This type of evangelical hucksterism seems to parallel the rise of the progressive Left in the West. Both are extreme ideologies, loosely rooted in reality, that appeared in reaction to an uncertain world where the old institutions have decayed.
I used to laugh at this sort of evangelical nonsense and feel sorry for people in developing nations who were desperate enough to believe in these types of ideas. Now something analogous has arrived in the developed world which I think tells us about the trajectory of first-world nations.
Tom Watson
1 year ago
“There’ll be a bunch of people in your life, like mountain rescuers, telling you what you can and can’t do in your life. But only you can decide.”
An absolutely stellar quotation. I’ll be giggling all day at that. Words to live by!
Richard Pearse
1 year ago
(Full disclosure – I’m a midwestern American living in Southern Brazil for about 5 years as an estrangeiro permanente- permanent resident).
The article focuses on this self-help guru who seems to be promoting “Power of Positive Thinking” combined with individual pursuit of wealth combined with a variation of evangelical Christianity and New Age Spiritualism.
I’ve never heard of him, but note that my (Brazilian) wife’s podologist claims to be Christian but more “spiritual” (centered on the self) and admits to the New Age parts. Also, she also seems invariably to be happy and positive, and I think she fits the profile.
That said, I agree that the centrality of the Catholic Church is losing ground here (many who claim to be atheists) and that this may affect the sense of well-being among the 240MM citizens.
Regarding the politics, there are many who fervently see Bolsonaro (the ex army captain and member of congress for many years) as the only hope to forestall Lula the quasi Marxist – Lula is a leader of the International left, having, co-founded with Fidel Castro, the São Paolo Forum (a regional forum for left wing parties), in the early 90’s, after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
So the tension seems to be between those who prefer good order and capitalism (including many who prefer the Military Dictatorship (1962-88) to the societal chaos (breakdown of morality, family etc), and those who prefer people like Lula to rob from the rich and give to the poor.
Boil away the fat, Brazilians have no culture or history of self-government: Brazil first became a republic in 1889 or so after being a colony of Portugal (until early 1800’s) under the Português King (he came to Rio de Janeiro to avoid Napoleon) then empire under that King’s son Dom Pedro II – then various years of quasi republic, military rule etc until the late 1980’s.
So, there is always corruption (for which Lula was sent to jail – and was sprung by the Supreme Court on a technicality, and now the statue of limitations has expired) – all the way down to the average person.
Clearly cultures are hard to change (to make the average person capable of self-government) and I think that’s why there’s so much fluidity in the social norms, as the authority of the Church continues to recede.
My wife is Brazilian, we live in the state of Rio de Janeiro and she is Catholic. She says Pablo Marcal is very misrepresented.
He wishes to create a Brazil in which all have opportinity to prosper, there is full political and economic transparency and has made his proposals on how to do this in a realistic business way very clear.
He gas publically told Lula he is a criminal and that he wants Lula to sue him so all can be revealed in open court
Further the representations of Pablo in the media are designed to mislead and present him as some sort of maveric with strange idwas. He is simply focused on making peoples’ lives better, in a meaningful and economically sound way for all and that having a balance in life, family, financial, health and spiritual welling being is the best way to achieve this.
A Catholic Priest took Pablo’s place in the Presidential elections after the Supreme court blocked Pablo from standing, for very dubious reasons. The Priest was very soft spoken but made many simple and good points during the TV debate between Presidential candidates. He said that all Brazil knows Lula is a criminal and what crimes Lula has comitted. The TV coverage turned away from Lula’s response which I am told was very strange.
So Pablo Marcal wants good things that can be delivered to all Brazilians in a lasting and meaningful way, including having non religious spiritual, civil and family values, has no political affiliations and while he feels neither Presidential candidate is great a Lula victory would be a terrible blow for the Brazilian people.
Separately there have been reports that the first round voting was rigged in some way. Lula won in states where the Senators elected were from right wing parties. It is simply not possible that those who voted for a right wing Senator would vote for Lula.
There are reports that the military raided a site at which the electronic votes were being rigged and that in some places more votes were registered than there were voters.
That in many places Lula “won” there was no cheering or street parties.
There are also reports of big cheering in Brazilian prisons when Lula was announced as winning the first round vote
None of this is being reported even as a false story in the main media ie Globo
Belinda Shaw
1 year ago
A very useful and informative article. I have struggled to understand the appeal of Evangelical Christianity to the previously Catholic poor and middle class in Brazil, when the new faith offers no concrete social change – I spent time in San Paulo and was shocked at the unaddressed social problems there. I can see how the collapse of institutions (as a result of greed or corruption or indifference to fellow citizens) and the precarity of work has opened up a space for a particular kind of belief. And the grifters and hucksters will gather around these churches.
This type of evangelical hucksterism seems to parallel the rise of the progressive Left in the West. Both are extreme ideologies, loosely rooted in reality, that appeared in reaction to an uncertain world where the old institutions have decayed.
I used to laugh at this sort of evangelical nonsense and feel sorry for people in developing nations who were desperate enough to believe in these types of ideas. Now something analogous has arrived in the developed world which I think tells us about the trajectory of first-world nations.
“There’ll be a bunch of people in your life, like mountain rescuers, telling you what you can and can’t do in your life. But only you can decide.”
An absolutely stellar quotation. I’ll be giggling all day at that. Words to live by!
(Full disclosure – I’m a midwestern American living in Southern Brazil for about 5 years as an estrangeiro permanente- permanent resident).
The article focuses on this self-help guru who seems to be promoting “Power of Positive Thinking” combined with individual pursuit of wealth combined with a variation of evangelical Christianity and New Age Spiritualism.
I’ve never heard of him, but note that my (Brazilian) wife’s podologist claims to be Christian but more “spiritual” (centered on the self) and admits to the New Age parts. Also, she also seems invariably to be happy and positive, and I think she fits the profile.
That said, I agree that the centrality of the Catholic Church is losing ground here (many who claim to be atheists) and that this may affect the sense of well-being among the 240MM citizens.
Regarding the politics, there are many who fervently see Bolsonaro (the ex army captain and member of congress for many years) as the only hope to forestall Lula the quasi Marxist – Lula is a leader of the International left, having, co-founded with Fidel Castro, the São Paolo Forum (a regional forum for left wing parties), in the early 90’s, after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
So the tension seems to be between those who prefer good order and capitalism (including many who prefer the Military Dictatorship (1962-88) to the societal chaos (breakdown of morality, family etc), and those who prefer people like Lula to rob from the rich and give to the poor.
Boil away the fat, Brazilians have no culture or history of self-government: Brazil first became a republic in 1889 or so after being a colony of Portugal (until early 1800’s) under the Português King (he came to Rio de Janeiro to avoid Napoleon) then empire under that King’s son Dom Pedro II – then various years of quasi republic, military rule etc until the late 1980’s.
So, there is always corruption (for which Lula was sent to jail – and was sprung by the Supreme Court on a technicality, and now the statue of limitations has expired) – all the way down to the average person.
Clearly cultures are hard to change (to make the average person capable of self-government) and I think that’s why there’s so much fluidity in the social norms, as the authority of the Church continues to recede.
It’s always enlightening to hear from boots on the ground as it were 🙂 TY! The local perspective is never too much, it’s forever not enough.
My wife is Brazilian, we live in the state of Rio de Janeiro and she is Catholic. She says Pablo Marcal is very misrepresented.
He wishes to create a Brazil in which all have opportinity to prosper, there is full political and economic transparency and has made his proposals on how to do this in a realistic business way very clear.
He gas publically told Lula he is a criminal and that he wants Lula to sue him so all can be revealed in open court
Further the representations of Pablo in the media are designed to mislead and present him as some sort of maveric with strange idwas. He is simply focused on making peoples’ lives better, in a meaningful and economically sound way for all and that having a balance in life, family, financial, health and spiritual welling being is the best way to achieve this.
A Catholic Priest took Pablo’s place in the Presidential elections after the Supreme court blocked Pablo from standing, for very dubious reasons. The Priest was very soft spoken but made many simple and good points during the TV debate between Presidential candidates. He said that all Brazil knows Lula is a criminal and what crimes Lula has comitted. The TV coverage turned away from Lula’s response which I am told was very strange.
So Pablo Marcal wants good things that can be delivered to all Brazilians in a lasting and meaningful way, including having non religious spiritual, civil and family values, has no political affiliations and while he feels neither Presidential candidate is great a Lula victory would be a terrible blow for the Brazilian people.
Separately there have been reports that the first round voting was rigged in some way. Lula won in states where the Senators elected were from right wing parties. It is simply not possible that those who voted for a right wing Senator would vote for Lula.
There are reports that the military raided a site at which the electronic votes were being rigged and that in some places more votes were registered than there were voters.
That in many places Lula “won” there was no cheering or street parties.
There are also reports of big cheering in Brazilian prisons when Lula was announced as winning the first round vote
None of this is being reported even as a false story in the main media ie Globo
A very useful and informative article. I have struggled to understand the appeal of Evangelical Christianity to the previously Catholic poor and middle class in Brazil, when the new faith offers no concrete social change – I spent time in San Paulo and was shocked at the unaddressed social problems there. I can see how the collapse of institutions (as a result of greed or corruption or indifference to fellow citizens) and the precarity of work has opened up a space for a particular kind of belief. And the grifters and hucksters will gather around these churches.
Bom dia
Bom dia