Your religion is a personal choice and must be respected.

The Brazilian State is secular, that is, it has no religion. Yes, it has a duty to guarantee religious freedom. Article 5, item VI, of the Constitution says: “Freedom of conscience and belief is inviolable, and the free exercise of religious cults is ensured and, in accordance with the law, the protection of places of worship and their liturgies is guaranteed.”

Religious freedom is one of the fundamental rights of humanity, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, prejudice often exists and is manifested by the humiliation imposed on those who are different. The moment he is humiliated, discriminated against, attacked because of his belief, he has his constitutional rights and his human rights violated; that is, he is also the victim of a crime-and the Brazilian Penal Code provides for punishment for criminals.

So let it be clear: religion is a personal matter, between your conscience, between your spirit and the Creator. It is up to other human beings, to their brothers and sisters, to respect their choice. It is up to governments to guarantee their freedom of choice.

The Brazilian Penal Code, in turn, considers it a crime (punishable by a fine and even detention) to publicly mock someone for reasons of religious belief, prevent or disturb a ceremony and publicly offend images and other objects of religious worship.

Anyone who discriminates against any kind of religion or spiritual philosophy, Umbanda temples, Candomblé, places and their Wicca practitioners, who celebrate the divinity of nature, cannot be disrespected under any pretext. Much less shamans, or even gypsies who are persecuted and attacked because of their ethnicity and religion, the same reason that condemned them to near extermination in World War II, along with Jews and other victims of intolerance.

Religious intolerance is also disrespect for Human Rights and a crime provided for in the Brazilian Penal Code; therefore, do not shut up and make your right to religious freedom prevail.

UN Declaration of the Right to Religious Freedom

The United Nations (UN) proclaimed, in 1981, the Declaration on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief in this way: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to hold a religion or any belief of one’s choice, as well as freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief, individually or collectively, both in public and in private”, says the first article of the UN Declaration, to, later, warn:

“Discrimination between human beings on grounds of religion or belief constitutes an offense against human dignity (…) and must be condemned as a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

Brazilian Constitution of 1988, article 33

Respect for Brazil’s religious cultural diversity makes any form of proselytism prohibited.

In Brazil, article 33 of the Law of Directives and Bases for National Education, provided for in the text of the 1988 Constitution, determines that religious education in public schools ensures “respect for the religious cultural diversity of Brazil, prohibited any form of proselytism”. In other words: it is mandatory to respect the religious freedom of the student; it is forbidden to try to convert him to this or that religion.

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