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Ratio of evangelicals in Brazil jumps 44% in 10 years
CNN Belief ^ | 07/02/2012 | Shasta Darlington

Posted on 07/03/2012 1:21:03 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Sao Paulo (CNN) – The number of evangelical Christians s in Brazil, the world’s largest Catholic country, has soared over the last decade, from 15% of the population in 2000 to to 22% of the population in 2010, according to a report issued on Friday.

Over the same period, the proportion of Catholic Brazilians fell from 74% of the population to to 65%, Brazil’s National Statistics Institute reported.

In overall terms, the percentage of evangelicals rose 44%, as evangelical churches won over the faithful, especially women and people in poorer communities.

The rise of evangelical Christianity is a growing trend across Latin America.

Forty years ago, 93.% of Brazilians considered themselves Catholic, compared with just 4% who identified as evangelical. In the same period, those who say they aren’t religious has grown to 8%, up from less than 1%.

(Excerpt) Read more at religion.blogs.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Evangelical Christian; Ministry/Outreach
KEYWORDS: brazil; catholic; evangelicals

1 posted on 07/03/2012 1:21:10 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

apparently the New Roman Missal is just as bad in Portugese...


2 posted on 07/03/2012 1:22:57 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: SeekAndFind

3 posted on 07/03/2012 1:24:44 PM PDT by SeekAndFind (bOTRT)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

4 posted on 07/03/2012 1:33:19 PM PDT by SeekAndFind (bOTRT)
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To: SeekAndFind

The fruits of liberation theology, among other things.


5 posted on 07/03/2012 1:33:54 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

That just came out. These problems go back years. People want conservative Christianity.


6 posted on 07/03/2012 1:41:29 PM PDT by icwhatudo (This is not a choice between Romney&Reagan-Its between Romney & most radical leftist Pres in history)
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To: Dr. Sivana
The US Bishops backed Obamacare until the abortion clause made it in.

Liberation theology is alive and well in the Catholic Church...perhaps this revival in Protestantism in S. America is a reaction against that.

7 posted on 07/03/2012 2:37:39 PM PDT by what's up
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To: icwhatudo; metmom; boatbums; caww; presently no screen name; smvoice; HarleyD; bkaycee; HossB86; ...

The tendency among many RCs is to deny the veracity of such stats as testify to that, but more are here: http://www.peacebyjesus.com/RC-Stats_vs._Evang.html


8 posted on 07/03/2012 7:39:49 PM PDT by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a damned+morally destitute sinner,+trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: icwhatudo; Buckeye McFrog; SeekAndFind; Dr. Sivana
Nope, this is not by-and-large people seeking conservativeness, but most flocking to Pentecostal groups. Incidently pentecostalism is also mostly spreading in Africa and lower-income Asia.

The reason is mostly that the pentecostals with the song-and-dance have a sensory impact that fits in with these cultures where they are now. That some (like the AoG) bring theology into the mix adds the benefits for some over what they see as stodgy orthodox masses

Pentecostl preachers like Benny Hinn (the one who said there were 9 gods) and J Duplantis (the one who said he visited heaven and comforted Jesus) along with prosperity gospel types etc. get huge crowds in these poorer countries with their premise of "sing, praise, give me money and you'll be as rich as i am"

The second reason is also complacency on the Church's part - what was needed and is needed are the itinerant preachers and friars.

a watered-down theology like the pentecostal way is not the option, neither the shaking and talking gibberish to prove you are saved, however the pentecostals with their joy for God and their reach-out to people are a kick to orthodoxy to remember these basic things -- God is not just solemnity but also joy. Pentecostalism gets it wrong in that it focusses only on the sing-and-dance but is light on sombre theology and retrospect, but Christian Scientists, Presbyerians are also wrong with the focus only on solemnity. The Catholic Church was the solemnity and joy mix (just as God is not solemnity OR joy but solemnity AND joy), but forgot that.

9 posted on 07/03/2012 11:11:04 PM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: icwhatudo; Buckeye McFrog; SeekAndFind; Dr. Sivana
Babbling in tongues is unusual in existent Christian societies, so this gets a lot of attention.

In Africa for example, speaking in tongues and healings are not considered extraordinary - they can even be found in some indigenous pagan religions -- over there speaking in tongues is not even "supernatural,"

Pentecostalism by its very nature has a tendency to segregate and separate into countless denominations all the time.

For instance when I went to India in the early 90s they were all in the news among the Catholic communities there, spreading like wild-fire (or so it seemed), but then when I went in 2008 they had died out quickly. On inquiring I found that they had split and re-split and re-re-re-split so many times over petty things and incorporated so much non-Christian ideas that people were disillusioned and returned to orthodoxy.

That's what would happen across the world in the coming decades. Folks will turn away from the oversimplification and the emphasis only on emotionalism as opposed to emotions with spirituality and intellect torgether. The emphasis on man-centered happiness versus God-centered holiness and on the prosperity gospel leads to downfall

10 posted on 07/03/2012 11:45:47 PM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: icwhatudo; Buckeye McFrog; SeekAndFind; Dr. Sivana
Of course, one must add that the Pentecostal groups have done a lot of good by distributing a lot of money, financial and social aid to the poor in Brazil and giving poor folks money. They helped when Brazil was going through its economic ups and downs

Also, the pentecostal "I can be one too" pastor was in general more approachable with the rock and roll liturgy compared to orthodoxy

Pentecostalism is growing, but although the Assembly of God church is the second-largest growing in number of worshippers, it is closely followed by “spiritism,” a mix of Afro-American cults and New Age practices developed locally by cult leader Allan Kardec.

11 posted on 07/03/2012 11:52:36 PM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: icwhatudo; Buckeye McFrog; SeekAndFind; Dr. Sivana
and adding in just as pentecostalism, coelhoism is spreading, so too is ubandism and voodoo.
12 posted on 07/03/2012 11:59:58 PM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: Cronos

My old boss is from Brazil, and a Baptist.

He agrees with some of your analysis, but also said that many are leaving the Catholic Church because it has become “corrupted”. I don’t know what exactly he meant, but he said his home church in San Paulo gets a lot of former Catholics that way.


13 posted on 07/04/2012 12:31:32 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: daniel1212; icwhatudo; metmom; boatbums; caww; presently no screen name; smvoice; HarleyD; ...
The tendency among many RCs is to deny the veracity of such stats as testify to that, but more are here: http://www.peacebyjesus.com/RC-Stats_vs._Evang.html

Hey Brother, just scanning the good news.

I think one thing of note that doesn't get discussed is what are the core beliefs of the Evangelical Born Again Christians that are sharing The Gospel with the lost in Brazil. I think you will find that it is not Reformed/Covenant Theology, rather it is more Dispensational. The Born Again Christians sharing The Gospel typically believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture. In general, where we see Christianity growing this is the case.

14 posted on 07/04/2012 8:52:55 AM PDT by wmfights
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To: wmfights
The Born Again Christians sharing The Gospel typically believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture. In general, where we see Christianity growing this is the case.

YES, because they are sharing the GOOD NEWS/The Gospel and NOT a set or rules and traditions from a 'religious sect'.

It's not what we must do but what JESUS ALREADY DID!

"It IS FINISHED!"

15 posted on 07/04/2012 9:09:51 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: presently no screen name
YES, because they are sharing the GOOD NEWS/The Gospel and NOT a set or rules and traditions from a 'religious sect'.

Amen!

I think what a lot of people are missing, because they are so eager to defend their church, is that the work of carrying The Gospel to the entire world is not being done by the RC's or the Reformed. Those churches are in decline, but Christianity is not.

16 posted on 07/04/2012 9:19:04 AM PDT by wmfights
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