In Response to the Afro-Brazilian religions

The following is a commentary on the Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomble, Umbanda, Tambor de Mina, and other similar religious beliefs and traditions within Brazilian society. As a legal precaution, this commentary, including all others, are protected under the legal, Brazilian and American mandates of freedom of expression; and, they are also protected from false allegations of religious intolerance, for the sake of such false allegations being easily equated as false reporting, which is illegal; and, they are finally protected as using secular, academic, scholarly and scientific research to respond to and provide investigative criticism are privileges extended in both sovereign states. The use of religiously academic sources are also provided, for the sake of comparison and contrast. This commentary has been adopted and ratified by the Apostolic Synod of Antioch, in collective.

In Brazil and the Brazilian diaspora, several new religious movements have arisen and been faithfully practiced amongst their practitioners. These new religious movements are known as Candomble, Umbanda, and Tambor de Mina to name a few. Amongst their synonymous backgrounds, each religion is a relatively recent phenomenon descended from the traditional African religions which were imported during slavery in Colonial and post-independence Brazil. According to Robert A. Voeks in Sacred Leaves of Candomblé: African Magic, Medicine, and Religion in Brazil and Diana Brown in Umbanda: Religion and Politics in Urban Brazil, traits common to these religions are beliefs in One True Creator God, yet, direct service and worship to the Creator being seen as unnecessary or unwanted due to the proximity of other spirits known as the orishas. Through this academic source and numerous others, the orishas were created—as are all things—by the One True Creator God. Yet, they are believed to deserve worship and service instead of the Creator; justifying this belief, Stefania Capone and Paul Christopher Johnson in Searching for Africa in Brazil: Power and Tradition in Candomblé and Secrets, Gossip, and Gods: The Transformation of Brazilian Candomblé, and Graham Dann in Religion and Cultural Identity: The Case of Umbanda; both noted that adherents to these religions consider the orishas as intermediaries between humanity and the Creator—which, for purposes of ease in this response, shall simply be referred to as "God" instead of the creative attributes.

Looking towards comparative religion, these spirits are technically synonymous in each Afro-Brazilian religion, and other Afro-diasporic religions primarily present throughout the Americas; and, variously seen as ancestral figures, embodiments of the forces of nature, deified individuals, and primordial spirits; these religions—through historical analysis, perpetuate similar themes with all other pre-Christian religions: acknowledgement of a supreme, single source, yet, for some reason—whether by apparent tyranny on God's part, rebellion on the spirits' parts, or something else entirely—God being deemed as unnecessary, unwanted, too transcendent and uninvolved, or overthrown or eternally repentant of their creative process; has been forsaken for the worship of other spirits.

Looking from a strictly Judeo-Christian, biblical perspective, this aligns with biblical precedent for there being virtually no excuse to knowing the One True God, and for the enemy seeking to turn all of creation away from God. From comparative religious myths including the Mesopotamian Anu, the Egyptian Atum, the Hindu Brahma, and countless others; and from Father Abraham being called by God—known as "El" to his Canaanite forefathers in response to His jealous and righteous desire for sole worship and devotion, against the virtually synonymous legends told in every other religion to reject or deny the worship of the One True God for all—the Christian, and academic point-of-view as to these religions being no different than the other ancient, pre-Christian religions and traditions stands.

Due to their supposed necessity and desire for worship and service by humanity, and their continued rejection or excuses for delegating all worship and service to their very own creator and true God; in Vibrant: Virtual Brazilian Anthropology, it has been acknowledged that the orishas are morally ambiguous. They have their own vices, and may even have disputes with one another. These characteristics are synonymous with all of the ancient, Old World or pagan religious practices and beliefs. They, like other spirits in other non-Christian faiths, teach that these spirits are aligned to prefer certain offerings to appease them for instruction and guidance, and all other inquiries; and this has been documented in articles such as Coins for the Dead, Money on the Floor: Mortuary Ritual in Bahian Candomblé by Brian Brazeal. From the Christian standpoint, this is also no different than the tributes given to the false gods prevalent throughout the entirety of the Old Testament, and even the Deuterocanon. Also, in alignment with the other ancient religions from a secular and religious academic standpoint, there is a definitive lack of dogma. This is because each religion's teachings beyond these essential instruments of identification are subjective, according to their individual houses of worship. In both the Afro-Brazilian and broader, Afro-diasporic religions, additional teachings are subjective, due to the subjective and emotionally volatile, or morally ambiguous nature of the spirits that they equally serve under different names.

As Christians, these new religious movements and their historic predecessors cannot be viewed as righteous or true by our collective standards in Christendom. As academics, the historic synonymousness with other ancient religions and traditions; and the lack of an objective, dogmatic source and continuation of dogma cannot be considered in academic consensus. From a purely, irreligious and scientific perspective, the subjectivity of each faith and the spirits which they worship which breeds constant conflict and apparent contradiction; along with the negation for God as the only source of blessing and guidance; empirical evidence cannot apply, therefore deeming these religious beliefs as entirely unproven or false, and unworthy of being followed. The lack of fixed, ethics and morals according to Stephen Selka in Morality in the Religious Marketplace: Evangelical Christianity, Candomblé, and the Struggle for Moral Distinction in Brazil also serves as strong evidence in support of Christendom's outlook on these religions. As the orishas are morally ambiguous like the gods or spirits of the ancient, pre-Christian religions; and as their practitioners are likewise neither required to have a strict, moral and ethical standard; there can be no absolute good nor absolute evil. Yet, if God, in His goodness, is the fountainhead of all that is absolutely good, then according to these beliefs, God is an eternal failure through apparently entrusting the universe and spiritual places to these other spirits—therefore, necessitating a justified desire for ceasing reality in its current existence.

As Christians, God is absolutely good, and His creation was likewise the same before the Fall of Humanity, by seeking more than what God had already provided. As Christians, God is His own mediator—through the Most Holy and Sovereign Trinity, where the Son is the sole mediator between the Father and humanity. Therefore, there is no need to seek out other spirits as mediators, nor deride or negate the sole authority of the Lord Jesus the Christ. If even the orishas, according to these religions, acknowledge that Jesus is the highest authority; and, if they recognize there is One True God, wouldn't any affiliation to these spirits be counterintuitive, and wouldn't that necessitate the dismantling of all of these religions? Wouldn't be strange to continue adhering to such beliefs and their governing spirits, especially knowing that those spirits could turn on their own followers pending a personal offense or apostasy? Surely, it could be deemed self-serving on both the follower and the spirit's parts; rather than self-sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven? Anything that desires to usurp or negate the worship and service of God, and the abrogation of the fellowship of the saints in His Church—wherever the Church may be—cannot be from God.

As Christians, it should be known that Holy Scripture mandates that any other gospel preached that does not align with the witness of Holy Scripture, is condemned; and these religions are no different, and technically, it can be argued that for being self-contradictory and lacking a formal, historical and doctrinal basis for justification of continued adherence, that it would be better to become an atheist or agnostic individual if so opposed to Christianity.

When someone in the Christian faith as a whole is approached to learn about these religious matters; the Apostolic Synod of Antioch strongly recommends swiftly distancing themselves in order to protect themselves from any confusing teachings and what the faith would universally denote as demonic, spiritual influence. When someone in the faith—after rejecting such efforts to sway them from their Christianity—has the efforts of fallible men and women weaponized against them, particularly the clergy, reminders should be given of the same allegations amongst themselves (for example, review: case 1, case 2, case 3, case 4, case 5, case 6, and case 7). When someone—as a Christian—is especially persecuted for disagreeing with such beliefs with threats of spiritual violence as well, prayer is essential; for Holy Scripture reminds the faithful that the fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the evils of the principalities and powers in heavenly places, which have been authorized for a time to accuse God's children and sway all humanity from God in their individualistic motives.

Respect should indeed be given toward the individuals who practice these religions, as all others deserve respect; respect should be given to them, because these are still humans made in the image of God; and a forceful denunciation against their efforts to expand could be easily weaponized as religious intolerance or hate speech. It is commanded to mention all non-Christians in prayer daily, and that if God has desired to elect them to salvation—knowing the hearts of all whilst still creating humanity and the angels for the sake of His perfect ways as a true parent and king—then, they will be compelled by objective, historic witness in both secular and religious spheres, to become disciples of the Lord Jesus the Christ alone, in the communion of the saints. To those who, however, were never elected to eternal life with God, Lord have mercy for they have their desired reward.