A city tour by Simões Filho on one evening during the week. On the streets is not a lot going for walks at least a few dogs from the car on the way. Odd as fact for a city with almost 120,000 inhabitants, or about the size of Heidelberg. Because with my evening, I 19.00, maybe 20.00 clock. Somehow affect the ghostly empty paths. But wait! There, on the corner of bright light comes from a large front door. "What's probably all about have? "I asked my Brazilian seatmate and driver. "Well, that's a church - an" Adventist "! "An Adventist? What is that? There `s about the only in December?" He sets the Rueckwaertsgang and we stop at the front door to our right.
The medium sized, highly polished room - at first sight cleaner than most houses here - is full to the last seat, even push on the wall are still people. And all singing, all really. An audible computer-composed hymn is thrown with little boxes in the room and sets the clock. In parallel, a Powerpointpraesentation is thrown against the wall: wonderful images from nature Amazonia and the right song text at the bottom. Especially the many children in the front rows do their best to breathe life into the choir. "Jesus loves you, your captain, it controls your ship, it will not perish ...". And in certain passages one can almost speak of a choreography, with all their hands stretched in the air and keep towards the altar.
Where did you seen this before in Germany? A fully staffed church on a typical weekday. Fully occupied with a market share of 80% over 50 years, but at least half full of children! And have a fun, highly visible. There is much laughter and good and blasted the minister replied: "Who is Jesus Mother? "-"! MARIA
Such or similar situations to me in the past five months often encountered. And I almost never know what I'm now supposed to think. Since it is have time for a proper reflection. And I want to share with the readers of my blog, because for each of the Brazil interested in this subject is indispensable. The following sub-chapter was an attempt to neutral as possible overview of the situation given in my environment, to which should be formed naturally everyone has his own opinion. However, I can not think now in retrospect that the text was still strongly by my own ideas and opinions. It is obviously difficult, to always remain objective when a one topic on your mind. So an apology in advance! First of
once again the facts: about 70% of Brazilians are committed to Catholic Christianity, and about 15% to Protestantism. However, it must be the same at the beginning clearly said: Protestantism in Brazil has done very little in places, with the Lutheran-Protestant Church of Central Europe. On the contrary, conservative, Bible-believing independent churches, so-called "evangelical" movements, are common and run the Catholic Church - Brazil, the most Catholic country in the world "- from the rank today. According to estimates there are now about 35,000 independent churches in Brazil, Still rising. Since I am no expert in church, I want to apologize at this point for the second time in advance. What exactly is the difference between a "normal" religion and a free church, I can not say. Nor could I tell whether now is the "Adventist", "Trinity Kirchler", "universe Christians", "Jesus-is-the-Lord-Christians" or the "Christian Assembly" free churches or other spin-offs. As in the following words can be mixed a bit wrong, does not belong mixed. order to complete the numbers: In Bahia is very pronounced, is still a polytheistic African religion which "Candomblé" calls, all belonged to the well some people from our circle of friends here. The total of supporters of this religion of at least 1.5% of the total population of Brazil.
people who feel in this country does not belong to a religious divide, so only a very small percentage of their countrymen, this is probably the biggest difference to us in Germany. So faith does for most people here also have a central role in everyday life. Be it the regular church attendance, volunteer activities within the community that deal with the Bible or simply talks about views of the various denominations with a beer on the street corner. alone the 5000 Einwohnersdoerfchen Palmares has seven (smaller) churches and two Candomblé "temple". And as in Simões Filho, these religious places are very well attended. Often, even large buses pass by, to deliver people from outside of religious services or rituals, and then bring them back home. In Heidelberg, people meet up to go out to the movies to celebrate together, eating and drinking in the city - where people meet for the common listener, praying and singing.
But is it really "pray and sing" only? Sure, by the many willing to pay church tax-believers communities amazingly high sums of money are available. The poorer classes feel it is their clear duty to fund a good deed to their church: an orphanage, a children's garden, food donations, and so well-noted but very often a Christian orphanage, a Christian kindergarten or a meal at a Christian event. And offer (out in Mato Grosso), the missionaries from the U.S., the free interpretation of the Bible lessons for Indians coming along well alone and without Finanzstuetzen. Funds find their way into the church building but obviously itself: in Palmares are the different Gotteshaeuser not only the cleanest, but also of infrastructure - in terms of static and electrical equipment - the best houses. The "Trinity Church" even all the drums, amplifiers, some electric pianos and other musical equipment more expensive to buy, where during the day are occasionally given lessons. Can afford such Bandzubehoer actually none of the inhabitants.
In terms of financing of the clear view from outside is not always easy. Some people have told me, for example, that there are churches who call themselves also as "evangelical" show after practice but the same properties of the vorlutheranischen Catholicism. For if one is compelled to "donate" to go with respect to a higher probability after death to heaven, then one may speak of indulgences. The extent to which reality the same at this point with the stories, I do not like to say, because "to ask for a donation" and the line between "ask for a donation to the soul in the afterlife because of" is finally flowing.
no doubt that the Christian associations have taken their financial opportunities through a position of power in Brazil, which in Germany is no comparison. In the media - especially television - is the influence of some very big when it comes to reporting the news. Every Sunday worship services run on X canals on television. With obviously good ratings.
An interesting example that my mother and I waehrund our common New Year's holiday (Report is left now) and could follow by TV, shows the power of the church to perhaps particularly well in Salvador was an infant admitted to a hospital. On one opens at, it was found that the body of the child was over and over inheritances with about four inches long needles under the skin. Merkwuerdigerweise but there were no punctures on the skin. On every newspaper covers, on TV, Internet news feeds - for days: a mysterious history with even more mysterious images in the public seemed to come good. It was then speculated: voodoo rituals, black magic and such things were all the rage. For even the poorest Brazilian households have a TV now. 
now transformed this into a Hetzkampanie Raetselraten soon. In many churches, the theme was taken up grateful: "The African religious are barbaric, inhuman, a shame for us." Distinction is noted that one can not of course the trouble between the many Afro-Brazilian religions. "All in a drawer" was the motto. 2000 kilometers away from the action, in Mato Grosso, that is, a rural region in the interior, unfortunately, not many people interested, that there are huge differences between the traditional religions of West Africa. There and in many other parts of Brazil are now just all the spiritual practices of the black population demonized together. And the church that is this story about her sometimes self-financed TV channels zurechtgeschneidert beautiful preaching, then in the Gotteshaeusern own against the "black peril".
For me personally this is simply a very modern form of racism. Yes, ultimately, the stepfather of the child has obviously had a connection to a group that experimented with "dark magic". A worse case, no doubt, and the child is doing well I'm sorry. But I must caution a friend who is part of the Candomblé religion is quoted: "The step-father had connections to African Religion, therefore, but to in any way Candomblé. Compounds, the Christian church for that matter -. To Holocaust deniers, to genocide of indigenous inhabitants of South and Central America and a consequent centuries of gold robbery, the crusades, to the non-rehabilitation of Galileo by 1992 " 
course, this is a very exaggerated rhetoric and polarized, not less, than do the TV church. Nevertheless, we should not, I think we presume to take the moral finger and look down on others. Where we're on the topic of "looking down", here are a little story to it. There are about 30 people sitting in a semi-crowded bus from Simões Filho, among them the author Max S.. Most of the time it is rather quiet, except for the clatter of the bus body. Absorbed in my most interesting reading, I initially did not realize that my front man rises slowly, then turns around and holds a book with one hand (as to the threat) to the height - the Bible. He starts it slowly and forcefully to convince the assembled bus. Amazed, I am already. What he is talking about exactly, I can not understand. Especially when he then opens his book since elevated, the index finger of your other hand is aimed wildgestikulierend it and begins to quote. Strangely, however, that he reads aloud while continuously flips back and forth. The whole show, he must have - more or have learned by heart - less theatrically convincing. Middle of the normal rate, he then screams at once: "DEUS! DEUS! DEUS "I feel like my neighbor winces at the sudden note change and even I do not feel well, so an - felt - insane to have before me. With his now-cramped stiff index finger, he now points to each rider who is now at around screaming continued: "JESUS! DEUS! MARIA "He can go through the Flyer bus and a burned CD with him and his many Goldzaehnen on the cover are missing not allowed. What would have happened in Heidelberg, if such a person and einsteigt losfeuert verbally? Here, people have apparently already accustomed to the silence Flugblaettchen go through the rows of seats. The preacher thanks to a windchill 20 minutes to thank for listening, shouting in Duesenjetlautstaerke still a "MAY GOD BE WITH YOU!" Into the audience before him and gets out. I've probably already seen five times. What a crazy world.
crazy also this: A friendly, a bit older Senhora recently invited us in to their baptism. "Wow," we thought, "one baptism is already a special event in life." The whole story in a nutshell: after a three-hour service, which had nothing to do with the subject of baptism, the pastor asked, according to the quantity "who would like be baptized like? "14 people came forward and finally migrated successively into a kind of big bathtub at the end of the hall. Schoen after the series: a small blessing of the pastor, a short dive, a photo with the pastor for the family - that's it. The mass baptism went to the tough Vorprozedur with the many Power Point Songs on the wall right by quickly. Had I initially pretty excited that the children of women not in their baptismal service took part, but rather outside hanging out, so I was clear in retrospect why. Much more than me the next day was told her son that it was their baptism was fifth.
In the same church (Adventistengemeinde) is incidentally obviously strongly preached for vegetarianism. Mir, who next year celebrates its 15th Vegetarierjubilaeum, this idea of course very welcome. Too bad, but all that actually attending this church, eat meat. Why? Well, meat within Terra Mirim, the only bastion of vegetarians (the guard dogs excepted), is so cheap that hardly anyone can afford to pass up. Many people have a chicken, a goat or a lamb in the garden. As the supermarkets have the prices of course PUSH pretty deep to get their meat at the man. The animals are not put up and preach the Adventistengemeinde obvious to reality over. 
Unless The church therefore probably not penetrated into the daily lives of residents. But, and now I get to the last and I believe most crucial part of this great theme in many other places it is. Like many young women get here within a child under 20 years, that number would interest me very much. For there are certainly some. Is it because they have not been solved? For sure! But is that really the only reason? I personally have my doubts about this matter. For the pregnant women are often already married. to marry at 18 years is common. And the children are also not uncommon in this age to be desired.
How many times as I was of children in our Ecological school asked if I was already dad or at least husband. A 19 year old girls who also work together on the school wants to marry necessarily this year. The appointment is in stock in February. Marry her first boyfriend. And as I said before: no one here to broods "that's still very young to be at this age to be married." It's just normal. Is it really the fact that young people would like this country so early ("until death do you part") and their partners to stay together? Each blond-blue-eyed woman who runs one of Salvador is to deny that quite well, they have at least five "Anlockungspfiffe" heard behind him. And the men of any age and sometimes by men, on whose lap just sits a woman.
So we go but believes that people with the love it here sometimes do not take that seriously either. And still get married so early - how can that be?
In Brazil, or at least in our Vale do Itamboatá here, the path of a newly couples in love inevitably about the families of the partners on luck. Mother and father have to say the happiness of their children "rubber stamp", so there are no problems. Sure, Germany is interested in the parents, while drifting the heart of the son or daughter. But if the partner or the partner is not a total plum, they mingle with their 20-year Offspring but not in its relationship after the motto of "not coming here in the house" (or?). Since it can happen here, for example, that a family trying to obtain information about the other partner and his family - but not by asking the child to own, but through friends, acquaintances and their friends. "If the partner is a faithful soul?", "He has good manners?", "He dresses well?" "Does he drink?", "Go in the evening at the weekend, he behaved in the Church? In OUR church?" Yes as far as it can get.
This happened with a friend of Dilan and me. That was with a 18 year old boy come to hear his parents in an evangelical church. Unfortunately, her family is Catholic, which funny enough, here - unlike Germany - is considered liberal. Her style seemed much more rock clothes the parents of all Partners other than to please. So the love was not summarily prohibited. The family of a partner leaves the boys of course and certainly not into the house. There actually is only one way out: "secret" love. That sounds kind of hollywood ajar. Or does the marriage and thus hopes for independence from the ratings by parents as a solution? In this case, it is fortunately (or ungluecklichweise) does not come so far.
The sexual revolution on the European model did not take place in Brazil. For at that time here there was the wedding of a military dictatorship that was to move away up in the late 80s and the former generals have choked the student unrest in its germ, political purges and the like included. The conservative image of the family was therefore in the course of history never really attacked or challenged, as we had the case in Germany. The verdict regarding the male or female partner to talk to parents.
Then imagine you have to dress nice in his new family, left a good impression and certify that they will take care of good care of his sweetheart or loved ones.
And the fact is that the religion of the "new Family member "in this familiarization process often plays an important role. We know as parents know about the other churches in the village. Finally, in their own church tells about the others and the efforts to distinguish themselves are clear. Thus, each church has its own doctrine. The "Christian congregation," writes, for example, on the flag that its members do not drink alcohol and do not irritate the clothing of the opposite sex (no rock allowed for women and similar jokes.). The justification is by certain Bible passages. The "Adventist", at least on the paper Vegetarianism and the honor Saturday. The "Trinity Kirchler" are the biggest hymns Singer. Sense of self to one's own faith as a whole is kept very high, and flows into a kind of family honor. And there has to fit the new partner of the child in the picture.
Just imagine, after several months of hard Eingewoehnungszeit for the relatives of the couple noticed that it fits with the love but not so well off, and a place some time later, another partner. Especially in a small village will be whispering to each corner and blasphemed, because ultimately, everybody knows everybody and they all have their stories. Then the families involved feel under attack. And then the churches involved. Thus, the leads may be all together to a further delineation. Do we not stand too far and no cases sweeping statements. Sure there are those in Brazil and those families. I speak here also shows the village life in a big city like Salvador, the situation looks very likely different.
Nevertheless secret hobbies, marriages, infidelity, a woman with five children by four men, very early pregnancy and also just getting married at age 18 - all we have seen. And so it is probably contributed by a deep-rooted, in some way linked to the faith of family honor. Those pleased to present to the outside is occasionally personal happiness of the young people.
Life can be more complicated than it really is. How about instead of "Carpe Diem"?
Oh yes: And a big thanks to the '68 revolution in Germany.
Part 1 - Insights into the health system
Part 2 - Palmares, a town struggles
Part 3 - Salvador da Bahia
Part 4 - The Christian Church in Brazil - a blessing?
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