Hello, My name is Frank Canizares, and throughout the years I have noticed a generational divide among Hispanic Seventh-day Adventists. The gap underscores various perspectives regarding secular issues such as science and politics, as well as spiritual matters such as worship and modesty.
Conservatives vs. Liberals. These two stances have defined and divided church members into different groups.
As a student taking an Interactive Journalism course at Southern Adventist University, I will explore this topic through conversations, research and recollection based on my personal experience as someone who grew up in the Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist community, left the church for a period of time and then returned within recent years.
A religious practitioner of the faith, I was always involved in church activities during my childhood. That involvement provided me with a window through which I observed the range of behaviors among brethren practicing and promulgating their beliefs.
After years of wandering in the world – away from God and the church – I returned to an environment where some people with whom I grew up had, in my opinion, maintained certain positions, which throughout the years had defined them.
By observing their viewpoints, the ways they worshipped, how they dressed and practiced religion, I could detect an unspoken division among church members. Even though none of it played a role in my departure, the differences between young and old are intriguing.
However, it is important to note that the religious divide is not a defined line drawn in the sand. The differences sometimes fluctuate depending on one’s education, upbringing, and the influence parents have had on one’s outlook on life. The type of church a person attended as a child could also impact his or her formative years. That influence could define viewpoints, habits and a person’s overall character, regardless of age and generation.
It is my desire to research the origins and development of this issue. So, let’s embark on this journey together!