The evangelical bloc . . . in Brazil!
Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 9:32AM 
WSJ story.
Lula does the always impressive and wins himself an additional proxy term through a hand-picked successor. Great men tend to do this, like Andrew Jackson with Martin Van Buren or TR with Taft or Reagan with George H.W. Bush. So less a win for women (although Rousseff seems more than qualified) than a vindication of Lula's highly successful tenure.
What the article highlighted, though, was the important role played by the rising Protestant/Pentecostal voting bloc, now powered by about 1 out of every 5 Brazilians. They won 50% more votes in the congressional election than last time, and now claim 71 of 600 seats there. Yes, they do tend to the right on social issues, and make themselves known when they unite as a bloc within the congress.
Remember my theme: the 21st century will be the most religious ever in terms of great awakenings. Why? So many people shifted from substenance to abundance, so much industrialization/urbanization uprooting lives, so much connectivity afforded by globalization, and some pretty big human milestones coming (peaking of human population around 2050, serious life-extension technologies, etc.).
The evangelicals were considered crucial for Dilma Rousseff's second-round win over her opponent. When it came down to the binary choice, she scored better with Pentecostals (mostly on economics and the other guy was more anti-abortion) and her campaign actively sought to mobilize them.
Much like the rising Hispanic quotient here in the U.S., this election in Brazil signals a tipping point, after which no one will run for, or likely win as, president without going hard after this vote.
Reader Comments (3)
Missionaries from protestant faiths have been working hard in Central and South America for the last hundred years. They have been especially active in remote areas working with indigenous people. The Catholic Church took their faithful for granted. Then some Jesuits decided to support leftist movements and alienated the military and police in a number of countries. Even Today, some Jesuits in the U.S. support groups that protest against the United States Army's "School of the Americas." I happen to have had the honor of a Jesuit education and I am also a proud alum of the infamous "School of the Americas". (Back in the day when it was in Panama)
No war is worse than one based on religion. We are capable of the worst atrocities when we commit them in God's name. Interesting that the "right" seems to have the edge when it comes to combining religion and politics. I thought American Catholics might be heading left in the 60's and 70's (Berrigan crowd) but it never got past the guitar mass stage.
The rise in Islamic militancy will, I believe, lead to a resurrection (pun intended) of the Christian "Soldier" philosophy. Those missionaries deep in the jungle villages always used to teach the children to sing the old hymn "Onward Christian Soldier."
The next hundred years are going to be scary.
Tom, I can certainly see where you're coming from, great upheaval leads naturally to people seeking sanctuary in big ideas, often those with a life affirming and cosmic context. And religion is certainly no stranger to the up and coming, the increasingly affluent or the increasingly steady. Here in Sydney we have seen a huge growth in evangelical type churches.
I do worry about the rise of both fundamentalist Christian and Islamic streams of thought. No so evangelical, they just want you to come join their club, but its the fundamentalist of any stripe that really worry me. The our way or the semtex crowd on both sides. And I have to remind a lot of people that the considerable majority of groups watched by the FBI, ATF, etc are right wing Christian fundamentalists rather than those occupying mosques around the States.
I'd like to think that we can all get along, and certainly the talks I have with friends of mine who are my age and practise a diverse range of religions indicates that there are level headed people who count themselves fervent delivers. But when you encounter people who cannot and will not budge from their point of view, and who hold other view points as dangerous and worthy of contempt, well then I am with Ted, it is going to be a scary next century.
Tom - Great feedback from a couple buddies of mine at NPS two weeks ago regarding your presentation. If they weren't on the edge of their seats listening, you had them on the floor laughing with your unique wit.
Great article on Brazil and concur with Mr. O'Connor and the TCO from Down Under. "Religion" and killing in the "name of God" is a dangerous place to be as those of us who have witnessed first hand in combat and other crisis around the world...however, Christianity when taught and lived out at it's grass roots of grace, salvation, and resurrection provides a hope like no other which we are seeing around the world in evangelical movements both in public and in underground persecuted churches. These movements like you said must be addressed by elected leaders and hopefully influenced by their spiritual/moral/ethical platforms. Another interesting note I saw a few years ago is the growth of the Chaplain Corps in the Brazilian military responding to the demand of the faithful serving in their armed forces. Chaplains provide free exercise of religion to Soldiers and can also impact the proper moral/ethical roles of how faith helps the Soldier act righteously vs unjustly against it's foes. Upright, moral and dedicated chaplain corps in national armies would hopefully bring about more moral restraint in their forces amid crisis. Romans reminds us we all fall short...but there is hope in God's grace and plan.
The next 100 years may be a scary thing in our limited human mind if we only look at the evil of man in his/her use of religion, but I am hopeful in the faithful who love God and people and in God's eternal plan....I would venture to guess Tom's professed RC postmillenial perspective may support that to some degree???
peace,
CH R