Luciano Duarte | Literature and philosophy

It Is Meritorious To Be Evangelical

Here I am mocking pastors, but the truth is, in general, I have more respect for evangelicals than for atheists. I mean: in general, I find much more atheistic than evangelical activism, and I consider the guy who thinks he is intelligent or superior for being an atheist a beautiful idiot. Being evangelical is meritorious: it involves an active effort that induces spiritual conflict. Someone is an atheist without reading anything at all; the evangelical, at the very least, reads the Bible. This says a lot: the average atheist does not reflect, does not know and does not seek to know what is going on in his life; the Bible, however, obliges the Evangelical to reflect. A dog, by definition, does not reflect and is an atheist. Most evangelicals, on the other side, undoubtedly worship the faith in silence and again and again. Comparing the common evangelical to the common atheist the conclusion is clear: this is an atheist by inertia, the other strives for faith. That is why I respect the evangelical. Moreover, the evangelical gaze before life is a courageous look. The ordinary atheist, however, is devoid of any depth of mind, existential anguish and is characterized briefly by not thinking. The common atheist buys an iPhone and concludes that man does not need God.

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Evangelical Pastors

Capitalism is full among evangelical pastors. I am not saying that it constitutes any demerit, but capitalizing on God’s name sounds to me too aggressive marketing. Why do I go back where I could avoid it? In all times and in various religions, the spiritual leader was an ascetic: denying the pleasures of the flesh, he paid for the title of spiritual authority. Exactly with the evangelical church this has changed, and today the pastor wears full costume, has wife and drives luxurious cars. Is it strange only for me? I perceive, disconcertedly, the obsession of pastors with the Pharisees: I see them condemning, in one package, knowledge and greed. But I have never seen, nor have heard, in all my life, of a single middle church pastor in financial difficulties: more, preaching pays them like successful businessmen. I think we need a redefinition: what is greed? Above all, who always represented greed in ancient times?

I go on — and I shudder at the obsession: — only those who turn their backs on money can speak about greed. And if I see an evangelical pastor with more money than his acolytes, I consider him a hypocrite. Patience, a lot of patience with my generalizations… But it is not me preaching that we are all brothers. Why does not the pastor lead by example? He could willingly begin by sharing his wealth and keeping to himself only what is necessary for life — and to spread his word as a messenger of God. But is the pastor content with so little? Absolutely not! The pastor wants luxury apartments and cars, wants to travel around the world and considers himself the son of God, that is, he thinks he is able to enjoy, too, the pleasures of capital. All right, all right… And each one dealing with your own greed and looking at the hypocritical face in the mirror.

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Psychological Particularities

I find it incredible how my absolute disenchantment with the world has not reverted into morbidity. In general, I am always in a good mood, laughing in thoughts, even though the experience already appears to me as exhausted. It is true: I am not humorous to many more than myself, but I judge it as almost a miracle to see me smiling, to desire an absolutely mediocre life from the point of view of the men of my time. Such incompatibility of tastes, habits, interests and temperament could more logically flow into sadness, anguish, apathy and despair.

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Why Is Not Machado de Assis Among the Greatest Writers in History?

Thorny theme… But there is nothing to be afraid of. I have been seeking the answer for years: why can an Englishman dispense Machado, but a Brazilian cannot dispense Shakespeare? I am saying about one of my masters, one of the authors who I have the most affection… And, reflecting, I essay the following answer: the greatness of an author can be synthesized, ultimately, in the sum between style and theme of the work. Machado is a top score in style, leaving us the theme. Does the theme of Machado’s work fall short? I do not think so… even when comparing with the greatest: there is amplitude in Machado, there is conflict in Machado. Then I realize something is missing from my proposition. What would Tolstoy have that has no Machado? What would Dostoevsky or Shakespeare have? Style, again, could not be: Machado is master in the highest degree. But fatally our artist does not share the hall of the greatest authors of all time worldwide. Why? I risk another option that seems reasonable to me: lack of vigor, lack of action in Machado’s characters. But is that a demerit? Does great literature require an active character or a great author? I am still unresponsive. Another proposition comes to me: if the translations, whether or not admitted, scratch the style of the work, what is left of it? The arc of action. But why, exactly, should the great work have a well-defined arc of action? Here, I feel that we have advanced… The works of Tolstoy, Shakespeare or Dostoevsky can be summarized in a diagram, simplified as in acts of a play; already in Machado, not all are so… But I ask: Is this a qualitative criterion? What does a well-defined arc of action provide? To a good understanding of the reader. And do the artistic work must to do that service? I do not know, I do now know… I thought here to conclude that the text should purify the reader, that the work should fascinate him, that the stories should instruct him, that the themes should be comprehensive and that the characters should mark. But all this I find in Machado and I say more: well I would spend my days in exclusive contact with his work. So I see it: I am unable to consider him at a lower level. To me, may the problem be in readers, in critics, in translators… but from my mouth will not come out that Machado is below anyone!

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