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of Serrano El\u00EDas and Portillo, or when the government shows dictatorial attitudes as in the case of R\u00EDos Montt\u2019 (L1ESH).\u000AIn interviews the NPL emphasized that the government must be demanded to act \u2018with transparency in the handling of the public goods\u2019 (L5ICV). The government has \u2018to guard the rights of others and not just their own personal needs\u2019 (L6ESH), and they must act in favour of \u2018the interests of the poor\u2019. They also noted that they demand the government because this way changes in favour of democracy can happen (L5LDG). Their opinions reflect a critical attitude to the State. They indicated that demands should be made with suggestions ready at hand. They also pointed out that, if \u2018we are going to demand the government we must produce proposals\u2019 (L5IVF). They feel that it is important \u2018to have moral solvency\u2019 to make a claim (L4IFD).\u000AThese perceptions reflect a conscious attitude about their right to make claims of the government. Their openness is in contrast to the vision of most of the pastors who have a more conservative position. This attitude could generate, in the long term, a vision for a more conscious civic participation to strengthen citizen rights. According to Wilson the Guatemalan Neo-Pentecostals are eager to apply the potential of their movement to a more extensive political and social task in the country (1998:146). A similar result was reflected in the GSNPL on the subject. From the all sample, 57.2 per cent said \u2018yes\u2019 against 20.4 per cent that said \u2018definitively not\u2019 [Table 5.10]. However, as it is mentioned ahead, those who said that Christians should demand the government to fulfil their obligations, do not participate in public demonstrations against the governmental authorities.\u000AGarrard-Burnett in her study of Guatemalan Protestantism notes that the Evangelicals had a presence and important participation in the governments of Juan Jose Ar\u00E9valo and Jacobo Arbenz, without too many restrictions (1998: 64-79). Unlike the Catholic Church, most of the Evangelical denominations made their contributions to the development of the democratic process during those key periods in the development of the country. This attitude suffered a drastic change during the time of the armed conflict. Most\u000A275\u000A


































































































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