becomes almost catastrophic.

In spite of the disagreeable overall view, Mexicans are increasingly aware that something must be done to change this state of affairs. There are now many feminist, professional, intellectual, and worker's organizations that may be identified as humanist-oriented. Their impact is dampened by their dispersion and lack of a common and easily identified purpose, which certainly could be secular humanism. That is the reason we have to undertake actions that lead to the coordination of these isolated efforts. The task is a very tough and long one, but we have taken the first steps. International backing is vital in order to keep a viable and dynamic organization. We will not spare any effort in reaching this end. •

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