Essay On Brazil Religion

Brazil is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. Although the Roman Catholic Church is the dominant religion, it is important to note that Protestants and evangelical churches have a sizeable population. The other minor religions include African and indigenous traditional religions. In Brazil, religion and politics are intertwined in that most people often listen to the priests when deciding if they will vote for a certain candidate. [1]
During the sixteenth century Jesuit, missionaries introduced Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church. When the Portuguese settled in Brazil, they observed Roman Catholicism leading to its spread and influence. From the onset, Roman Catholic Church was tied to politics since everyone
As years progress, traditional religions have lost their significance and more Brazilians adopted Christianity. However, Umbanda and Candomble are the two most dominant traditional religions in Brazil. Accordingly, these people believed that a supreme being existed. In this context, the native tribes of the Amazon Forest believed that certain snake species like the Anaconda were a manifestation of god. Therefore, they held many sacrifices and rituals in sacred sites in the Amazon Rainforest. As a sign of respect to the high deity, the indigenous Brazilians protected sacred sites by preventing cutting of trees in some parts of the Amazon rainforest. Children were restricted from[2]visiting these sites. During the rainy season, the Amazonia tribe held cleansing rituals in the Amazon Rainforest. (James Green, P 96) In essence, they believed that the river cleansed and carried away their
African slaves worked in hostile conditions. During the slave trade Portuguese settlers in Brazil imported more slaves than any other country in Latin America. Most of the black population in Brazil traces their roots from these African Slaves. In effect, African Slaves had great influence on Brazilian religion and culture.
Concisely, African Slaves did not lose their culture. Most of the slaves came from West Africa where they practiced Voodoo and other traditional African religions. In essence, the first slaves to land in Brazil brought these African religions and customs. During the early 1700s, African slaves lived separately from the Portuguese settlers. In their homes, they practiced voodoo and even carried out rituals to appease their gods and ancestors. [3]
After the abolishment of slave trade, the settlers freed their slaves. Majority of the slaves remained in Brazil while some returned to Africa. The freed slaves spread throughout Brazil [4] [5] leading to the influx of African traditional religions. With time, the black population increased significantly leading to a mix of Afro Brazil culture and religion. (Bastide, P 45) Towards the beginning of the 20th century most African slaves converted to Christianity and joined the Roman Catholic Church. Due to this, Voodoo and other African traditional religions lost ground significantly. However, these religions continued to play a huge role in the Afro-Brazilian