Pro-Abort Frontrunner for Brazilian Presidency Fights Rising Tide of Pro-Life Sentiment

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent

BRASILIA, October 14, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) — Dilma Rousseff, the current frontrunner in Brazil's presidential elections, was regarded as a shoe-in by political pundits only two weeks ago.  As the handpicked successor of the most popular president in the world, Luiz Lula da Silva, Rousseff's victory was all but written in stone.

However, following her surprise upset in the first round of voting on October 3, Rousseff now finds herself locked in an increasingly difficult battle against a rising tide of pro-life and pro-family sentiment in the country, which sees Rousseff and her Labor Party as the main proponent for such controversial measures as the decriminalization of abortion and homosexual "marriage."  It is becoming increasingly evident that if Rousseff is not able to jettison her pro-abortion image, she may lose the presidency over the issue.

Rousseff's first round loss was widely attributed to a campaign waged over the internet by Evangelical Protestants and Catholics to urge voters to vote against Rousseff and the Labor Party because of its abortionist and homosexualist ideology.  Following the campaign, which included the video of a sermon seen by four million Brazilians on YouTube, Rousseff lost the majority of votes she needed by three percentage points, garnering only 47% of the vote.

Now, as more Catholic bishops and priests have added their voices to the chorus denouncing Rousseff, she is finding her lead over her rival José Serra slipping.  Recent polls have shown that Rousseff's lead of 13% over Social Democrat José Serra during the first round of votes has fallen five percentage points.  Rousseff is now beating Serra by only 54% to 46%, placing Serra increasingly within striking distance of victory in the elections on October 31.

In the days following the upset, an increasing number of Catholic bishops and priests have added their voices to the chorus condemning Dilma, including Aldo di Cillo Pagotto, Archbishop of the diocese of Paraíba, who recently issued a YouTube video of himself denouncing the Labor Party for dishonest tactics and for working with international organizations to implement an abortionist agenda in Brazil.

The position taken against Rousseff and the Labor Party by pro-life forces in Brazil is bolstered by recent polls, which indicate that the vast majority of Brazilians are against the further decriminalization of abortion in Brazil.  One poll just taken by the Datafollha agency found that 71% of Brazilians wanted no change in the existing law, which withholds criminal penalties for abortions only in cases of rape, or danger to the life of the mother.

In response to the pressure, Rousseff has begun to backpedal from her own previously stated position on the issue, also held in general by the Labor Party, in favor of the decriminalization of abortion.  In recent debates held against Serra, she has reportedly stated her opposition to decriminalization, as has Serra himself. However, Rousseff has made it clear that she opposes prosecuting women who come to hospitals for help after inducing an abortion.

Now, Rousseff is also reportedly preparing a written rebuttal to the attacks against her, and has also obtained a commitment to do the same by her allies among Evangelical protestants, who have formed a significant segment of the coalition that brought the Labor Party to power in 2003.  That coalition is now threatened by the rift among Evangelicals over the abortion issue, as well as the Labor Party's promotion of the homosexual political agenda.

However, Rousseff's attempt to redefine herself as a pro-life candidate may be too late to protect her from the consequences of years of pro-abortion activism by the Labor Party.

Roseann Kennedy, a commentator for the CBN radio network, notes in a recent column that Rousseff and her partisans have ceased to use the word "abortion" altogether, and are confining themselves to general statements about the value of life, precisely because if they speak they "run the risk of leaving the campaign of their candidate Dilma [Rousseff] even more entangled in contradictions, because the resolutions of the [Labor Party] make clear their position in favor of the practice of abortion."

Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

YouTube Censors Pro-Life Sermon Seen by Millions of Brazilians
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10100701.html

Brazilian Government Threatens Catholic Church over Opposition to Pro-Abort Presidential Candidate
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10100809.html

Brazilian Presidential Front Runner Declares Herself 'Personally Against' Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10093001.html

Brazilian Pastor Threatened by Government for Opposing Pro-Abortion Policies
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10091713.html

Source: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10101401.html

Divulgation: www.juliosevero.com

Courageous witness in Brazil

Courageous witness by Chamelly Stephanie

Christian friends, you are not alone in your struggle, no matter where you are. Your brothers and sisters follow the same God and the same Savior.

And, as He said: Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there are that find it.

A young woman recently contacted Julio Severo’s Portuguese-language blog about her pro-life experience during Brazilian elections. First I need to say I admire and feel a certain solidarity with my courageous Catholic friends in the pro-life movement.

Having said that, let’s look at the question this young woman poses:

How can the Church be silent?

First, on the subject of apostasy, this site has so far focused mostly on the Protestant church, as shown here and here, for example. Apostasy is endemic to Christianity, is predicted in the Bible and is part of the age-old human trait of sin. Now, to answer Chamelly’s question, we must turn our attention to the Catholic church.

I think the big question that Chamelly must come to terms with is: How can the Church endorse or at least tolerate the totalitarian ideology of socialism as it is manifested, for example, in Latin nations like Brazil?

The fact is, for centuries, the Church in Europe was itself a totalitarian entity. For example, it prohibited commoners from reading the Bible on their own. Further, there have been numerous examples of Catholic priests endorsing socialism in Latin America and some Popes (like the pro-Moscow John XIII) have collaborated with totalitarian regimes. Pius XII signed the Reich Concordat with Hitler rather than opposing the Third Reich.

As for the Church’s silent consent to socialism, a little literary history sheds light on that.

In 1516, Thomas More, a prominent and influential English cleric, who became Lord Chancellor in 1529, wrote a novel expounding his philosophy of social and political thought, describing a model of the ideal state he dreamed of and wanted for all of humanity. In it he describes a perfect society in which life is micromanaged — regimented down to the last detail included the clothes one may wear — and wealth is distributed equitably. As in the USSR, travel is restricted and citizens must apply for permission to travel. Those who travel without permission can be sentenced to a lifetime of slavery.

Historian Igor Shafarevich reports on this novel:

And the picture of equality is utterly destroyed when we learn that life… is largely based on slavery. Slaves do all the dirty work.

Describing what happens to rebellious citizens, More writes:

“If even after this treatment [being enslaved] they still rebel and put up resistance, they are slaughtered like wild beasts.”

The title of More’s novel was “Utopia,” and it has served as a general model for most socialist states like the USSR, Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, Castro’s Cuba and others, which have been responsible for the deaths of over 100 million, not counting the babies slaughtered by abortion in “civilized” countries like the USA and European nations — which would at least double that number.

More ran afoul of the powers that be in England by endorsing the Catholic church and was executed by Henry the 8th’s regime.

So what did the Catholic church do with this man who endorsed totalitarian socialism, slavery and brutal executions of dissidents?

In 1935 they canonized him. He is now a Saint.

This is the apostasy and false Christianity that Jesus warned us about, Chamelly.  We need to follow His commandment:

“come out from among them and be ye separate.” 

Speaking of unlikely Catholics (breaking): http://spectator.org/archives/2010/10/11/the-presidents-nun-obamacare-s

Don Hank

Translation of Chamelly’s email:

Hi, Julio. How are you?

It is a huge pleasure to speak to you.

I have been following your blog for quite some time, and I feel the same as you do about what is happening in Brazil, namely, the efforts by a group of authoritarian citizens to legalize iniquity in our nation, and the pushing of PLC 122 [hate-crime legislation proposed by members of the leftist PT, or Workers’ Party, of Brazilian President Lula da Silva] to muzzle criticism against homosexuality] that impacts our principles or faith.

Last Sunday I made a silent protest, when I went to the ballot box in the morning. All day long I wore a t-shirt, which is my way to warn about the threat that is called PT. The incredible thing is that I had already paid to a printing shop in Taquara-JPA, here in Rio de Janeiro, for my order to print the shirts with some slogans, but when I went to get them October 2, the employee said that his shop could not make the printed T-shirts. Why? Just because of political issues! So I decided to make them myself by hand.

I went to vote, and an election official at the voting place tried to prevent me from wearing my shirt, without realizing that on election day I was in fact entitled to make a silent protest under Brazilian Law 9.504/97. Of course, I exercised my right and I voted, wearing my T-shirt “ABORTO NÃO, PT NÃO” (No abortion, no PT), because today I have free speech, am not muzzled and do not live in a dictatorship. But for how long?

That same Sunday morning, I went to the church I attend, and a leader asked me to put on a jacket, because that day was an election day and the message on my shirt was very strong. This individual said that “it could get him in trouble later.” Believe me, the worst thing that can happen is not to be judged in the streets; it is be crucified within the church, which actually should warn its members about what is happening backstage in the Congress and Senate — that everybody there is not as beautiful as they appear.

How long will the church remain silent, without opposing what is happening in Brazil?

I am proud to be able to read your blog revealing truths, and to see your courage. I am proud to see Rev. Silas Malafaia attracting an outdoor crowd 600 strong in Rio de Janeiro to defend human procreation, to see such an important leader as Rev. Paschoal Piragine putting on YouTube a video warning the church of the major problems that occur when you elect a PT member again.

If one cannot speak about political issues within the church, then why do Brazilian churches distribute voter info and suggest candidates to vote for? Such hypocrisy! Why does the church have such fear of being judged, of being crucified by the media? Isn’t this the same church that says it was crucified with Christ? I do not care about the things they say, or whether they throw stones, or if the church I attend has a big name. I am not going to cover my eyes and later, when our Bible is banned from distribution, cry out “Oh, it’s so hard to follow Jesus!”

I want to see how the Church of Christ will behave when things get really hard.

What I have decided to do amounts to the silent shout of an individual that is disgusted when learning of PNDH-3 and PLC 122/06. This is an effort — who knows? — to change, personal views of people blinded by the fantasy and manipulation of Globo Network, by the Workers’s Party and others, into a reflection on the number of murders of our children and the homosexual dictatorship that will take place if these follies are established in Brazil.

I decided that, until October 31, I will wear no other shirts but these, to reach the largest number of people. I am tired of not seeing anyone doing anything, of seeing the Church silent in the face of these follies. Whether I am judged or not, crucified or not (I have already been crucified with Christ on the cross of Calvary), I am going to defend my faith and the Word that is my guide. I fear the Lord, not people. This world has nothing to offer us. They want to make sport of God’s Word, family, children and all things perfect that God dreamed of for man. The time has come for God’s people to say NO to all of this. I have courage, and by faith I am going to do that which gives me peace, in spite of the world.

God gave us a Spirit of courage, not fear!

A big hug to you and may God give us strength to keep up this magnificent work.

May Jesus bless you.

Respectfully,

Chamelly Stephanie

Translated by Julio Severo. Translation edited by Don Hank

Original Portuguese language blog here:

http://juliosevero.blogspot.com/2010/10/testemunho-corajoso-de-chamelly.html

English version originally published in Laigle’s Forum:

http://laiglesforum.com/courageous-witness-in-brazil/1947.htm

Other articles on the Brazilian presidential elections:

YouTube Censors Pro-Life Sermon Seen by Millions of Brazilians

Brazilian Government Threatens Catholic Church over Opposition to Pro-Abort Presidential Candidate

Internet, abortion and religion affected Brazilian presidential elections

Brazilian Presidential Frontrunner Loses First Round Vote — Abortion a Key Issue

Brazilian Government Threatens Catholic Church over Opposition to Pro-Abort Presidential Candidate

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent

BRAZIL, October 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) — Brazilian President Luiz Lula's personal secretary, Gilberto Carvalho, yesterday warned the leadership of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops that if attacks against Labor Party presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff continue, the Catholic Church's agreement with the government might be revised, according to a report that originated with the Valor Economico newspaper, and was repeated by the Italian news agency ANSA.

The agreement, known as a "concordat," is a type of treaty signed by the government of Vatican City and various governments worldwide.  The Brazilian concordat includes government support of Catholic schools and other benefits, which were awarded to the Catholic Church in Brazil in 2009.

Rousseff's candidacy has been opposed by many Catholic bishops and priests because of her clear position in favor of eliminating criminal penalties for abortion, which is condemned by Catholic teaching as an "unspeakable crime.”

Today, following the report of the threat, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (CNBB) issued a statement distancing itself from condemnations of Rousseff and the Brazilian Labor Party, while continuing to call on voters to make their decision in light of the values of human life and family.

The leadership of the CNBB writes that "we profoundly lament that the name of the CNBB - and of the Catholic Church itself - has been inappropriately used throughout the campaign, being the object of manipulation."
 
The CNBB goes on to add that "we reaffirm ... that the CNBB does not endorse any candidate, and we recall that the choice is a free and conscious act of every citizen.  Faced with such a great responsibility, we exhort the Catholic faithful to keep in mind ethical criteria, among which are included especially the unconditional respect for life, the family, religious liberty, and human dignity."

The CNBB's statement also affirms that "certainly, it is the right - and even the obligation - of every bishop, in his diocese, to guide his own flock, above all with regard to matters respecting the faith and Christian morality," in an apparent acknowledgment of statements made by prominent Catholic leaders in Brazil, including the head of the CNBB's first southern division, who denounced the candidacy of Rousseff in videos published on YouTube in late September in the name of all of the divisions' member bishops.

A well-known Catholic priest who broadcasts on the network New Song (Canção Novo) also recently gave a sermon in which he denounced the ruling Labor Party as pro-abortion, homosexualist, and Marxist, and said that he would never vote for them or perform a homosexual "marriage." The Labor Party is now demanding equal time on the Catholic channel for Rousseff's campaign to respond to the charges made against her.

Although Rousseff claims to be personally "against abortion," she continues to call it an "issue of public health," and has not retracted her previously stated position in favor of eliminating criminal penalties for killing the unborn.

Source: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10100809.html

YouTube Censors Pro-Life Sermon Seen by Millions of Brazilians

Internet, abortion and religion affected Brazilian presidential elections

Brazilian Presidential Frontrunner Loses First Round Vote — Abortion a Key Issue

YouTube Censors Pro-Life Sermon Seen by Millions of Brazilians

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent

October 6, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Google's YouTube service decided to give an "X" rating on Tuesday to a pro-life sermon given by a Brazilian pastor that has been seen by over four million people, and which appears to have had a serious impact on the Brazilian Presidential elections.

Viewers who attempt access to the link are now given a warning that "it is possible that the content of this video or group is inappropriate for some users in accordance with the way that the YouTube user community has indicated."  In order to see the video, users must now log in to YouTube and indicate that they are eighteen years of age or older.

The video depicts a sermon given by Paschoal Piragine Jr, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Curitiba, in which he denounces the pro-abortion and homosexualist policies of Brazil's ruling Labor Party.  During the sermon Piragine shows a video to his audience that includes photos of aborted babies, and ends with a call to vote against the Labor Party.

During the same time as millions of Brazilians were viewing the video, the Labor Party's presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff saw her support from Evangelicals drop dramatically, provoking threats of legal action against Piragine by at least one high ranking government official.

In combination with similar statements made by Catholic bishops and priests and other Evangelical pastors, Rousseff lost several percentage points of voter support and failed to win the Brazilian presidential contest on the first voting round on Sunday.  She will now face a runoff in early November.

Following Rousseff's defeat, which her party's leadership has blamed on "fascists," YouTube announced the partial censorship of the video, without giving a detailed explanation.

Reinaldo Azevedo, a columnist for Brazil's Veja magazine, decried the measure, accusing YouTube of "a form of censorship against the Evangelical pastor," and asking "who requested it?"

Quoting YouTube's message calling the video "inappropriate" for some users, Azvedo responded: "Well! You don't say!  Inappropriate for whom?  Especially for the Labor Party, huh?"

Azvedo said that the video "is not exposing anyone's privacy and it is not slander.  It is political criticism, whether you agree with it or not."

Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Brazilian Pastor Threatened by Government for Opposing Pro-Abortion Policies
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10091713.html

Source: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10100701.html

Internet, abortion and religion affected Brazilian presidential elections

Brazilian Presidential Frontrunner Loses First Round Vote — Abortion a Key Issue

Brazil has long accepted far-left Lula da Silva as their beloved president. Relying on natural resources and help from our far-left White House resident, he has kept the Brazilian economy on course and enjoyed popularity.

As you might expect, Brazil didn’t seem to mind that their most popular presidential candidate, Dilma Rousseff, is a communist and a terrorist. After all, history classes in Brazil don’t teach that communism killed off 100 million, so they simply aren’t aware of the death connection. (Of course, how many Americans are?).

So the last thing you might expect of this country that tolerates Marxism is resistance to abortion.

But abortion turns out to matter to Brazilians.

God has a mysterious way of working.

Donald Hank

Internet, abortion and religion affected Brazilian presidential elections

By Julio Severo

Abortion and religion may have provoked a run-off in the presidential election in Brazil.

Polls in the in the past months had consistently been giving Dilma Rousseff a victory of 51-59%. Rousseff is the chosen candidate of popular socialist President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva to replace him in the Brazilian presidency. According to the Brazilian Constitution, a candidate wins the election when he makes 50% or more, but apparently absolute majority escaped Rousseff, and she will have to work harder in the run-off.

Major newspapers in Brazil have attributed this result to abortion. Folha de S. Paulo reported that “Dilma lost votes among evangelicals”, while O Estado de S. Paulo said that “something new began to happen”, and then it details that Rousseff, who wanted liberalization of the abortion laws in 2007, “had to say openly that now she is against abortion and that she would take no measure to legalize it”.

O Estado de S. Paulo suggested that “the controversy on the legalization of abortion may have had a greater influence on the ebbing of those that intended to vote for Dilma”.

In other article, entitled “Internet e religião podem explicar queda da petista” (Internet and religion may explain drop of Workers’ Party member [Dilma Rousseff]), the same Brazilian paper says that her drop was caused, among other reasons, “because of the controversy on internet over her view on abortion”.

Many Brazilian websites, including Notícias Pró-Família (the Portuguese version of LifeSiteNews) and my blog, have been working to make Brazilians aware of the life issues. The Brazilian election on October 3 revealed the results of this hard work.

Overall, Brazilian voters are disillusioned with politics. Excepting for the abortion issue, Brazilians do not take elections seriously anymore and any candidate can be elected. In fact, a clown received massive voting in São Paulo and, even though he is illiterate, he will be a representative in the Brazilian Congress!

Rousseff, a self-proclaimed Catholic and the political heiress of Lula, won 46%. Her main opponent, Catholic social-democrat Jose Serra, got 32%, and evangelical Marina Silva got 19%. Silva, who for many years was a member of the Workers’ Party and now is in the Green Party, has connections to Al Gore and is famous for her focus on environment issues.

Lula has noted that, for the first time in the Brazilian history, all the presidential candidates are socialists. Nevertheless, he prefers Rousseff, who was a member of a communist guerilla group in the 1960s and probably will be politically more aggressive in the promotion of her party’s agenda.

Even though none of them is a legitimate pro-family candidate, pro-family advocates in Brazil have chosen the “lesser evil” path. Probably it has worked. For two months, a YouTube video from Brazilian Baptist minister Paschoal Piragine has garnered almost 3 million hits. His message exposes the pro-abortion and pro-homosexuality policies of the Workers’ Party and encourages evangelicals not to vote in it.

For many months, Lula’s high popularity and several polls signalized a certain and easy victory for Dilma Rousseff. Yet, the run-off provoked by the abortion issue may make her victory elusive.

Portuguese version of this article: Internet, aborto e religião afetaram as eleições presidenciais

Spanish version of this article: Internet, aborto y religión alteran las elecciones presidenciales

Source: Brazil: Terrorists ok, Abortion, no way

Other articles by Julio Severo: Last Days Watchman

Brazilian Presidential Frontrunner Loses First Round Vote — Abortion a Key Issue

By Julio Severo and Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

BRASÍLIA, Brazil, October 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) — The abortion issue may be the principle reason that Brazilian frontrunner Dilma Rousseff failed to win a majority in Sunday's presidential elections, according to the Brazilian press.

Polls in the weeks leading up to the election had consistently given Rousseff, who represents the ruling Labor Party, a victory of 59-51%.  However, Rousseff managed to win only 47% of the vote after her lead dropped among Evangelical voters, following the distribution of several YouTube videos linking Rousseff and the Brazilian Labor Party with the legalization of abortion.

The Estadão newspaper reports that "members of the campaign of [Labor Party candidate] Dilma Rousseff recognize that they have not been able to give an efficient response to religious issues, like the legalization of abortion. For them, that was the principle reason that made Dilma's votes, especially among the lowest classes, migrate to the candidacy of [opponent] Marina Silva."

"During the final phase of the campaign, Dilma began to lose votes against Evangelical and Catholic voters because she would be favorable to the proposed legalization of abortion in the country," the newspaper adds.

The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper has likewise noticed the drop, stating that "Dilma Rousseff lost votes particularly among Evangelical voters during the month of September and, in the same period, her rejection in that part of the electorate rose to more than 50%."

The surprise first-round upset of Rousseff follows a massive campaign led by Evangelical ministers, Catholic bishops, and pro-life bloggers who have worked diligently to inform like-minded voters of Rousseff's pro-abortion record.

As LifeSiteNews reported previously, one Evangelical minister was threatened with legal action by Labor Party representatives last month following his sermon encouraging his flock not to vote for Labor Party candidates because of the party's pro-abortion, homosexualist political agenda.  His sermon was converted to a YouTube video and received millions of views.

Following her precipitous drop in the polls, Rousseff gave a press conference in late September claiming that she was "personally against abortion," which she called "violence" against women. However, her explanation seemed to have little effect on the outcome of Sunday's vote.

Dilma Rousseff, a former Marxist guerrilla who spent three years in prison for her activities and was once implicated in the murder of an American military attaché stationed in Brazil, was handpicked by Luis Lula da Silva, Brazil's ultra-popular president, to succeed him.  In the runoff election she will face off against José Serra of the Social Democratic party, who gained 32% of votes in the first round.  However, the Brazilian Labor Party has already won a majority of seats in the national Congress in the first round of voting, ensuring that the hegemony of the party will continue, at least in the legislative branch of government.

See previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Brazilian Presidential Front Runner Declares Herself 'Personally Against' Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10093001.html

Brazilian Pastor Threatened by Government for Opposing Pro-Abortion Policies
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/viewonsite.html?articleid=10091713

Source: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10100501.html

Brazilian Presidential Front Runner Declares Herself ‘Personally Against’ Abortion

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent

BRASILIA, Brazil, September 29, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) — In an apparent attempt to counteract a massive pro-life internet campaign against her party, Brazilian presidential front runner Dilma Rousseff told the nation’s media today that she is a Catholic and is “personally against abortion.”

“In my conception, I am favorable to the valuing of life,” Rousseff said. “And I am personally against abortion, which is violence against a woman.”

Rousseff made the statements following a meeting with various religious and political leaders, which was organized in apparent response to the dissemination of numerous internet texts and videos criticizing her and the socialist Labor Party for supporting abortion.

“I told the pastors that, from the point of view of the presidency, there are women who have recourse to abortion and they have to be cared for,” said Rousseff, referring to the Brazilian policy of giving medical care to women who have induced abortions, despite their illegality. “We respect and value life,” she added.

Asked if her position was in conflict with that of the pro-abortion Labor Party, of which she is a member, Rousseff clarified that “the government [of the Labor Party] has always had one position.  Now, we are a democratic party.”

However Rousseff also repeated the Labor Party’s public position on abortion, calling it a “public health” issue, a term commonly used by international abortionist organizations. She also said she opposed a plebiscite on the matter, which in strongly pro-life Brazil would lead almost certainly to a rejection of abortion.

Pro-life activist Julio Severo, who has strongly opposed the Labor Party’s reelection, told LifeSiteNews that Rousseff’s words indicate her “lack of ideological clarity and honesty.”

“She says that she is personally against abortion, and again emphasized that she ‘defends the treatment of abortion as an issue of public health’,” he added.

“Just like Dilma, [Brazilian President Luiz] Lula also declared himself to be a Catholic, said he was personally against abortion and defended the treatment of abortion as a public health issue,” said Severo. “In 2002, candidate Lula had also made an agreement to not allow his future government to promote abortion and homosexualism. But after his election, his government promoted abortion, at the national and international level, so much that we fear, in the best of hypotheses, that Lula had suffered some kind of attack of amnesia.”

Dilma Rousseff is widely viewed as the handpicked successor of President Luiz Lula da Silva, who, despite his pro-abortion position, is leaving office with an 80% approval rating.

Abortion is illegal in Brazil and is punished with criminal penalties in all cases except rape. Opinion polls indicate that over two-thirds of Brazilians oppose the further decriminalization of abortion.

Related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Brazilian Pastor Threatened by Government for Opposing Pro-Abortion Policies
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10091713.html

Source: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10093001.html

Divulgation: Blog Julio Severo in English: http://www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com

Brazilian Pastor Threatened by Government for Opposing Pro-Abortion Policies

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent

BRAZIL, September 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) — A Brazilian pastor is being threatened with “legal measures” by government officials following a sermon condemning the ruling party's support for decriminalizing abortion, the homosexual agenda, and infanticide committed by indigenous tribes in the Amazon rain forest.

In a YouTube video that has now been viewed over 1.6 million times, Pastor Paschoal Piragine Jr. of the First Baptist Church of Curitiba, warns his flock that the ruling Brazilian Labor Party (PT) is seeking to create “institutionalized evil” in Brazil.

“We need to take a stand and say: ‘we don’t want this in our country,’ and look for people to represent us to say, ‘I will vote against such things.’ Otherwise, evil will be made official, and God will have no other option but to judge our land,” says Piragine.

“And I would not only ask you to pray — I think we should all pray — but to take a stand, and when you vote, to vote for people who take a clear stance against these things and make a commitment to fight in the national Congress, and in the institutions of government, against the legalization of evil,” he adds.

After showing his flock a video presentation on the pro-abortion and anti-family political movements that threaten to legalize abortion and destroy traditional marriage, Piragine notes that the PT “has made a commitment on this issue.”

“During this year’s meeting, where they select their representatives, [President Luiz Lula] made them pass an agreement on these issues. In other words, if a PT representative or senator, votes against any of these laws in accordance with his conscience, he is expelled from the party. Two federal representatives were expelled from the PT for expressing their opposition to abortion.”

Noting that some Catholic bishops had already urged Brazilians to vote against the PT, Piragine adds, “I would tell you the same thing. Some people won't like what I am saying, but I am saying it very clearly.”

“As a pastor I have never done this. I am not telling you to vote for A or B. I am going to tell you whom not to vote for: for people who are working in favor of evil in our land. Otherwise, my dear ones, God will judge our land.”

Angry Response

Apparently alarmed by the massive distribution of the video, high officials of President Luiz Lula’s regime have been lashing out at Piragine.

In an interview on Brazil's CBN Radio, PT member and federal congressman Enio Verri expressed outrage at the video.

“With his own words he committed a great sin and will have to respond to his own community,” said Verri. “But the PT is going to take the appropriate legal measures as quickly as possible, be sure of that.”

The Leader of Government of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, which is the rough equivalent of the Speaker of the House in the United States, has responded with a public letter denying Piragine’s accusations and claiming that members of the PT have the right to dissent from the party line based on their consciences.

“It is not true that the deputies of the PT were expelled for opposing abortion,” writes Deputy Gilmar Alves Machado. “It is true that they had conflict with women’s movements over issues related to abortion, but they were not expelled. Because of those problems, they were punished by the PT, which led them to change parties.”

Contact information:

Embassy of Brazil in the USA
3006 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
20008-3634
Phone: (202) 238-2700
Fax: (202) 238-2827
Email: ambassador@brasilemb.org

Embassy of Brazil in Canada
450 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6M8
Phone: (613) 237-1090 or (613) 755-5160
Fax: (613) 237-6144
E-mail: mailbox@brasembottawa.org

Embassies of Brazil to other Nations: http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/Brazil/Brazil1.html

The First Baptist Church of Curitiba (Portuguese)
http://www.pibcuritiba.org.br/site08/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=927&Itemid=264
Email: comunicacao@pibcuritiba.org.br 

Related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Brazilian Government Joins UN to Urge Latin American Nations to Depenalize Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jul/10073001.html

Brazilian Government Seeks to Remove "Homophobic" Christian Programming from Daytime TV
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09051502.html

Brazilian President Luiz Lula Defends Abortion, Gay Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08091815.html

Source: LifeSiteNews

Homeschooling: the only educational hope in a Marxist Brazil

By Julio Severo

Marxist Dilma Rousseff, the favorite candidate of socialist Brazilian president Lula, is expected to win the next Brazilian presidential election and keep Brazil, and especially the school system, under rigid state control.

Homeschooling is illegal in Brazil. In fact, it is a crime, since socialists were able, in the creation of the new Brazilian constitution in 1988, to introduce a constitutional provision ordering all children to attend a school facility.

Hope for change is dim. Lula, who brags that he does not like reading, has made an education agreement with communist China, where Brazilian schools will follow the Chinese educational model.

And if Dilma Rousseff actually is elected on October 3, Brazil will keep suffering criminalizations, including of homeschooling. Anyway, she will be only obeying the Constitution…

In his 2 presidential terms, President Lula has put his administration machinery into action to work the decriminalization of abortion and the criminalization “homophobia”, even calling opposition to sodomy a “perverse disease”.

Nevertheless, he has enjoyed a very high popularity. The same Brazilian population that mostly disapproves abortion and is 99% “homophobic” (according to a poll conducted by a Brazilian institute connected to Lula’s party) gives Lula an approving rate of over 80%.

Late 2009, Lula changed the constitution to force four-year-old children to attend a school. But who cared?

TV channels were silent before this authority grab against the Brazilian family. Because they received in 2009 over 1 billion Real (almost 500,000 dollars) from the federal government to broadcast government propaganda, the Brazilian media kindly criticizes Lula and more kindly praises him. Red dictatorships in the past used to close down discordant media; Marxist Lula gratifies them.

So his presidential candidate is a direct beneficiary of his high popularity. And even though Lula is a friend of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Mahmud Ahmadinejad, his probable successor is more radical.

What are her qualifications for ruling Brazil?

Profession: Unknown

Activities:

1967 - agent for the Worker’s Politics Movement

06/10/68 - robbery of Banespa bank, Iguatemi Street, $ 80,000

12/10/68 - planned the murder of [American] Capt. Charles Chandler [accomplished in cold blood, in front of his house, his wife and child]

11/12/68 - robbery of Gun Store Diana, Seminario Street, 48 guns [stolen].

??/04/69 - National Liberation Command [another terrorist organization].

24/01/69 - Robbery of Quitauna Arms Depository - 63 FAU rifles, 3 INA guns, 4 munitions.

18/07/69 - Robbery of the Governor Ademar de Barros’ house [the money was never recovered].

01/08/68 - Robbery of the Mercantil of Sao Paulo bank.

??/09/69 - VAR Palmares [terrorist organization] Congress in Teresopolis.

20/09/69 - Robbery of the Public Force Police Quarters in Barro Branco.

Daughter of a Bulgarian Communist, Rousseff has no concern about her dark past, because Marxists have twisted in such a manner Brazilian policies that today, while communists and their families are given multimillion dollar reparations at the expense of the Brazilian taxpayers, victims of the communist terrorism and their families are ignored and poorly compensated, even in cases where people were murdered or left mutilated by bombs and guns.

The past criminals are the modern wealthy heroes.

Rousseff has a so radical record that any political creature resembling Al Gore running for president in Brazil would be easily mistaken as a right-wing candidate and fundamentalist Christian!

In fact, the only evangelical presidential candidate is a radical adherent of the Marxist Liberation Theology. She was a long time member of Lula’s Party, and her only reason to leave it was that instead of her, Dilma was chosen as presidential candidate. Today, she is a Green Party member.

All the other candidates are similarly Marxists and no of them are expected to change de Socialist provision in the Brazilian Constitution mandating school institutionalization for all children.

Christian churches and leaders could make a difference and save Brazil from such Marxist disaster. But the Socialist spell on the Brazilian media is on many churches. While most Catholic bishops are plagued by the Marxist Liberation Theology, a Protestant version has infected many traditional Protestant churches, and now even some Pentecostal churches are in the Marxist bandwagon.

The evangelical coordinator for the Dilma campaign is Bishop Manoel Ferreira, whose task is to draw evangelical churches and flocks and leaders to the Dilma fold. He is the president of the second largest Assembly of God denomination in Brazil.

The official policies of the Workers’ Party (believe it or not, no relation to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, better known as Nazi Party, which also banned homeschooling in Germany in the 1930s) have clear pro-abortion and pro-sodomy provisions, but Dilma’s political propaganda avoids these “controversial” issues. Yet, her political friendships show her values. Last year she visited Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, from the Marxist Spanish Workers’ Party. Zapatero has been famous and infamous for imposing abortion and anti-“homophobia” punishments in Spain.

Under Lula, Veja magazine (the Brazilian counterpart of Time magazine) charged that Brazilian school system was plagued by Marxist indoctrination. What hope is left for us Christians that believe that the State has no right to replace God?

Lula has been praising Dilma Rousseff. Hugo Chavez said that she is his candidate.

What about Obama? He has also welcomed her in the White House, which apparently sees no problem in the radical Marxist advance in Brazil. (Is he from the Workers’ Party too?)

Well, as a radical Socialist clone of Lula, Rousseff is in perfect peace with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Mahmud Ahmadinejad. And, of course, Obama is in peace with her.

Today the Brazilian cultural environment is much like to the US, but without any significant and large conservative opposition. Whereas Obama faces a lot of opposition from conservative Christian groups and leaders, Brazilian president Lula faces nothing of this sort. And his probable successor will enjoy his success too, because with all children under forced state indoctrination and media and churches under powerful financial spells, control is something very easy.

In this dark (oops, red) Brazilian picture, homeschooling is the only option for Christian churches and families to save their children, even though the cost is an illegal, underground lifestyle.

Roman Empire had its emperors that saw themselves as gods. In Brazil, god is the Socialist State. And this red god wants all the Brazilian children under its sacred “educational” control.

When my pregnant wife and I were reported because of homeschooling and child vaccination in Brazil, local government officials told us, “You can decide whatever you want about your children, but the ultimate decision belongs to the government”. Today, we are away from Brazil.

In the most important homeschooling case in Brazil, where the defendant was an Attorney General himself, the Higher Court of Justice ruled in 2002 that “children do not belong to their parents”.

These poor “children that do not belong to their parents” are being indoctrinated today to become in the future the Marxist doctors, teachers, politicians, governors and even Christian leaders. This is a dreadful prospect for the educationally-choiceless children in Brazil.

Brazilian law is very rarely enforced to punish political socialist abuses and power grab — and nowadays it is hindered from being enforced against Marxist terrorists —, but it has been steadily enforced to punish parents that think that they are free to educate their children away from the state model.

In a time of prevailing Marxism in the Brazilian culture, homeschooling is the only way for Brazilian parents to protect their children from the pervasive educational control of the state Moloch.

If the early persecuted Roman Christians could worship Jesus in the catacombs, why cannot Brazilian Christians educate their children for Jesus there?

Source: www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com

Marxist Terrorist is Next Brazil President