The 50 Most Violent Cities in the World Are Mostly Catholic

Last Days Watchman ^ | Julio Severo

[juliosevero]

The 50 Most Violent Cities in the World Are Mostly Catholic

By Julio Severo

Business Insider reported a new ranking of the world's most violent cities, explaining that a full one-third of global homicides occur in Latin America, even though the region has just 8% of the world's population, according to UN data. It said,

"Drug trafficking, gang wars, political instability, corruption, and poverty contribute to the region's elevated violence. [This] ranking includes cities with a population of more than 300,000 and doesn't count deaths in combat zones or cities with unavailable data, so some dangerous cities might not be represented on the list."

This ranking does not include cities' religious predominance. But in this report, I will include it, because in Latin America religion has always been fundamental for its existence and inseparable from its national identity.

Most cities mentioned in this report are located in predominantly Catholic nations, according to The CIA World Factbook 2014, which reports the following religious predominance:

Honduras: Roman Catholic 97%.

Venezuela: Roman Catholic 96%.

Mexico: Roman Catholic 82.7%.

Brazil: Roman Catholic 73.6%.

Colombia: Roman Catholic 90%.

The United States, whose religious predominance is Protestant, is also represented in this report, with very violent cities. Coincidentally or not, all of these U.S. cities have a predominantly Catholic profile: St. Louis (predominantly Catholic), Detroit (predominantly Catholic), New Orleans (predominantly Catholic) and Baltimore (predominantly Catholic).

Here is the Business Insider report on the 50 most violent cities in the world:

1. San Pedro Sula, Honduras had 171.20 homicides per 100,000 residents.

2. Caracas, Venezuela had 115.98 homicides per 100,000 residents.

3. Acapulco, Mexico had 104.16 homicides per 100,000 residents.

4. Joao Pessoa, Brazil had 79.41 homicides per 100,000 residents.

5. Distrito Central, Honduras had 77.65 homicides per 100,000 residents.

6. Maceio, Brazil had 72.91 homicides per 100,000 residents.

7. Valencia, Venezuela had 71.08 homicides per 100,000 residents.

8. Fortaleza, Brazil had 66.55 homicides per 100,000 residents.

9. Cali, Colombia had 65.25 homicides per 100,000 residents.

10. Sao Luis, Brazil had 64.71 homicides per 100,000 residents.

11. Natal, Brazil had 63.68 homicides per 100,000 residents.

12. Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela had 62.13 homicides per 100,000 residents.

13. San Salvador, El Salvador had 61.21 homicides per 100,000 residents.

14. Cape Town, South Africa had 60 homicides per 100,000 residents.

15. Vitoria, Brazil had 57 homicides per 100,000 residents.

16. Cuiaba, Brazil had 56.46 homicides per 100,000 residents.

17. Salvador (and RMS), Brazil had 54.31 homicides per 100,000 residents.

18. Belem, Brazil had 53.06 homicides per 100,000 residents.

19. St. Louis, Missouri had 49.93 homicides per 100,000 residents.

20. Teresina, Brazil had 49.49 homicides per 100,000 residents.

21. Barquisimeto, Venezuela had 46.46 homicides per 100,000 residents.

22. Detroit, Michigan had 44.87 homicides per 100,000 residents.

23. Goiania, Brazil had 44.82 homicides per 100,000 residents.

24. Culiacan, Mexico had 42.17 homicides per 100,000 residents.

25. Guatemala City, Guatemala had 41.90 homicides per 100,000 residents.

26. Kingston, Jamaica had 40.59 homicides per 100,000 residents.

27. Juarez, Mexico had 39.94 homicides per 100,000 residents.

28. New Orleans, Louisiana had 39.61 homicides per 100,000 residents.

29. Recife, Brazil had 39.05 homicides per 100,000 residents.

30. Campina Grande, Brazil had 37.97 homicides per 100,000 residents.

31. Obregon, Mexico had 37.71 homicides per 100,000 residents.

32. Palmira, Colombia had 37.66 homicides per 100,000 residents.

33. Manaus, Brazil had 37.07 homicides per 100,000 residents.

34. Nuevo Laredo, Mexico had 34.92 homicides per 100,000 residents.

35. Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa had 34.89 homicides per 100,000 residents.

36. Pereira, Colombia had 34.68 homicides per 100,000 residents.

37. Porto Alegre, Brazil had 34.65 homicides per 100,000 residents.

38. Durban, South Africa had 34.48 homicides per 100,000 residents.

39. Aracaju, Brazil had 34.19 homicides per 100,000 residents.

40. Baltimore, Maryland had 33.92 homicides per 100,000 residents.

41. Victoria, Mexico had 33.91 homicides per 100,000 residents.

42. Belo Horizonte, Brazil had 33.39 homicides per 100,000 residents.

43. Chihuahua, Mexico had 33.29 homicides per 100,000 residents.

44. Curitiba, Brazil had 31.48 homicides per 100,000 residents.

45. Tijuana, Mexico had 29.90 homicides per 100,000 residents.

46. Macapa, Brazil had 28.87 homicides per 100,000 residents.

47. Cucuta, Colombia had 28.43 homicides per 100,000 residents.

48. Torreon, Mexico had 27.81 homicides per 100,000 residents.

49. Medellin, Colombia had 26.91 homicides per 100,000 residents.

50. Cuernavaca, Mexico had 25.45 homicides per 100,000 residents.

Because the overwhelming majority of these cities are Catholic, some questions are necessary. Why has not the Catholic religious influence been enough to protect these societies from pervasive social violence? Why has the Catholic Church in Latin America often embraced Liberation Theology to solve political, corruption, and poverty issues?

Christianity, in its New Testament format, was totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. There are God's promises that the transformational moves of Holy Spirit were not limited for the past, but they are also available for today:  

"And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy." (Acts 2:17-18 ESV)

The charismatic movement is a part of the fulfilment of this promise.

Yet, the Catholic Church in Latin America has frequently been much more open to Liberation Theology promises than to Bible promises about the transformational power of the Holy Spirit. Latin American Catholics have been also very open to syncretism with several forms of African religions like voodoo, Candomble and Santeria. Even in New Orleans, in the U.S., voodoo has been syncretized with the Catholic culture. Brazil, the largest Catholic nation in the world, is rife with Candomble, the Brazilian variety of voodoo, which is black magic. Is it a wonder that Brazil is more violent than nations in war?

Syncretism with African religions (which have been viewed as witchcraft by evangelical churches) is very old and widespread in Latin American Catholicism, especially in Brazil.

Despite these powerful dark inroads in the Latin American Catholic culture, the Catholic Church has been very limitedly open to the charismatic movement and especially to the power of the Holy Spirit against the witchcraft's powers.

In Catholic Latin America, witchcraft and Liberation Theology have helped promote violence, because their nature and spirit are demonic.

The Catholic Church in Latin America should seriously consider why she is less open to the transformational power of the Holy Spirit, why her members are more open to witchcraft and why her members and leaders are more open to Marxism.

With information from Business Insider.

Portuguese version of this article: As 50 cidades mais violentas do mundo sao quase todas catolicas

Source: Last Days Watchman

Recommended Reading:

Catholic Church Paid Millions in Dollars to Facilitate Immigrant Invasion in U.S.

The Pope and the Vatican Should Be Confronted about Traditional Catholic Stances against Israel

Vatican Approves Sainthood Process for Helder Camara, Patron of the Brazilian Catholic Left

Brazil: more violent than nations in war

[Mrs. Don-o]

A few points showing a certant tendentiousness in this report jumped out right away:

"St. Louis (predominantly Catholic)", that is, 16% Catholic

"Detroit (predominantly Catholic)", that is, 17.3% Catholic

"New Orleans (predominantly Catholic)", that is, 31.16% Catholic

"Baltimore (predominantly Catholic)", that is, 11.85% Catholic.

I supposed that's one way to look at "predominantly" (permit me the subtlest eye-roll)... Anther way to look at those same cities, is that all of them are over 50% Christian (including all denominations).

None of them are, by contrast, A question you'd have to ask,as well, is "What percentage of the homicides in, say, St.Louis, are perpetrated by Catholics?

I'd bet my next dinner is that the number is so small as to be statistically insignificant.

[Bill Russell]

For many of these cities, you have to look at the influences of ancient pagan religions which worship death and engaged in human sacrifices such as those of the Aztecs, Mayans, of South/Central America as well as Voodoo imported from Africa. Many of the drug cartels are using these religions and black magic practices as they execute the drug wars. This is where a large number of deaths are coming from.

[AbnSarge]

Looking at the list, one could with equal validity claim that being of Latino population causes violence.

As a side note, I live near Baltimore, and there aren’t that many Catholics left there, and those that are are not highly represented in the areas with the high violence rates.

[miss marmelstein]

Now Catholics are responsible for the coffee trade? You people live in trees - or at least your ancestors did. And as a Catholic, how could I not believe in evolution when people like you are around?

[miss marmelstein]

It’s the complete lack of any religion that is responsible for these horrible statistics.

[miss marmelstein]

If these statistics are accurate, which they probably are not.

[rcofdayton]

You got your facts wrong on the US cites: New Orleans, Detroit, Baltimore, and St. Louis are predominantly black. The Catholics fled them a long time ago. Those percentages of Catholics look a little too high. I am sure there are many atheists and agnostics who were baptized but do not practice any religion.

[Zionist Conspirator]

You're the biggest anti-Catholic on FR

HEY!!!

[A_perfect_lady]

Well... Freepers tend to think that Christian=conservative and conservative=Christian. But the Church tends not to be very conservative on a lot of economic and immigration issues. In fact Catholic=Democrat/Liberal quite often. And Democrat=crime. So... there is that.

[sergeantdave]

Business Insider would have done well working in Goebbel’s Nazi Propaganda Ministry.

[fingers_crossed]

No...the Catholics “used” to dominate the coffee trade...the rich Brazilian plantation owners mismanaged their businesses and other countries from around the world was able to take a huge amount of the market away from them.

But true to form, the plantation workers suffered much worse than the plantation owners.

[miss marmelstein]

The mismanagement was because they were Catholic? I doubt it. I mean, I really doubt it.

[Politicalkiddo]

Not sure why you think we would. I think it’s just a red herring to cover up all the violence committed in Muslim states.

[fingers_crossed]

When you see so much of the crime being all over Central and South America anyone would ask what is the “common denominator.” Prior to the arrival of Europeans all those areas consisted of unique peoples with different histories and customs.

The Europeans brutally subdued the people, looted and robbed them of a lot of their natural resources, sending them back to Europe.

The only common denominator is Catholicism.

In addition the US was colonized roughly about the same time by Protestants. But the results turned out so differently.

I have worked a lot with “middle class” Brazilians and they are very warm and friendly people. The crime comes from those in poverty. So the question is, why do Catholic colonized countries have such poverty, that naturally leads to crime.

[fingers_crossed]

Brazil should have been a wealthy country by now. The question is, why is it still a poverty stricken developing country, with extreme amount of violent crime? It has an abundance of everything necessary to evolve into a prosperous nation.

[Rome2000]

LOL

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Very interesting but like an appetizer, it leaves you wanting something more substantial.

Violence in Brazil, Venezuela has been endemic to poverty and drugs, but both countries have been ruled for years by Marxists (Chavez and Maduro; Lulu and Marxist terrorist Russakopf (sp?).

Colombia - wracked by both communist terrorism and narcoterrorism (both Marxist and anti-Marxist)

South Africa - run by the Marxist ANC/CPSA

Honduras - drug traffickers and corruption

Mexico - corruption, drug gangs, minor Marxist terrorists

Baltimore, Detroit, St. Louis - largely black majority cities run for generations by Democrats, white and black. Detroit has a white conservative Republican as mayor but he is up against an entrenched black Democrat machine, old-time Marxists (The Coleman Young/John Conyers Jr. gang), leftist dominated unions, and just plain corrupt politicians.

Baltimore - once “a world class city”. Today, run by incompetent black politicians (the successors to Marxist Martin O’Malley and jailed Mayor Dixon), all Democrats.

The local DA Mosby is racially corrupt as hell and possibly politically corrupt as well.

I was born and raised there. Knew a lot of politicians, many honest, some corrupt, all Democrats.

Don’t see Johannesburg, So. Africa on the list. The are known as the “Murder Capital” of Sub-Saharan Africa”.

[FreedomGuru]

“Detroit has a white conservative Republican as mayor”

Mike Duggan Mayor is indeed white but he is a true democrat.