Page 353 - tesis

Sixteen per cent have completed primary school, 42.6 per cent secondary education, 37.1 per cent are college graduates, and 4.3 per cent have completed postgraduate studies.\u000AAlthough this is a very small sample, it illustrates that the laity of all churches possess a good educational level. Studies conducted among Pentecostals, Charismatics, and other Christian groups affirm that they have a greater level of schooling than the rest of the population (Pew Forum, 2006b). This data contrasts with the following information. A 2004 study on the proportion of Guatemalans with higher education to those without any schooling, by socio-economic stratum, yields the following data: Of the high class, 1.4 per cent has no schooling, while 38.2 per cent has higher education. In contrast, 47 per cent of the extreme low stratum has no schooling at all, and only 0.6 per cent has higher education (United Nations, Guatemala 2005: 97)\u000AMeanwhile, it is important to note the following data, 50 per cent of the surveyed professionals affirmed that they already had a business when they joined the church. This means that they already had some degree of social mobility. In the same manner, the study shows that not all the laity has achieved great changes in their economic status. A good proportion of them have one job that satisfies their fundamental needs. The promises of prosperity theology do not reach everyone, and not all of the NPL achieve the opportunity for social mobility, especially those who belong to churches whose members are from the lower middle and working classes. Finally, the NPL also need to evaluate their understanding of prosperity. Some attribute to it a value that is not in the bible and some see material abundance as the ultimate goal. They are also in danger of making sacred the free market economic projects which some of their pastors are accepting with open arms.\u000AHarvey Cox warns that Christians ought to be careful not to fall down before the god of the market. He underlines that the first century Christians said both \u2018yes\u2019 and \u2018no\u2019 to the global culture, but today\u2019s Christians just say \u2018yes\u2019. He emphasizes that \u2018Christianity need not become a mere acolyte in the temple of the Global Market God\u2019 (Cox 1999: 391, 393). Padilla writes, \u2018In the current circumstances, it is urgent that we Christians recover a\u000A340\u000A