Theorists Use Theory for a Comprehensive Explanation
In qualitative research, theorists utilize theory to offer a comprehensive explanation, similar to the approach taken in quantitative research, such as ethnographies, a scientific means of describing the individuals within a culture. In the case of the Communist takeover of Cuba, theoretical speculation is not necessary as the events unfolded on the global stage. Creswell’s assertion supports this notion: “Some qualitative studies do not explicitly include a theory and instead present descriptive research of the central phenomenon.”[1] It can rightfully be asked if the takeover of numerous educational institutions and land from the people of Cuba negates the need for reader speculation. The reforms themselves, publicly announced to the world, provide the answer to whether there are any theories about what transpired in the face of documented facts.
Research Study Procedures Employ the Historical Approach
The research study procedures employ the historical approach, in which researchers elucidate individuals’ experiences by articulating the lived practices that shape the historical events under investigation. The Communist takeover of Cuba resulted in persecution against the Christian church, leading to the closure of numerous facilities and the implementation of a law prohibiting home fellowships. Fidel Castro sought to sever the church’s ties with the United States and convince the Cuban people that there were no contradictions between Christianity and Marx-Lenin ideology. Phenomenological research is a methodology rooted in philosophy and psychology that entails the researcher describing the lived experiences of individuals regarding Fidel Castro’s Revolution, as recounted by the research documentation.
My Positionality on the Subject Matter
As a Cuban-American who has visited the country and witnessed the consequences of the Revolution’s aftermath, a firm belief that Fidel Castro’s actions were responsible for the suffering of the Cuban people is present in the researcher. The approach to this subject is with a perspective informed by a shared faith in Jesus Christ revealed in the Holy Scriptures, which is wisdom that surpasses human understanding. Under the Communist regime, the Christian church was forced to comply or face imprisonment or exile, prompting the question of how a church could flourish under such circumstances. The Scriptures caution against the intentions of a dictatorship forcefully overtaking a society. Genesis 15:13 describes descendants as strangers in a land not their own and being afflicted for four hundred years. As a born-again Christian, the Bible states that while physical persecution may be endured, the soul remains untouched, as stated in Matthew: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28, NKJV). Regardless of circumstance, the Scriptures point to God being the One in control of life.
The Influence of Marxist-Leninist Ideologies
Fidel Castro established a Communist and Marxist-Leninist regime that profoundly influenced Cuba’s way of life. Under Castro’s rule, Cuba became a one-party state that imprisoned, executed, or exiled anyone who opposed the new dictatorship. Throughout history, the Scriptures indicate that Israel was subject to dictatorship in places like Egypt, Babylon, and Rome. During these periods, the nation of Israel suffered under the rule of the land’s leaders, and God intervened to save His people. Just as God used critical figures like Joseph, David, and Daniel, God used individuals like Caudill, White, and Pastor Alexander in Cuba to understand what was happening. Regardless of the church beliefs about the changes, they found themselves constrained in a country where the government controlled every aspect of life, including abolishing private education. Castro stated, “There is no place for private education in a communist state.”[2] He understood it was crucial to re-educate the population from a very young age to transform a country.
The challenges faced by the Christian church in Cuba were made worse by a new theology embraced by individuals who did not have a personal conversion to Christ and who supported the Communist regime. Church leaders like Sergio Arce promoted a new theology that aligned with the changes in socialism in Cuba. Arce openly admitted that he identified as a Christian simply because his parents were Christians, which raised concerns about his salvation and leadership in the church. In his own words, he said, “I am a Christian because my parents were Christians.”[3] Arce’s basis for being a Christian fit within Marxist ideology.
The Worship of False gods
Fidel Castro’s support for Santería, an African-based witchcraft, compounded more of the challenges the Christian church faced. As Wirtz states, “its referent— those cultural practices originally linked to Afro-Cubans of Lucumí (Yoruba) origin— was not delimited in the way familiar today but was part of a different enunciative order of marginalized social practices that were most often labeled brujería (witchcraft).”[4] Anyone interested in becoming a santero, meaning a practitioner, must first be baptized within the Catholic church. Over time, the people would not frequent the Catholic church to see the Virgin Mary but a goddess of the sea. “There are very few people in Cuba who go to the Catholic Church to see the Virgin Mary. They go to see Yamaya, the Yoruba goddess of the sea.” [5] The Bible explicitly addresses the worship of false gods and the misplacement of devotion.
Final Disclosure
The research discloses that a person cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ simply by living in a Christian home. Arce was forthright when he admitted that his Christianity was based on growing up with his parents, who were supposed to be Christians. To be a follower of Jesus Christ, one must realize the revelation of the Scriptures that point to Jesus Christ, leading to repentance and, finally, redemption. Salvation is unmerited and only given as a gift by God to those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. If a person tries to inherit salvation any other way, as Paul states, “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Galatians 2:21, NKJV). Salvation is not acquired by growing up in a Christian home, doing good works, or self-sacrificing for the greater good.
[1] John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell, J. David, Research Design, 72.
[2] Herbert Caudill, On Freedom’s Edge, 24.
[3] Sergio Arce, “The Church and Socialism: Reflections from a Cuban Context” Horizons 14, no. 1 (1987): 186–87. (New York, NY: Circus, 1986), 3.
[4] Kristina Wirtz, Discourse, and Community in Cuban Santería: Speaking a Sacred World, (Gainesville, FL: UPF, 2007), 25.
[5] Maha Marouan, “Santería in Cuba, 59.