(Photo : Pexels)

Most Latinos are known as Catholics and most of their homes are abound with saints. But it's a different story in the San Gabriel Valley where people who doubt the existence of God gather every month. It is not easy for some Latinos who were raised Catholics but turned out to be atheists to live in a community where Catholic traditions are practiced all the time.

The Atheists United Secular Latinos of San Gabriel Valley was established to support Latino atheists. During their monthly gathering, there is no Holy Communion but only coffee and pastries. Most of all, support and understanding are shown to its members. 

Arlene Rios started to organize the group three years ago. In one of the interviews, she said: "Some people are afraid to RSVP because they're afraid their family members might know they're questioning religion and I still show up just in case."

She is against the Catholic traditions like saints that abound most Mexican homes, a picture of the Pope on the bookshelves, Palm Sunday branches that are tacked up on walls, paintings of the Last Supper, and more. These are just what typical devoted Catholics are practicing. In fact, the Virgen de Guadalupe is the highest icon in Mexican culture. 

In a report from Los Angeles Times, 47 percent of Latinos identified themselves as Catholics, but this is 10 percent lower compared to a decade ago, according to the Pew Research Center. Meanwhile, 23 percent of Latinos said that they are not affiliated with any religion which is 15 percent higher than that in 2009.

Pew Research Center said: "Latinos feel more unfavorably toward atheists than they do toward any other group," However, a professor from Azusa Pacific University opposed this statement. Arlene Sanchez-Walsh said: "Religion for Latinos overwhelmingly for the longest time has been Catholic. It's so embedded and imbued in the culture and becoming completely nonbelieving, that's a major rupture."

Some share why they lost their faith in the Catholic church. Alfredo Beltran, who became an atheist in his 30s, said that he usually attended mass every Sunday with everyone in the family except his grandfather. He said: "He would always stay home, and I would hear little comments [from him] here and there like, 'Oh God didn't give me that meat. I got that meat; I made the money for that.'"

It was during the talk of atheist activist Matt Dillahunty, that Meltran met Rios. When Rios told Beltran that she wanted to start the group for Latino atheists, Beltran was very supportive. Rios grew up as a Catholic, but started to lose her faith when she was in her 30's because for her, religion just does not make any sense. She also added that there is one thing that the church forgot to provide and that is the community aspect. 

Rios started to organize the Fresno Latino Atheists. Six people came during their first monthly gathering. At present, the group has hundreds of members online. When she moved to San Gabriel in 2018, she hosted the first meet up of the group in June. 

Her parents were very supportive of her, though her mother sometimes used the bible as a reference in talking with her. However, when her mother asked about her daughter's disposition in life, she said: "This is a free country, and you can become whatever you want to become and My purpose as a mother was to raise my kids being good citizens, and I think I did."

The growth of Latinos who identified themselves as non-Catholics has increased. According to the Pew Research Center, people who identified themselves as agnostic and atheist or nothing, in particular, has increased from 17 percent in 2009 to 26 percent in 2018 and 2019.