Page 229 - tesis
P. 229

society.108 The case of Almolonga is used as an example of this battle and of spiritual liberation.109\u000ASpiritual warfare, through intercession and fasting is their way of confronting the State and the evils of the society. Stoll comments, that the Neo-Pentecostals combine their beliefs about prayer and the destruction of spiritual powers with an open attitude to social change (1994: 118). Of course, the NPL do not reduce their ideas or actions in favour the country only to the spiritual sphere. Neo-Pentecostal politicians say that they are trying to get political power in order to change the bad things in the country.\u000AFinally, some pastors and lay people linked to the Evangelical Alliance of Guatemala participated in the process of peace among the guerrilla and the army agreed en 1996. One of the NPS participated representing the Evangelical Alliance of Guatemala in the dialogue between the guerrilla and religious organizations. In spite of his conservative posture, this pastor also participated in some forums on AIDS with Catholic communities and was a member of the commission that promoted a new code for children within the Evangelical Alliance. Two pastors of those churches have expressed an opinion on subjects related to corruption, alcoholism, capital punishment and abortion in Evangelical newspapers like La Palabra. They think that the State in the name of the society should carry out justice against those found guilty of homicide, violation or kidnapping. The ESH senior pastor among them has preached more specifically about some critical problems of society.\u000ATo sum up the NPS do not usually question the State or confront the problems that the population is suffering. Some of these pastors are starting to talk more openly about social problems that are affecting the country. Time will tell if they will be able to confront\u000A108 According to George Otis, one of the essential factors for the transformation of a community both spiritually as well as socially rests in the intercession of spiritual warfare. He says that there are three stages: 1) Advance columns need to be established of united prayer warriors, 2) The opening will come when the church starts to grow in substance as well as numerically, and 3) There will then follow spiritual transformation which will end up in dramatic socio-political renewal (Ottis in Caballeros & Winger 1998: 213-227).\u000A109 Eduardo Lorenzo mentions another similar case in the city of Adrogu\u00E9, Buenos Aires (Lorenzo in Wagner & Deiros 1998: 95-117)\u000A216\u000A  


































































































   227   228   229   230   231