Previous installations of Desde el Monte...
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There are several more memories of Uruguay that I would like to share with you. Today's recounting is about the peculiar way that the country came to be an mainly atheist nation. Please remember that I am not an expert on the history of Uruguay and I am depending completely on the dusty recollections that are rolling around in my mind.
What I remember being told is that European settlers - from Spain, Italy, and France - came to what is now Uruguay seeking freedom from religion. They killed and/or ran off all the natives of that area, which is why there is no early religion or mysticism remaining in that culture. Evidently the European settlers were atheists - philosophers - and did not want to be subjected to the dictates of Christianity or any other religion.
