Right Wing Evangelicals in Brazil and the Embrace of Fascism

https://theworld.org/stories/2022-07-29/brazil-s-evangelicals-work-us-political-mission

https://theworld.org/stories/2022-07-29/brazil-s-evangelicals-stand-president-bolsonaro

I have visited this topic more than once but with today's election in Brazil it once more comes to mind. The rise of Bolsonaro isn't that surprising as we see Right-wing and fascistic movements waxing everywhere. But it is the Evangelical support for Bolsonaro that is particularly of interest and the fact that like Trump he has all but announced that if he loses the election he will not accept the results – and has indicated he's willing to entertain extreme measures to reverse the result.

And given that Evangelicals are already succumbing to vigilantism and paramilitary-style violence in Brazil, one shudders when considering what might take place in the near future. First things first – will there be a second round? If former president Lula wins outright, then Bolsonaro will have a much harder case to make. But he's also rather unpredictable and even somewhat deranged. There's no telling what he'll do.

The stakes are high not just for Brazil but for South American geopolitics and the role and influence of the US Empire in that region. The US had hoped Bolsonaro would pull out of the BRICS bank or work to undermine it but for various reasons he has proven unwilling or unable to do so. And as much as he admired Trump, even someone as obtuse and vicious as Bolsonaro was forced to reconsider his position – as America's role was in question due to the Trump presidency. In other words, he's not going to burn his bridges for Washington, if US power is in the process of receding. And under Trump it was receding rapidly.

One cannot pretend that the Biden circle likes Bolsonaro for they certainly do not and yet the Washington Establishment does not want to see Lula return to power – all the more as it was forces within Washington that worked so vigorously to undo his legacy and take down both Lula and his successors. The so-called Pink Wave that arose in the late 1990's and early 2000's in response to the American Empire's policies suffered huge setbacks throughout the latter part of the Bush and Obama years as Washington pushed hard to break these regimes. And for all of Trump's bluster he helped to create the conditions for a liberal resurgence. And now only a few years later, the region's politics are highly polarized and Brazil's status in terms of global finance as well as its unique position vis-à-vis the Amazon has many concerned about this election and its global impact.

Like Trump, Bolsonaro has proven popular among Evangelicals - but among Pentecostals in particular. As the linked audio pieces indicate many of these folks have emerged from the poorer classes and social polarization always presents a danger. The energies once awakened can be channeled into a left-wing revolutionary movement. But just as easily they can be steered into fascistic ideology and its forms of violence. We saw it a century ago in Europe and we're seeing it today in the Americas.

And these Pentecostals and Evangelicals are quite different from the folks we knew a generation ago. Once neutral but perhaps liberal-leaning in terms of political impulse, congregants today are militant, right-wing, and dangerous in every respect.  

Infused with Dominion Theology, Brazilian Evangelicals are determined to capture the various spheres of power within society. Their American backers are quite candid about what they're trying to do. The once Evangelical emphasis on grass roots conversion has been downgraded and replaced in terms of priority by a Christendom model reminiscent of Clovis and the Franks during the Dark Ages. The goal of Catholic missionaries at that time was to convert kings and tribal leaders who would subsequently legislate Christianity. The actual 'conversion' of the people was transformed into a legislative and socio-cultural process that would take generations. Evangelicals used to mock this kind of thinking as I well remember. It was a 'conversion' wholly alien to Scripture and would result in a facade, a kind of cultural Christianity at best. Today such thinking is embraced as the audio clips make all too clear.

And though the linked articles do not say so in explicit terms – the implications are there – American Evangelicalism overshadows these movements. Their fingerprints are all over it and yet even more critically it's important to understand that American Evangelicalism acts as an agent of the Empire and is closely tied to the monied interests that dominate the American spectrum and Right-wing politics in particular.

Like their American counterparts and Trump, the Evangelicals of Brazil gloss over Bolsonaro's raw and crude speech, his thuggish demeanor, his brutal use and abuse of power, and his determined application of far-right ideology. They not only justify it, they as children of Lamech celebrate it. We're witnessing a similar phenomenon in America with reference to Trump and the way his character and style have affected both society and American Christianity.

And these same Evangelicals are happy to 'serve' in his government. He isn't one of them but his wife is a dyed-in-the-wool Pentecostal. They use him and he certainly uses them and is willing to throw in subsidies for their ministries. That is all the more poignant and offensive given the nature and scope of poverty in that country.

He plays them and uses them – and they've sold their souls.

They openly support his fascistic and murderous policies and he is singularly responsible for the massive Covid death tolls in Brazil – lambasting even those who mourn. This too is glossed over as are his deeply troubling and morally bankrupt praises for the period of brutal dictatorship. Under US sponsorship, from 1964-1985 thousands were tortured and killed. And through Bolsonaro, today's Brazilian Evangelicals stand by the crimes of that regime and celebrate them.

As was the case during the dictatorship, under Bolsonaro American influence has been strong and while he is in many respects an embarrassment, Washington (even under Biden) would rather see him in office than Lula da Silva. Biden will continue to push for the weakening and break-up of the BRICS banking system. Russia and China are untouchable in this regard and yet the US will continue to put pressure on India, Brazil, and South Africa – the latter two countries being the weakest links. And yet despite US efforts, BRICS is set to expand, something it most certainly will do if Lula wins – especially as he was one of its architects. And with many other countries eager to join, Lula could help BRICS become more of a thorn in Washington's side than it already is.

Despite the desire for Bolsonaro to win, I think the Biden administration fears political violence for it will become difficult if not impossible to stand by his regime if he follows some kind of Trump/January 6 route.

And sadly taking in the role of Evangelicals and how they collaborate with American Right-wing interests it isn't hard to see why Beijing and Moscow are hostile to them and seek to curtail their operations. This reality doesn't justify the actions of these states but it needs to be understood that to simply label them as persecutors is not exactly an honest reading of the situation. Evangelicals are becoming a Fifth Column in these countries and one can only imagine the money trails. We already know that more than a few American Evangelical ministries are on the receiving end of Right-wing money – from energy companies and the like that also serve a political function. This money is easily funneled into partner ministries in places like Brazil. At that point, the money could be used for other than ecclesiastical uses – all the more if the players involved see no distinction between ecclesiastical spending and political action. And we know that American Evangelicals have no qualms about working with the US government. It isn't hard to imagine some scenarios in which Evangelical money ends up funding clandestine projects, political action and even unrest on the streets.

In addition to spreading doctrinal error, I'm afraid the Evangelical movement has destroyed its testimony and moral standing. Christ's saying proves all too true – in seeking to gain the world they have lost their own soul. Rather than deny themselves, they have indulged themselves and used power as an excuse to justify all kinds of evil. The way of the cross is repugnant to them. And as such they have been handed over to judgment – their seared consciences and skewed moral judgment leading them into the arms of Bolsonaro, Trump, Meloni, and other fascists and evil manipulators.