It is not possible to choose the best novel from the work of Machado de Assis. Certainly one of the most read is "Quincas Borba". The central plot of the beautiful work is Pedro Rubião's adherence to "Humanism", whose philosopher Quincas Borba is the father of this system of thought. In addition to being Quincas' heir, Rubião became the chief guardian of this philosophy.
Quincas' "Humanism", in fact, is a scathing criticism by the Witch of Cosme Velho against positivism, scientism and evolutionism. The excerpt that gives the title to this text is famous. In this excerpt, the synthesis of "humanitarian" thought is revealed to the reader: two hungry tribes and a field of potatoes; the only chance of survival for one of the tribes, as such a field is unable to feed both. If they shared the potato field, both tribes would die of starvation, so "Peace, in this case, is destruction; war is conservation. One of the tribes exterminates the other and collects the spoils. Hence the joy of victory , the hymns, acclamations, public rewards and all the other effects of warlike actions. If war were not for this, such demonstrations would not take place, for the real reason that man only celebrates and loves what is pleasurable or enjoyable to him. advantageous, and for the rational reason that no person canonizes an action that virtually destroys him. To the vanquished, hatred or compassion to the victor;
The human being as an object of the human being or the "thingification" of the human being is, deep down, what Machado de Assis wants to criticize and kill to death.
I remembered the novel Quincas Borba when I learned on the internet, on April 7th of this year, of the change in the text of PLC 122, promoted by its current rapporteur, senator Marta Suplicy. The text that amends PLC 122 says: "The provisions of the chapter of this article do not apply to the peaceful manifestation of thought based on freedom of conscience and belief referred to in item 6 of article 5 (of the Constitution)".
In this paragraph we have carte blanche from the State so that fundamentalist churches continue to demonize homosexuality from their pulpits. For many, this is the only way for the wall of the fundamentalist evangelical bench in the National Congress to be convinced that PLC 122 is not a "gag", as they have called PLC 122 since its inception.
My admiration for the Suplicy family and the services provided to Brazil by this family, especially in the political field, is public. Senator Marta is, without a doubt, a great ally of the LGBT Movement. However, I believe that changing the text of PLC 122 to the paragraph proposed by the current rapporteur of PLC 122 is a setback and a deep scar on the Bill. It is a regrettable mistake!
Senator Marta and those who support the amendment of the text of PLC 122 by this paragraph urgently need reflection: whoever gave birth still nurtures and causes homophobia (misogyny and other prejudices too!) to grow in Brazil? Does anyone doubt that it is the fundamentalist wing of Christianity, the majority in our country? Safeguarding the right of these people to continue giving birth, nurturing and growing homophobia in Brazil is a huge mistake!
Of course, opposing voices will rise up and say that the Constitution guarantees religious freedom and freedom of expression. OK! OK! But is this freedom of religion and expression a free-for-all? Isn't this freedom "limited" by civil and criminal liability?
I can cite countless sources of ecclesiastical sermons from the past, when slavery was still permitted, when women still had no law to protect them and when the Jews were still considered the murderers of Christ. In all these sermons, black people were humiliated and victims of enormous racial prejudice on the part of the Church, women were considered the greatest sinners (the "Daughters of Eve") and Jews were put below the ground by those who read the Bible in a distorted way.
Racial prejudice, misogyny and anti-Semitism are still very present in cultures where the Christian religion makes its influence felt. Laws that guaranteed the protection of black people, women and Jews were drawn up and approved and are now in vogue to classify people who are racist, misogynistic and anti-Semitic.
The fundamentalist wing of Christianity still keeps racism, misogyny and anti-Semitism well hidden, they just do not take such positions openly, as the Law protects these people. The evidence of this is abundant, even if veiled, just listen to the testimonies of black people, women and Jews and how they are still victims of religious fundamentalism. The whole thing is just not worse because of the force of the Law.
It doesn't take much study to research the misuse of the Bible in the History of our civilization and how much pain it caused and the rivers of blood that were spilled on the ground. It turns out that pain is still generated and human blood continues to be spilled on the ground due to the homophobic religious preaching of the fundamentalist wing of Christianity. Because they cannot speak openly about black people, women and Jews, LGBT people are the "Geni" of religious fundamentalists, the last one left, which is why they hold on to the subject so much. If they are prohibited from hurling anathemas at LGBT people from their pulpits, nothing and no one will be left to be their "Judas".
The fundamentalist wing of Christianity has no right to sow homophobia that destroys families, that takes lives and that generates so much pain and death in our country. If the State has the duty to guarantee the protection of its citizens, by granting the right to religious fundamentalists to continue preaching the things they preach against homosexuality, it is failing to fulfill its role and denying a basic right, which is the right to exist and not be subject to prejudice. No, not everything goes when it comes to religious freedom and freedom of expression!
Yesterday, a link sent to me by Prof. Dr. Luiz Mott. The link opened a website, whose name is "Comando 190". The article exposed was about the murder of the transvestite Bibi in Ji-Paraná: seven stab wounds claimed her life. In comments from readers on the site, we read things like: "The end of those who do not accept glorifying God – as the Bible tells us, the wages of Sin is death. God loved him, but disapproved of what he did. He had free choice and chose this end. Each one's future depends on a choice. May God comfort the Family." It's also there: "I believe that the times are near!!! In Sodom and Gomorrah it was like this, man having sexual intercourse with man, woman with woman, father raping daughter and much more, nowadays everything is repeating itself, just than now all over the world." And further: "Unfortunately, it is like this, we are free to choose which path we want to follow. God gave Man "Free Will", so that; Man" is not forced to do or stop doing something. There are two paths: "Life and Death". True life can only be found in God through Christ Jesus, and death is the world itself with its cunning traps to lead man to the abyss. "In short" Love is missing….And true love, Only God can teach Man to love."
What do we see here? Blaming the victim! Bibi was stabbed to death because she was a sinner, she chose the path of death, she lived like those in Sodom and Gomorrah, she chose to be a transvestite, she chose sin, and because the "wages of sin is death", her end was this: death.
Here we have just a sample of what fundamentalist "Christians" write on news sites when the murder victim is LGBT. Do a superficial search and you will find much worse things written by them. Where do they learn this? From the pulpits of their churches.
I deeply regret Senator Marta's decision to amend PLC 122 with this infamous paragraph seeking approval from the Evangelical Parliamentary Front! They won't approve it anyway, nor will they approve anything in the future that will guarantee LGBT rights. In principle, they are against it! And another: it's not worth anything to approve a Bill like 122 anyway. From concession to concession, such a PLC is almost meaningless!
Make no mistake! We have a potato field here that guarantees our right to life and two tribes are fighting over it. Only one of the tribes will win. Which will be? To the winner, the potatoes.
* Márcio Retamero, 37 years old, is a theologian and historian, with a master's degree in Modern History from UFF/Niterói. He is pastor of the Bethel Community / ICM RJ and the Presbyterian Church of Praia de Botafogo. He is the author of "The Banquet of the Excluded" and "Can the Bible Include?", both published by Editora Metanoia. Email: marcio.retamero@gmail.com.
