Irreligion in Brazil has increased in the last few decades. In the 2010 census, 8% of the population identified as "irreligious". [4] Since 1970, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics has included sem religião (Portuguese for no religion) as a self-description option in their decennial census, for people who do not consider themselves members of any specific religion, including non-affiliated theists and deists. In the 2010 census, 8.0% of the population declared themselves "irreligious".
The Constitution grants freedom of religion and thought to its citizens (Art. 5, VI). In 2008, the Brazilian Association of Atheists and Agnostics was founded; it promotes secularism and supports irreligious victims of prejudice. [5]
Although the Federal Constitution guarantees religious tolerance to all its citizens (see article 5, item VI), it expressly prohibits all entities that make up the Federation to create and finance public cults and state churches controlled and coordinated by the Government – (see article 19, I), since until now the Brazilian State recognizes the "peculiar character" of the Catholic Church under the other religions in its legal system (see Article 16 of Decree 7107/2010), which is why the law recognizes the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the "patroness of Brazil" (see Article 1 of Law 6,802 / 1980); the Constitution is sworn "under the protection of God" (see Preamble of the Federal Constitution); Catholic holidays (such as the day of Our Lady of Aparecida and the day of our Lord's birth) are recognized as national holidays by law (see Law 10.607 / 2002, Law 6.802 / 1980); the Catholic religion has an exclusive status for itself (see Decree 7107/2010); cities and states bear the name of Catholic saints; Catholic statues are exposed in public offices; the expression "God be praised" is present in all Real notes; and religious teaching exclusively Catholic in public schools is permitted in the country (see ADI 4439).
A 2009 survey showed that atheists were the most hated demographic group in Brazil, among several other minorities polled. According to the survey, 17% of the interviewees stated they felt either hatred or repulsion for atheists, while 25% felt antipathy and 29% were indifferent. [6]
In 2022 a Datafolha survey found that non-religious people accounted for 25% of the Brazilian youth (aged between 16 and 24 year-old) nationwide. In the country's two largest cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro the non-religious represent 30% and 34% of the people of the same age respectively, outnumbering evangelical, catholic and other religions youth. According to professors Ricardo Mariano and Silvia Fernandes there's a growing trend in Brazil of religious disaffiliation among young people because of social liberalization and their individualistic beliefs often seen as conflicting with often harsh moral dogmas, strict codes of conduct and the increasing politicization of religions by the churches, especially the evangelicals. [7]
The predominant religion in Brazil is Christianity, with Catholicism being its largest denomination.
Glória Maria Cláudia Pires de Morais is a Brazilian actress. She is best known for her roles in TV Globo telenovelas such as Dancin' Days, Vale Tudo, Mulheres de Areia and O Rei do Gado. She is also known for starring in films such as Academy Award-nominated O Quatrilho, box-office hit If I Were You and its sequel, and Lula, Son of Brazil, which is the second most expensive Brazilian film of all time, after Nosso Lar.
Heloísa Perlingeiro Périssé is a Brazilian actress and writer.
Protestantism in Brazil began in the 19th century and grew in the 20th century. The 2010 Census reported that 22.2% of the Brazilian population was Protestant, while in 2020 the percentage was estimated to have risen to 31% of the population, over 65 million individuals, making it the second largest Protestant population in the Western world.
Marieta Severo da Costa is a Brazilian stage, film and television actress. She is best known to youth audiences as the archetypal mother figure in popular sitcom A Grande Família (2001–2014), as well to mature audiences for portraying villains in telenovelas.
Rodolfo Gonçalves Leite de Abrantes is a Brazilian hardcore punk singer and electric guitar player. He was the vocalist and former leader of the Brazilian bands Raimundos and Rodox and now he is a solo gospel artist, as well as pastor and minister. Formerly atheist, he converted to Protestant Christianity.
Chico Anysio was a Brazilian actor, comedian, writer and composer.
Letícia Persiles is a Brazilian actress and singer who played the lead role in the telenovela Amor Eterno Amor.
The Brazilian Association of Atheists and Agnostics, or ATEA, is a Brazilian atheist activist nonprofit organization founded in August 2008. The organization advocates the separation of church and state and promotes atheism and agnosticism. Although Brazil is legally defined by its Constitution as a secular state, the organization has voiced its concern that this is not observed in practice.
Alexandre Borges Corrêa is a Brazilian actor. He is known for his work in Brazilian telenovelas.
Nizo Neto is a Brazilian stage, television and film actor best known as Mr. Ptolomeu in the series Escolinha do Professor Raimundo. He is the son of actor and humorist Chico Anysio and actress Rose Rondelli. He's also a respected voice actor and radio personality.
"Deus seja louvado" is an expression displayed in the left bottom part of all Brazilian real currency banknotes. It exists since the 1980 decade, when the then President of the Republic, José Sarney, openly Catholic, asked the Banco Central to include the phrase in the cruzado coin. The Federal Government at the time got inspired by theist doctrines of other secular states such as the United States of America that were already using the motto "In God We Trust" in its dollar banknotes.
Freedom of religion in Brazil is a constitutionally protected right, allowing believers the freedom to assemble and worship without limitation or interference. Non-traditional religions are well tolerated in the Brazilian culture.
Benevenuto Daciolo Fonseca dos Santos, known as Cabo Daciolo, is a Brazilian military firefighter, pastor and politician affiliated to the Brazilian Woman's Party (PMB). In 2014, he was elected federal deputy. He was expelled from the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) in 2015 and later affiliated to the Labour Party of Brazil, Patriota, Podemos (PODE), Liberal Party and the Brazilian Woman's Party (PMB).
Carcereiros is a Brazilian crime drama television series. It was produced by Rede Globo and released by the Globoplay streaming service. The first season was released on the service on June 8, 2017. The series debuted on Rede Globo free-to-air television network on April 26, 2018, and ended on January 22, 2021. It is written by Marçal Aquino, Fernando Bonassi and Dennison Ramalho with collaboration of Marcelo Starobinas, inspired by Dráuzio Varella's book of the same name. Artistic direction is by José Eduardo Belmonte.
Lírio Mário da Costa, better known as Costinha, was a Brazilian comedian and actor.
The Evangelical Parliamentary Front or the Evangelical Caucus is a loosely organized group of Evangelical lawmakers in the Brazilian government and legislature.
Antônio José Rodrigues Cavalcante is a Brazilian actor and comedian, who is known professionally as Tom Cavalcante.
Escolinha do Professor Raimundo is a Brazilian escolinha comedy TV sketch and later TV show led by Chico Anysio and aired on various comedy shows for over 38 years. There, Anysio played Professor Raimundo, a teacher in charge of an adult education class.
Brazil had a profound racial miscegenation, Brazilians have the most diverse physical characteristics. Research indicates that 44% of Brazilians have two religions. Official data from the Brazilian census indicate that 1,011,507 Brazilians have two religions or follow a syncretic religion. Because to miscegenation it is common for a person to have a father of one race and religion and a mother of another race and another religion, naturally that person can adopt the two beliefs or follow a religion that mixes the two beliefs.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)