Tag: religion

Religion is almost always the basis for the greatest deeds performed by men of all civilizations. It is easy to see the importance of religious education and how useful it can be in shaping character. It is very difficult to imagine the average atheist being able to withstand the very harsh trials that we so often find in the lives of great religious men, when what is needed is precisely what they have not been taught to do: lean on something greater. In the face of difficulties, the atheist is always at a disadvantage, and the utilitarianism he most often cultivates is a guarantee that, sooner or later, it will be convenient for him to opt for corruption.

Something that should be noted is that when we investigate mystical traditions in depth, even if at first some of them seem very simple and superficial, we always end up finding something rich and interesting. And then we compare them and see how many ways we can reach similar conclusions, and how many ways we can reach different, but equally valid and edifying conclusions. If it comes from a sincere and disinterested search, there is no doctrine unworthy of our attention.

If there is one genuinely Brazilian element that stands out in the eyes of the world, it is spirituality, as it has come to be called. In this respect, Brazil, even if it does not recognize it, is worthy of, if not next to, a level very close to that of any country, regardless of how much older it is. And if we compare its spiritual refinement to a country of similar age, such as the much envied United States, the result is overwhelming. This is simply a fact. The way in which religious traditions have developed and enriched here, whether imported or original, is impressive and is not only due to syncretism and cultural miscegenation. Very unique individuals have been born on Brazilian soil, some of them true geniuses, something that could very well serve as the “personal and historical pretexts” that, according to Nelson, justify the lack of self-esteem of Brazilians.

The man who deprives himself of the religious dimension loses out on experience, loses out on potential and, above all, loses out on knowing himself. Having it is something one cannot deny, and ignoring it is nothing more than mutilating oneself. So if one wants to know and understand oneself fully, one has to stimulate it and manifest it, even if only through searching. And if, one day, one comes to the conclusion that religious effort has not been rewarded, one will see that one’s very existence is already evidence of a higher aspiration, of a sincere desire to find the link that connects oneself to the rest of creation: evidence, therefore, that can only ennoble.