Religions and the
sublime principle of
beneficence
We have many religions,
but little religiosity.
Christianity, nowadays,
is the most popular
religion, around 2
billion
people, and is
divided into three
groups: Catholicism,
Orthodox and
Protestantism
Jesus was the first
social worker we had in
History. Before the
proposals of the modern
psychological science,
defended by renowned
researchers, the Master,
two thousand years ago,
proved that the true
happiness is not
individual, but the sum
of happiness of people
we live with. Solidarity
and beneficence are the
chief foundations of
living well. We talk
about religion and label
our belief; however, if
we don’t help others,
we’ll never get to
spiritual maturity.
On Earth, there were
many denominations
showing the path of
beneficence. Some of
them joined together,
while others fought
themselves and the
message, which showed
the way to charity, was
stuck for the lack of
love among us.
We have many religions,
but little religiosity.
Christianity, nowadays,
is the most popular
religion, around 2
billion people, and is
divided into three
groups: Catholicism,
Orthodox and
Protestantism. The
Christian movement is
organized, first, in
Jerusalem and is, at
first, a movement inside
Judaism. Later,
Christians are
persecuted by the Roman
Empire. Situation
changes in 313, when the
emperor Constantine gave
them freedom of
religion. In 392,
Christianity becomes the
official religion of the
Empire, and missionaries
are sent too many parts
of Europe to settle
churches, occupying the
whole continent. At the
end of Middle Age, the
European expansion takes
Christianity to America
and Asia. From the 19th
century on the
missionaries arrive,
also, at Africa and East
Asia, spreading the
Gospel worldwide.
In this point of the
text, we take a break to
define briefly some
religious points
[i]
and
we start with
Catholicism. The term is
derived from the Greek
katholikos
(universal). The
adoption of this name
comes from the idea of a
church that can be
accepted and take the
message everywhere, by
everyone. It is
associated with the
expansion of the Roman
Empire and the
appearance of new
kingdoms inside this
one. Its diffusion is
due to the development
of the western
civilization and the
process of colonization
of other peoples. Today,
Catholicism has more
than 1 billion of
followers, nearly 18,7%
of world population.
Most of them (about 39%)
are in Latin America. O
Brazil being the first
one. According to IBGE,
120 millions of
Brazilians in 1991 were
said to be Catholics
(about 83% of the
population).[ii]
Protestantism began with
the so-called Protestant
Reform, started by
Martin Luther
From the Church of Rome,
appears the Catholic
Charismatic Renovation
in the USA, in the 60’s,
in disagreement with
some norms of the
Vatican. In this trail,
is born, in the same
decade, the Theology of
Liberty, mainly in Latin
America, where we single
out the Brazilian
Leonardo Boff, one of
the founders of the
movement. In his book
“Jesus Christ Redeemer”
(1972), Boff admits some
Marxist theories in the
analysis of third-world
societies.
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About Protestantism[iii],
we know it began with
the so-called Protestant
Reform, started by
Martin Luther, in the 16th
century, when they break
loose from the Catholic
Church. Luther’s
criticism to Catholicism
started in 1517. The
German defends that
faith is the fundamental
element for saving the
individual and condemns
the Sales of indulgence
by the Church and the
slackening of habits of
the clergy at the time.
Protestantism is divided
into historical
Protestantism, created
at the Reform, and
Pentecostal
Protestantism,
which started in
the beginning of
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the 20th
century. It’s
calculated that
Protestantism
has around 500
million
followers all
over the world.
Brazil has the
largest base of
Protestants in
South America,
around 13
million people,
according to a
Datafolha poll
in 1994.[iv] |
Judaism is considered
the first monotheist
religion of mankind.
Chronologically, is the
first of the three
religions originated
from Abraham (the others
are Christianity and
Islamism). There are,
currently, around 13.5
million of Jewish in the
world, 4 million in
Israel. In Brazil,
according to IBGE, there
were about 86 thousand
in 1991. The Jewish
Federation of the State
of São Paulo says that,
today, this number is of
110 thousand.[v] |
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Islamism is a monotheist
religion based on the
teachings of Muhammad,
contained in the Islamic
book, the “Qur'an” (of
Arabic al-Qur’an,
reading)[vi].
The world Islam means
submit and express the
submission to the will
of Allah (God in
Arabic). It is believed
to have more than 1
billion of followers
(18% of world
population), especially
in North Africa, Middle
East and Asia. There are
two factions of Islamism
– Sunni Islam and Shia
Islam. It is believed
that 83% of Muslims
follow Sunni Islam. For
them, the spiritual
authority belongs to the
community as a whole.
Shia Islam followers
(16% of Muslims) believe
in Ali, Fatimah’s
husband, Muhammad’s
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daughter. Their
descendents
would have the
key to interpret
the teachings of
Islam. They are
leaders of
community and
followers of the
spiritual
mission of
Muhammad. The
rivalry with
Sunni Islam is
tragically
exaggerated,
mainly after the
Iranian
revolution led
by Ruhollah Khomeini.[vii] |
Spiritism is a religious
doctrine based on the
belief of existence
of
the Spirit, regardless
of the body
There are the principles
of Hinduism, a set of
concepts, doctrines and
religious practices that
started in India in 2000
b.C. They are based on
Vedas[viii].
Its main characteristics
are the polytheism and
reincarnation. It’s
believed that, today,
there are more than one
billion adepts.
Buddhism is an ethical,
religious and
philosophical system,
founded by the Hindu
prince Siddhartha
Gautama (563 b.C.?-483
b.C.?), Buddha, around
VI b.C. It teaches how
to overcome suffering
and reach nirvana[ix]
through mental
discipline and a correct
form of life.
Confucianism is another
religious doctrine of
the Western world, and,
also, a philosophy,
political ideology. It’s
a legacy of literary
tradition, based on the
ideas of the Chinese
philosopher Confucius
(551 b.C.-479 b.C.). It
remained as the official
doctrine of China, for
almost two thousand
years, from the 2nd
until the beginning of
the 20th
century. Currently, 25%
of the Chinese
population claim to live
according to this
doctrine. Outside China,
Confucianism has about
6.3 million followers,
mainly in Japan, South
Korea and Singapore.[x]
In Confucianism, there
are no priests or
churches.
The five essential
virtues are: love,
justice, follow the
rules of conduct, auto
conscience of the Will
of Heaven and
disinterested sincerity.
Only those who respect
others are able to carry
out their social duties.
Spiritism is a religious
doctrine based on the
belief of existence of
the Spirit, regardless
of the body, and its
return to Earth for
successive incarnations,
until being perfect. Its
main current is, for
some, Kardec’s,
formulated in 1857, with
“The Spirits’ Book”, by
the French professor,
Allan Kardec
(1804-1869), pseudonym
of Hippolyte Leon
Denizard Rivail.
Spiritism claims that
reincarnations allow the
constant evolution of
the spirit to make up
for their previous
mistakes. All faults can
be repaired. There is no
worldwide statistic
about the number of
followers of Spiritism.
In Brazil, according to
IBGE, around 1.6 million
people said they were
Spiritist in 1991.
According to a poll
released in 1994, by
Datafolha, this number
gets to 5.5 million.[xi]
Currently, nearly 20
million of Brazilians
have some bond with
Spiritism.
The religions teach
about the importance of
beneficence. Spiritism
says that “Out of
charity there is no
salvation”. The High
Spirits warn us that
without charity all
religious faith is a
useless worship; hope is
nothing but a flower
unable to bloom and
philanthropy itself is a
game of shiny words, in
which the naked and
hungry, the needy and
sick used to perish
uttering curses.
Christ asks us
cooperation for planting
the Gospel that
Spiritism teaches
The Spirit Neio Lúcio
says, in the last
chapter of his book “JESUS
AT HOME”, the
following excerpt:
"(...) after the last
domestic service at the
house of Peter, at the
eve of embarking to the
city of Sidon, the
Master opened the book
of Isaiah and commented
on it wisely, and after
the prayer he said: -
Lord, help those who are
happy despite being
poor, miserable and
alone.(...)Rise those
who fell under the
excess of material
comfort ".[xii]
(our highlight).
“In a beautiful
apologue, says
Rabindranath Tagore that
a farmer, homebound,
with the day’s harvest,
noticed that, on the
other way, a beautiful
carriage, covered with
stars. Amazed, in awe,
he saw it pulling over,
and along with it, he
recognized the presence
of the Lord of the
World, who asked him
something, anything...
What? – he said,
astonished – the Lord of
Life asking something
from me, being a slave
to the soil? Excited and
silent, he went for his
pocket and gave him a
grain of his precious
cargo.
The Lord thanked and
left.
When, however, the poor
man of the field
realized, he noticed
some glitter coming out
of his pocket... The
grain of wheat, from
what he gifted the Lord,
was back to the back,
but in the shape of a
grain of gold...
Astonished, he said:
-Fool of me!... Why
didn’t I give it all to
the Lord of Life?
[xiii]..
Nowadays on Earth, when
materialism compromises
edifications of faith,
in the way of men, we
know that Christ asks us
cooperation for planting
the Gospel that
Spiritism teaches. And,
proposing this humble
article to the kindness
of Jesus, I say it out:
“-Oh! Lord!...
I understand the meaning
of your requests and the
greatness of your
munificence, but forgive
me for little I am, if I
can’t give you anything
else!”
[xiv]
The lesson is clear and
expressive enough.
That’s why, shall we
reflect upon it, so that
we don’t remain in the
shadow of egoism, in the
form of religious
practice, just for the
sake of etiquette.
[i]
Cf. Almanaque
Abril 98
[iii]
The name
protestant is
attributed, at
the time, to the
backers of the
Reform who
protest against
the Diet
(assembly
summoned up by
the kings) of
Speyer (1529).
The Protestant
Church, also
known as
Evangelical,
claims the
re-approximation
of Church with
the primitive
Christianity.
[iv]
Cf. Almanaque
Abril 98
[vi]
Selection of
diverse
transcendental
revelations
received by
Muhammad from
610 to 632.
[vii]
Cf. Almanaque
Abril 98
[viii]
knowledge, in
Sanskrit, set of
sacred texts
composed of
hymns and rites
[ix]
State of soul in
total peace and
tranquility
[x]
Cf. Almanaque
Abril 98
[xii]
Xavier,
Francisco
Cândido.
Jesus at Home,
Dictated by the
Spirit Neio
Lúcio, RJ: Ed.
FEB, 2002
[xiii]
Dedicatory by
Ismael Gomes
Braga in the
book Letters and
Chronicles,
psychographed by
Chico Xavier,
dictated by the
Spirit Irmão X,
RJ: ed.
FEB, 1966.
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