In an interview, Malafaia said he backs Bolsonaro despite his “defects” because they have shared agendas. He accused da Silva of representing a Marxist cultural campaign to abolish the Judeo-Christian model in the Western world, and vowed to continue preaching that to his flock.
At one service this month, he spent 15 minutes discussing the election. He expressed astonishment that believers might “rip up the Bible in their heart” by voting for a candidate who, he argued, hates their principles, is indifferent to defending traditional families and supports leftist leaders who persecute churches.
“I’m not going to go easy on them. … because I know who they are and what they do,” Malafaia said in an interview afterward. “It is a brand of lying, of cynicism to deceive the people. It’s ‘Lula, peace and love’ on the outside and the devil on the inside.”
“We are not fools. That time is over,” Malafaia continued. “Social networks ended the monopoly of information.”
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The vitriol he received after the first lady shared the popcorn video on Instagram shook Viana, the Candomble priest on Salvador’s outskirts.
Already suffering from hypertension and high cholesterol, he hurried to a health clinic where a doctor prohibited him from using his phone or even thinking about the episode for two weeks. The medical report indicated Viana, 29, was suffering from high cardiovascular risk.
Largely due to that health scare, Viana said, the orixa Obaluaêasked him to postpone a banquet in his honor, to Sept. 17.
The temple’s brick walls were covered with dried palm fronds and drums sent feet shuffling along the earthen floor for hours. People entered trancelike states as they received the orixas.
Following a Yoruba blessing, Afro Brazilian dishes that filled clay pots were served into makeshift bowls fashioned from leaves and shared around.
The drumming resumed. And popcorn rained from overhead, to cleanse everyone of sickness.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
This article originally appeared on APNews.com.
