4 February 2008: Building Gods...

4 February 2008: Building Gods…

As I walked through Merida’s downtown district last night, I felt compelled to pause and take in the sight of its beautiful cathedral. Constructed in 1598, Merida’s cathedral was the first Christian church to be built on the mainland of the Americas and it is home to the largest cross held under a roof.

And as I stood in front of the towering, 41-meter high façade of the cathedral, it occurred to me that the religious structure of a society is always recognizable. This is certainly the case in Mexico, where each city is constructed around a main central square, adjacent to which is its largest edifice, the church. The architectural tradition of building a city around a magnificent cathedral has been around since the Conquest when Spanish conquistadors imposed their cultural order upon the indigenous peoples of Mexico. But it can easily be shown that this tradition was also present in the ancient polities of indigenous peoples many years before the Conquest. Case in point: the 60-meter high Castillo at Chichen Itza.  

However, I’d argue that the idea that the religious structure of a society is always recognizable is true for not only Mexico, but for the United States as well and has been throughout its entire history. Of course, I use the term religion here in a sociological sense to mean the structure that a society as a whole values most and collectively turns to in hopes of moving forward and making progress. Thus, when the US was first founded, its religious structures were churches, relatively large structures often built atop hills so that they would be even more visible. Then, as the Industrial Revolution took hold, smokestacks dominated the skyline as the country placed its faith in industry to bring about a better and more fulfilling life for its citizens. Of course, in the last few decades, the US has unhesitatingly shifted its fate and future security into the hands of capitalism and globalization and accordingly, up until September 11^th, 2001, two of its most recognizable structures were the twin towers of the World Trade Center (emphasis on World Trade).

Interestingly, within the last few decades, Mexico’s skyline has been changing as cathedrals are beginning to be dwarfed by skyscrapers and business complexes, a transformation that seems all too familiar for a person who grew up with the Manhattan skyline out his window. However, not all of Mexico is embracing such change and I have my reservations as well. Ultimately, this comes down to a question of what Mexican society, as a collective, will choose to worship. Will it be the same God that the US is already beholden to or will Mexico choose an alternative? Sadly, from my vantage point, it seems that the decision has already been made.