Holden,
Thank you for your comment. Yes, Christianity was imposed in these lands with the sword and the cross and the bible. They had their own beliefs. You see here a sort of experiment was carried out by the Jesuits with the Reducciones where thousans of indigenous peoples were under the control of the priests, specially Jesuits. The we had the Franciscans with much influence. Guarani, the second official language has always been oral but the written system was established by the priests in colonial times.
We also have our Afro Paraguayan community who descend from the slaves and soldiers who came here. My parents were both Catholics and I and my sister were not baptized. They later became members of a spiritualist group, in Spanish would be Escuela Científica Basilio. The little I remember is that they believed in reincarnation, the spirits, etc.
Yes,I heard of Goa because once in a magazine I saw the locals wearing traditional Portuguese clothes.
To be Christian or Muslims are labels. There are some evangelical churches near here and many go there on Sundays. This reminds me of a TV program called "Pare de Sufrir" or Stop suffering. It was sad because you saw on TV those peeople raising their hands and chanting while the Brazilian preachers shouting with the bibles in their hands. They offered a sort of holy water from Israel. I suppose many bought it. An acquaintance told me that we should have set our own church and make a lot of money.
Those debates, I agree, between Christians, Muslims,etc make no sense. I understand that for millions religious beliefs are necessary. In a sense I see them as gloomy and bleak beliefs. You have to worship or venerate the deity for the supposedly gift of life you received. You dont do that, well you are doomed to a eternal hell with a guy called Satan. Justice in the other world. Ever saw the Devil´s Advocate with Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino? Al Pacino plays the Devil. Interesting devil.
The official working hours are 8 hours but in the public sector is different where they start at seven in the morning and finish at one in the afternoon. It depends really. Unemployment is growing here. Not many vacancies for young people. If you want a good position in the public sector you need a "padrino" or godfather. Yes, many work many long hours pecially in supermarkets, gas stations, bars, security guards,etc. The garbage collectors come and get the garbabe at eleven p.m. Those who sell hot dogs and beer work sometimes until two or three in the morning.
In the past here people used to go to Argentina, Brazil and Europe, Spain the last seveteen years. Also the USA where many go to work there. I hear the situation in the USA is getting difficult, spècially getting a visa is a lottery. The embassy demands many requirements. They charge you for pay in advance which is not reimbursed, many application forms and they demand that you show them a bank acount so that they think you are not going to stay in the US. Land of the free, land of the brave.
" I dread to think about the future.They all want to like Lords but are destined to live like serfs.I see a lot of turbulence ahead."
Yes, I totally agree with you. A young man told me in Spanish: I start in the bakery at six-thirty a.m and finish at five p.m. Why can´t I go and have fun at weekends? You see he gets money by week and it is not really much. He has to buy a mattress in several payments, clothes too. Sometimes he spends all his money in parties and the next week he tries to get by.
The turbulence will come at any time but I am sure the powers that be are expecting that reaction. Any rebellion will be crushed mercilessly.
Stay safe.