Secularism & Repression in Brazil

Sound familiar?

Cardinal: Church-State Separation Becoming Repression

Laments Campaign to Remove Crucifixes

SÃO PAOLO, Brazil, SEPT. 2, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The separation of Church and state should not mean the repression of religious ideas and public manifestations, says the archbishop of São Paolo.

Cardinal Odilo Scherer affirmed this in an articles in the archdiocesan newspaper in which he responds to an initiative proposed July 31 to remove religious symbols from public buildings in the city.

Those promoting the initiative pretend to base themselves on the Brazilian separation of Church and state.

The cardinal, however, explained that there is nothing in the Constitution that prohibits the presence of religious symbols on state premises.

Full story here. Of course, portrayals of Our Lord's Crucifixion are particularly offensive (to demons); other symbols are implied as well. Like the IHS sign that had to be covered up in that Catholic University where the president was going to speak. Wait, that wasn't Brazil. Is this strain of secularism a global virus? How fast is it spreading? Is there a vaccination?

Comments

[robert]

"Is this strain of secularism a global virus?"

Yes. It's fundamental to Liberal democracy and modern state formation.

[Clifford Simon]

Ssh! Don't mention the big Jesus in Rio.