In the Land of God and Delusion

By Tim Willert

In the Land of God and Man opened my eyes to a way of life that I didn't know still existed. I learned about a culture in Latin America where women are taught to be seen (look good) and not heard (don't think), while their selfish, chauvinistic husbands do whatever they want (have unprotected sex) with whomever they want (men) without being held accountable. Unfortunately, in this scenario, it is often the unsuspecting wife who pays the ultimate price (her life) because of this double standard.

Somehow, someway author Silvana Paternostro manages to break away from a pattern of thinking and living that continues to dominate her culture. I respect Paternostro for learning to think on her own, and for the courage to confront issues (gender, infidelity, homosexuality, AIDS) and institutions (marriage, religion, family) that are off limits in her country.

It is the sexual double standard Paternostro exposes in her book that should be addressed by the media because it affects the health and well-being of Latin American communities where these practices still exist, particularly among men. I think this topic calls out for a a series of features that focus on the relationship between men and women and their families and how the church shapes their values.

Living in the United States put Paternostro in touch with women who thought differently from those she had always been surrounded by in Columbia. It was in the U.S. that she "learned the jargon of equality, independence, and empowerment." Surely there are women living in this country who come from similar backgrounds who still have their heads in the sand, who could benefit from media coverage and learn to confront the outdated institutions that keep them in the dark while costing them their happiness and perhaps their lives in the end.