Dear Gospel walkers and those who dare to strive to build a just, egalitarian society and, according to ancient traditions, in a land far from evil. The Ecumenical Center for Biblical Studies (CEBI), through this note, publicly declares its position in our political and election scenario in which, for each citizen, there is the possibility of choosing between a militarist, moralist and dictatorial government or a democratic government, popular and participative partner.
It was according to the Gospel and with the Popular Reading of the Bible that CEBI cultivated, during its forty years of history, a reading in the service of life and in defense of the poor. And at this critical moment for Brazilian democracy, the CEBI could not, under any circumstances, declare support for militaristic, moralist and dictatorial proposals. Let us not forget that CEBI was born “poor and without palaces”, following the breath of the new wind by placing the Bible in defense and against social, political, economic and religious practices that oppress and kill life and dignity.
Why do we say NO to a militaristic, moralistic and dictatorial government? Why do we say YES to the proposal of a popular, democratic and participatory government? Because those who read the Bible in the service of Life and in defense of a dignified life, do not vote for Jair Bolsonaro. Even recognizing the mistakes and corruptions practiced by politicians who made up the governments and the federal congress in the last 30 years, we need to understand that it was in this government that we had the opportunity to supervise and punish those involved, even those who occupied positions within the government. We need to strengthen democracy through the integrity of public institutions, rather than nurture worship to a celebrity judge who flirts with the country’s most rotten and dirty powers.
Those in favor of the life of the people, vote for Fernando Haddad!
Those in favor of social justice, vote for Haddad!
It is inconceivable that someone who reads the Bible in the service of life to choose for a dictatorial, undemocratic and anti-human government.
We present three reasons not to vote for Jair Bolsonaro:
- The candidate did not present and does not have a project (plan) of government. When questioned about crucial points such as employment, health, education, culture, leisure, freedom, human rights, among others, his as well as his deputy’s responses (sometimes after declarations are disallowed), fall short of the historic achievements of workers, grassroots classes, women, youth, indigenous people and African-Brazilian people.
- His positions promote violence against women, homosexuals, African-Brazilians, indigenous people, the poor, people from the slums and from the Northeast. Everything is solved by the bullet. He imposes fear through his speech, as well as a military and terrorist prescription for legitimizing fascist acts.
In fact, as theologians, biblical scholars, pastoral agents, ecclesial and ecumenical leaderships, it is incomprehensible that such positions present themselves as Christian or perhaps as part of a project in which God looks and cares for Brazil. Certainly, it’s not about the God of life and the compassionate, liberating, merciful Jesus, defender of the poor and oppressed. In this respect, any Christian may disagree in points of his ecclesiasticism, doctrine, rite, etc., but in understanding the face of God from the poor people perspective and the ultimate practice of love, one will conclude: it is not according to the practice of Jesus and of the Gospel such a violent, oppressive, and deadly proposal.
- Since he has no Government Plan and his presentation is always marked with a truculent and violent speech, his performance and campaign does not go through the debate of ideas, proposals and projects, based basically in lies and fake news. The fake news’s game is nothing more than fraud. Lies loaded with terror and a logic of institutional and structural violence. The fraud reminds us of a careful reading of the Commandments (Exodus 20 and Dt 5) that deeply criticize the use of institutionalism for theft and for power. If we take other themes, such as education, the treatment given to Paulo Freire, one of the great names of education in Brazil, and the misunderstanding of a false moralism around sexual education, is enough to cause nausea. They reverberate words of what they do not know and transmit to the general population a false idea of what “education and gender” is. The false speech becomes a slogan and the slogan becomes true.
We present five reasons to vote Yes for Fernando Haddad:
- He presents a plan and a government project. In the field of health: the strengthening of SUS (public health system), humanization and regionalization of health, support to the Program More Doctors and Family Health. In the field of education: creation of a program for the permanence of young people in the school, improvement of teaching in schools and regions.
- His campaign carries no hate words, such as “I’m going to shoot-up all.” We find in the political path presented by Fernando Haddad and Manuela, a campaign marked by dialogue;
- Haddad is a professor, with a degree in Law, a Master’s degree in Economics and a PhD in Philosophy from USP;
- Haddad has created the Controller General of the city of São Paulo to prevent and combat corruption, and with that, returned more than $ 90 million to the public coffers after two years of work;
- Created PROUNI to grant scholarships for low-income people in private universities, changing the lives of more than one million Brazilians.
The CEBI asks everyone who reads the Bible and the Gospel in the service of life: to be mirrored in the steps of life guidelines and in the histories and narratives of the ancestors. Let them chant with the prophecy that overthrows, plucks and destroys what spoils life, and which announces times of hope and freedom (Jer 1:10).
May they give their hands to those who recognize the wisdom that comes from the regular and simple people, from house to village and from the clan to the periphery. We are guided by the liberating practice of Jesus which is transformed into a memory in the Gospel and is spread by the communities in their mission to defend community life, solidarity and justice.
National Directory of CEBI