Brazzil

Good that there was still a good turnout. Makes the IURD look a little embarassing. Scare tactics didn't work during slavery, so why would they work on Brazil now?

Practice Catholicism, Candomble, Macumba even devil worship but PLEASE stay away from Pentecostalism. It is the reason you have so many religious fanatics running around America shooting up the place. It is destroying the US. Stay away from the Southern Baptists and Mormons too. These religions produce a lot of insane people and is the reason for the high rate of mental illness and violence in American society. The Christian Right peoople are all crazy too.

Please don't let these sects infiltrate Brazilian society and mess it up as they have messed up the United States. Candomble is a much better religion than any of the sects of Pentecostalism. If anyone is worshipping the devils it is American pentecostals with all of their craziness and lunacy. Please stick to Candomble!

It's too late. IURD and other neo-pentecostal COMPANIES (when the purpose is profit, it's not a church) have taken over the country already. The further you go into the suburbs, the more neo-pentecostal companies you will find. The same rules apply to education. The less educated, the more "evangélicos" (as pentecostals and neo-pentecostals are called here) you get.
They have already bought several theather and movies that used to be historic patrimony and turned into franchisings for brainwashing.
I have been watching them from far away, for year and I have identified only two variation os speeches:

- do you wanna be rich and successful? come join our cults! If you ain't got a fancy car, a hot woman/man and a big house it is because there is a lack os Jesus Christ's precense in your life. When you come to our church, you get wealthy, just look at our priests.

(I swear to god, they actually say these things)

- did your girl/boyfriend break up with you? did you lose your job? things don't seem to work well in your life? you have insomnia, hemorrhoids, panic attack or a sore throat?
Dear brother/sister, can't you see this is the work of an invisible evil spirit acting in your life?? It was probably sent by some praticioner of Umbanda or Candomblé (pratictioners of afro-brazilian magical religions) and it is destroying your life.
It's not because you drink. Not because you are obssessed with money to show off and compensate your lack of self esteem. Not because you cheated your husband/wife, not because you voted to a congressman whose name or party you don't even remember. It is clearly because there is an encosto (encosto is a term they stole from african religions such as Umbanda, it is supposed to be a ghost of a dead person that keeps on haunting the living and sucking out his blood and energy, usually sent by some one driven by envy or revenge). It's ALLLL because of the encosto or the devil. Your behaviour on life has nothing to do with it.. all you have to do is join our company, cry out histerically on our cults, buy a little magic salt or olive oil, maybe a soap made of rue (a tradition also stolen from Umbanda, which they demonize) and then your problems will be over!

I SWEAR TO GOD! In ten years or so I have never seen they talk about love, charity, forgiveness, reflexion, or anything that isn't "get rich" or "get rid of the encosto". It's un-f**kin-believable.
And now they have founded a political party.
God help us!

Bishops of the IURD have been caught doing money laundry, carrying bags LOADED with money (millions of reais) they couldn't explay the source nor the destiny (in Brazil this is illegal, you have to inform authorities and specify source and destiny when transporting such a massive amount of money).
These bishops were also dep**ados federais (congressmen) of the PFL, an extreme right-wing brazilian party.
Geez, religious and patriarchal fundamentalism associated with the RIGHT?? now there's someting new! We almost have seen that through history!

The Jornal Nacional, brazil most traditional TV news has shown, years ago, a video of Bishop Edir Macedo, the IURD's supreme leader (this man is like their pope) teaching his priests how to get money out of the faithful. He says it with all the words (in Brazilian Portuguese, a vulgar variation of it, full of slangs, one might add) that being a priest is all about doing a great show, with a lot of shouting to get the believers to donate money.
The video is available for download, provided by a (large) brazilian community of haters the IURD. if you don't believe:

http://media.putfile.com/JornaladotNacionaladot-adotDenunciaadotcontraadotIgreja45

Edir Macedo is the short chubby and greedy one giving the lecture to his "priests" after a soccer game.

Another link to the same video http://media.putfile.com/edir_..._a_enganar

(edir macedo ensina a enganar = edir macedo teaches how to deceive)

I believe in freedom and rights for all and think that as humans beings we all have a right to worship as we please.

Afro-Brzilians have been practicing this religion for hundreds of years which has existed way before Christianity, and it is up to them to contine in this faith if it gives them comfort and has helped them to preserve their culture.

I can not even begin to imagine what Afro-Brazilians would be like if they had not maintained their culture so in that sense some good has come out of it.

Besides has anyone looked at what the Catholic Church of Brazil has done to these people for centuries? Were they not involved in the Slave Trade and acted as nothing less than finacial parasites ? This hyprocracy is unbelievable so i won't even go there.

Afro-Brazilians have a right to be FREE and to choose how they want to live thier lives and should not be dictated to by people who think they know what is best for them as this has has already gone on for hundreds of years..

These magical gifts that someone mentioned earlier should be used only for good and should not be used to destroy anyone. This gift is like a knife, it can be used in many ways.

Please give Afro-Brazilians respect and respect will be given back. The world is getting smaller so everyone can learn from each other.

Orthodox Christianity views any religion whose practitioners do not profess Christ as their lord and saviour to be the path to hell.

Now, I don't know exactly what the deal is with this IURD crowd, but there's nothing unusual about Christians frowning upon paganism. Anyone who thinks otherwise must have been asleep for the last 2,000 years!

Fundamentalist Evangelical Protestanism is spreading throughout all of Latin America. Mostly in poor areas, and mostly to African and Native peoples.

In Southern Mexico there have been actual small-scale ethnic religious wars over this. Newly converted Protestant Indian villages on one side and Catholic villages on the other. People have died.

A significant percentage of the poor immigrants coming from the Caribbean into the U.S. have been Pentecostals for decades now. This is nothing new, it has just gained momentum more recently.

And then, of course, in Brazil which is I believe now over 15% Protestant. In the U.S. we have the opposite effect with Catholicism gaining some ground (and making some people nervous).

Fundamentalism, in general, is gaining ground, and it seems to be a global phenomenon. Whether its the extreme Mel Gibson-type of Catholicism, extreme Evangelical Pentecostal-type of Protestantism, or extreme Wahhabi -type of Islam... the point,apparently, is to be EXTREME.

"Fundamentalism, in general, is gaining ground, and it seems to be a global phenomenon. Whether its the extreme Mel Gibson-type of Catholicism, extreme Evangelical Pentecostal-type of Protestantism, or extreme Wahhabi -type of Islam... the point,apparently, is to be EXTREME."

This is very interesting. It seems to me that this process got worse in 9/11. I mean, who could imagine that someone could get spanked by a crown in Australia 5 years ago just for answering "não" instead of "no" when asked if he had a lighter?
Extremism is indeed getting worse, but not just religious, also political, cultural and ethnical (etnocentrismo is back).

It was founded in the early 20th century by the poorer white and black Americans. It has never been the religion of the "elite". Also mainstrain religious denominations have never done much for the poor people that is why they created pentecostalism or"holy rolling". It was a forum in which poor people could holler and shout and relieve some of the stress of poverty. Unfortunately today it is just another racket. Preying on poor people's ignorance and frustration to make a buck and selling the poor dreams and hope.

Of course there are honest Pentecostal ministers out there but there are still a lot of "wolves in sheeps clothing" too.

First I want to say that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I honestly don't think you know what your talking about. How many Mormons do you know? Probably not too many. I'm a Mormon and I just had to laugh at what you said about Mormons. It's okay though because you are like a lot of people who know nothing about the LDS Church, but seem to be quick to judge. I was a missionary in Brazil for two years and I saw this all the time. I still love Brazil though! By the way, Mormons aren't Pentecostal. You know what it's all good though. I'm willing to bet that if you learned a little more about Mormons and their doctrine and their way of life I'm sure you would have a different view. It's also crazy to say that you can blame most of Americas violence on members of the Pentecostal, Baptist, and Mormon churches. That's crazy! Just watch the news. How many times do you find on the front page of the New York Times of some other news paper something about an insane Baptist or Mormon going on a killing spree? Anyway, I'm not trying to be rude, but all I'm saying is you need to know the facts and learn about the subject your talking about before you go off saying something that's not too intelligent.

George Bush has been a blessing for the American people. He is moral, honest and has values that many Americans still cherish. He is a born-again Christian, which means he is going to heaven. His faith helps him to guide our country through rough times and practice "compassionate conservatism." Thank God George Bush is president.

Mate George Bush told the World that God told him to invade Iraq.

Morals, honest and values. Yea pigs can fly?

Dear one,
You are obviously uninformed about the culture of the USA. Clearly the moral condition is not caused by Pentecostals, or main line denomination morality -but a lack there of. Have you ever been in a Pentecostal church or any church for that matter- Not all chruches or ministers are crooks.

The moral condition in the US is caused by racist white supremacist "Christian right" organizations. America has never been a "Christian" country. The only God America serves is the god of money and the religious right is up there grabbing money along with the rest of the population. The Bible commands "thou shalt not steal", "thou shalt not kill." America has stolen, murdered and destroyed her way to get to the top as the world's only superpower.

Religion in America is just another business. Pimping and making money off the "lord". The Assemblies of God denomination was founded to segregate the formerly interracial pentecostal movement. In other words they didn't want brotherly love between blacks and whites so the white broke away from mainstream Pentecostalism and formed their own denomination to keep their black Christian "brothers" out! They are only in Brazil because membership among white Americans is dropping off.

If anybody seriously thinks America was founded on the Christian principles of "love for all mankind (regardless of race or class), respect for nature, equality, and all the other Christian principles mentioned in the Bible they are seriously deluded. Theft and murder are American traditions as they serve the god of "mammon and money."

Your whole comment is so generalized and crazy. Where are you from? Obviously you have something against the United States. Oh well. It's funny how you say that America has never been a Christian country. I doubt you've read the constitution or know anything about the history of the United States. And how can you say theft and murder are American traditions? First of all I've lived in Brazil and I loved it, but I saw the distribution of money and power, or lack there of, and could tell that the government there and in other South American countries such as Venezuela are ten times more corrupt then the U.S. Poverty in Brazil is so much worse than the U.S., and you know why; the government. Also if I can recall correctly I do believe that Brazil was the last country to abolish slavery. Huh, that's funny, you were just saying how racist the U.S. is. I'm not trying to bag on Brazil by any means, I'm just trying to prove my point. I think Brazil is a great country with tons of potential and capabilities. I love my country and am proud to be an American. I have opportunities here that I know I wouldn't have in other countries. I respect and admire other countries and their cultures. I'm half Venezuelan and I think Venezuela is a great country, but I wouldn't want to live there due to its corrupt government and Chavez.

religion sucks

Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Both Brazil and America has done those big time, stealing and killing in the name of God and the Virgin. All the Western world is thieves and murderers who went to the New World and stole from the indigenous people, stole people out of Africa, stole the gold and diamonds and built their wealth on blood.

Stealing and killing in the name of God! Murder millions of people in the name of God. Christian churches hold slaves and murder Indian peoples in the name of "God" and "civilization". If this is not theft and murder I don't know what is.

first I woul like to say that I am sorry that the Christians in Brazil seem to be only in it for the money. I am a pentecostal and there are truely some good ones out there. I found this sight by looking for a missionary to donate money to. I was sadly disappointed to find that they seem to be preaching the wrong message. God intended for them to tell of his love and his grace. The reason he went to the cross and bled and died. He died that we might have life and have it more abundantly but I do not think that he meant for us to take that scripture to mean that we would all be rich and famous. I believe that he meant that to mean the life after this life. The one where we would all be with him and love and worship him and give him the praise due. In my life I have seen miracles from healing the sick to actually the raising of the dead. I have seen the doctors puzzled when someone who they thought would die within 6 months from Cancer lived almost 10 more years. The God that I know and love wants every body in this whole world to know him. You may not ever be rich or drive a fancy car But He will supply your needs according to his riches in glory. Like King David I have been young but now am old and I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. God's love and mercy and His grace are very real for all who will come to Him and learn of Him. I ask all who think the Pentecostals are of the devil woul just look up toward the Heaven with a sincere and open heart Ask The God that I speak of today to show you his love for you. Ask him to send someone who is not out for the money and the cars to come to you and show you just how good he really is. I will also be praying for Brazil for I have a friend there and he does not like Pentecostals either. I am sorry that you all have had such a bad experience. God Bless Brazil.

In the year 2002, I was invited to Manaus, Brazil to assist a chiropractic missionary while he and his family went back to the states for some R&R, and to contact their supporting churches. It was a great experience. I grew to love Brazilian people did my best to help them using the practice of chiropractic

Dr. Harv

It has always been awrong notion that the Ibos of south eastern Nigeria worshipped idols.This is a great show of ignorance by the early missionaries that came to Iboland.The ancient Ibo mans believe in and worship of the universal God who can neither be seen nor touched and refered to as OLISAEBULUWA or CHI UKWU is not different in principle and quality from the christian God, or muslim Allah.