Religions and the sublime principle of beneficence
Autor: HESSEN | Publicado: 2010-12-29T04:16:00-08:00

Translation                                                                      FELIPE                                      DARELLA -                                                                                             felipe.darella@gmail.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        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.                                                                                                                                  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                                                                                                     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]                                                                                                                                                                                                  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                                                                                                   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                                                                                                     [ii]                  idem                                                                                                     [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                                                                                                     [v]                  idem                                                                                                     [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                                                                                                     [xi]                  idem                                                                                                     [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.                                                                                                     [xiv]                  Idem