The Power of God against the guns of government.
The Porfiriato was a time of reform, a time of change to the status quo. Many saw it as good, others as bad. Three forms of change that existed were those in the form of the economy, politics, and the social aspects of life in Tomochic. Cruz Chavez was affected by these changes in the form of the church, his role as a civilian, and as a politician. The Political chiefs took away the freedom to worship as they chose to. Cruz Chavez, as a result, used this as reason to start a rebellion against the local government and higher authorities. Finally, foreigners were brought in to buy, sell, and produce goods on Mexican land. The Porfiriato was the cause of these actions and led to the violence and outbreaks of civilian rebellions. The natives were unfairly treated which led them to be opposition of the government. They were stripped of their lands, goods, and most of all their rights as human beings. .
When the Porfirian laws took away the freedom of worship from the local people, they took away more than they thought. Cruz Chavez was obviously angered and not ready to give up his faith in the lord and the church. The church was not only a physical place of spirituality, it was the temple of faith, which was the only thing that the Tomochitecos had to pray to, to look for as a sanctuary from evil and danger. But not only had the Porfiriato removed the freedom to worship inside the church as pleased, but also the freedom to perform the celebratory acts outside in the daily life of these people. This led the people in Tomochic to oppose the local and higher authorities. Whenever you tell someone that they cannot do as they please, there is going to be a conflict. Especially when faith or spirituality is involved, an uprising is sure to be the result. Cruz Chavez was a very integral part of Tomochic's religious movement. He wouldn't accept the elimination of religious freedom and would not tolerate the limits placed upon himself and his people to worship as they chose.
