¨Gracias a Dios.” “Vaya con Dios.” “Si Dios quiere.¨
These are some of the unavoidable daily references to God which a foreigner in Costa Rica must become accustomed to. Every conversation inspires numerous opportunities to thank God for something or to mention that He is always present.
As a non-religious Canadian from Vancouver, I have grown up around mostly areligious, atheists and general skeptics regarding religion. For me, it’s normal not to go to church. For Costa Ricans, it’s quite the opposite. Although I have generally thought of my own point of view as the right one, being put in a situation where I have been drastically outnumbered by fervent Catholics has made me reconsider my position. After all, who am I, with my 24 years of acquired wisdom, to denounce thousands of years of tradition, right?
The staff from Fundación Mujer
At Fundación Mujer, where I have been working as the Kiva coordinator since September 2009, I didn’t want to appear as an outsider who didn’t understand Costa Rican culture. My tactic was to avoid the topic of religion, which proved to be impossible. I have now been to two Catholic funerals (for people I never met until the funeral) and one Communion. In Costa Rica, if an acquaintance has a family member who dies, you’ll probably be invited to the funeral. I can’t remember the last time I was in a church before Costa Rica. Now, when sitting in the pew, I have anxiety attacks in anticipation of the part where the entire church recites lines from the Bible which I have never learned. I get dirty looks from the congregation when I refuse to fork over my colones to the volunteer collecting donations. All in all, it’s a bit awkward to manage. People ask me ¨Don’t you believe in God?¨ I reply ¨No¨ and receive a look in response as if I were from another planet.
In general, my coworkers accept my personal views, but they still make jokes about converting me to Catholicism sometimes. Every time I use the company car to go and visit microfinance clients, the director of the foundation blesses me and crosses me. What am I supposed to do, reject her blessing? I think it’s a symbolic gesture that life should not be taken for granted, something I think we all can relate to no matter our religious beliefs (or non-beliefs). The overall impression I get from the Catholic Costa Ricans I’ve met can be summed up by my colleague Gabriela, ¨It doesn’t matter if a person believes everything written in the Bible, all that matters is that they are a good person.¨
Sebastian Kindsvater will be returning shortly to Costa Rica, where he is the Kiva Coordinator/Loan Officer for Fundación Mujer. For more on navigating faith in Latin America, check out “Two Questions I Don’t Like to Answer,” “Loaded Questions on Wheels: Politics and God,“ “Volunteering at a Religious Organization When You’re Not Religious,” and “Drug Trafficking and Fear.”
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I remember hearing all these in Costa Rica. And what struck me as profound is that when I’d ask “Como pase el dia?” they’d answer with, “Todo bien, gracias a Dios,” and they’d actually MEAN it. Not like the flagrant “thank God” we toss around in the States. Even as a fellow non-religious person, I thought that was something special.
Have you tried saying “No estoy seguro” when you get the God question? It would get me a more positive response than when I would use just “no.” Maybe it’ll quell those looks.