Community of fanatics

Brazil is currently living under an evangelical (and evangelizing) crusade in the name of Jesus Christ. Its objective is to save people's souls for Jesus, in the face of the disintegrating threat of a "perverse" sexuality and a "perverted" model of family that allegedly enjoys the leniency of public authorities and left-wing activists, both inside and outside the National Congress. The eighty-five evangelical parliamentarians, under the command of the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and supported by the pro-gun lobby and the rural lobby, have been celebrating each victory for their cause in the House plenary, echoing in the Legislature the ostentatious "Marches for Jesus" in favor of Family, Property, and Freedom.

The atmosphere in Brazil is only not similar to that of pre-1964 because there is no consensus among broad sectors of the Brazilian population regarding the coup-mongering agenda of these demonstrations. Nor are the military venturing into a new coup d'état. But the scenario is frightening: not only because of the growth of hatred and intolerance towards those who are different, but also because of the juggernaut of conservatism in Congress, led by an acolyte of the Sara Nossa Terra Church, thirsty for power.

I used to be more tolerant and understanding towards religious people. I had a long education in Roman Catholic and Presbyterian schools (encouraged by North American missionaries). I studied and taught at a Catholic (Jesuit) University, maintaining a long, harmonious, and fruitful relationship with priests and pastors. I learned a lot from them. I even served as vice-coordinator for a bishop of the Episcopal Church in the Postgraduate Program in Political Science for many years. And I can testify that they were open-minded and progressive people.

These days, I'm losing patience and tolerance for these religious groups that compete for voters' support in the name of Jesus Christ. If they weren't so fundamentalist and semi-illiterate, I would recommend they study the Bible more. Not to uncritically accept the patriarchal customs of the ancient Jews exiled from Egypt in search of the Holy Land... of the Palestinians. I would suggest they research the way of life of the Essenes, the early Christians, taken by Engels as a model for communists. Their simplicity, their detachment, their humility, their example of life. All contrary to the so-called "Prosperity Theology" of certain neo-Pentecostal churches or the ostentatious display of these triumphal processions for Jesus. None of that aligns with the spirit of humility, poverty, and simplicity that the first Christians displayed, without fanfare.

But apparently, this group's objective is different: it's not to win souls for Jesus Christ. It's to win the votes of unsuspecting voters who confuse the profane world of politics with the sacred world of the Bible, as it is read and interpreted by these fanatics. And that's where the danger lies. Here is "the serpent's egg" being, little by little, hatched by the larvae of hatred, anger, resentment, and ignorance. Temples stoned, persecution of those with a different sexual orientation, imprisonment of minors, the death penalty—where will we end up?