Political Cartoons in Spain

Or should I say, religious cartoons? Call me crazy, but I think this would be violating the law of separating church and state in the U.S. This cartoon in particular that I found on the Publico website was titled (more or less) "The new generation, less Catholic." This caught my eye because it was interesting to see the taboo that Spanish culture deals with. In my eyes, Spain seems very liberal. As previously discussed, as far as government goes, it is likely that Spaniards would see our left wing democrats in the U.S. as relatively conservative.

The article following this cartoon goes on to discuss how it has been seen that generally, the younger generations of Spain are "maturing with less adherence to Catholicism." To me, I can relate with religion in the U.S. My father's side of the family is very Italian. My grandmother grew up in a very "by the books" Catholic family, and was taught that not going to church was a sin, a typical catholic misconception. I myself was raised as Catholic, as well as confirmed in the church by decision of my father. However, I have my own beliefs as far as Christianity, and they do not side much with the Catholic church's laws and regulations as to how to get to heaven. While trying not to make this into a religious debate, I have found to identify more with my mother's faith, as do many kids my age. I believe more so of having a personal relationship with God, and that by asking him into my heart, confessing my sins to only him, etc, I will get to heaven, not by any steps that the Catholic church is asking me to complete. Which is why I am not surprised that Spanish youth is stemming away from this ideal either.

The article also talks about the high rate of premarital sex in youth in Spain, which the U.S. can also relate to. The cartoon takes a funny perspective on the issue, depicting a Pope running around asking it's public to wear condoms, seeming a little desperate to keep his followers. It may just be that the youth considers the position of the church too radical, which is an easy conclusion to come to when issues such as gay marriage are becoming more accepted in society.

I guess the conclusion I am trying to make from this cartoon, is that although what it represents are very much so like issues in the U.S. having to do with religion and youth, I'm not quite sure the U.S. media would ever come right out with a cartoon as controversial as that. Just another interesting difference!