With only 51 subscribers, my YouTube influence online is minimal at best.  Yet, I received a notice of a court order from my country of birth stating that one of the testimony videos I shared is considered hate speech and has been blocked in Brazil.

COPY OF THE COURT ORDER I received from YouTube:

• YOUTUBE received a court order from Brazil regarding a video that I shared on my YouTube channel.
• The court order required YouTube in Brazil to block the video testimony of Ivone Silva, Ex-Candomblé practitioner who became a Christian that I shared on my channel “in gods we trusted”.
• YouTube notified me via email, with the attached court order stating that they must comply with Brazilian local law.
• If the video was not blocked within 72 hours of court order on my channel in Brazil, YouTube would be fined over $100,000 daily and would be responsible for any legal costs involved with the case. (Note:  Ivone Silva’s testimony is still available on my YouTube channel here in the US, but it is in Portuguese).
• This law deems this Christian video testimony to be offensive to African religions practiced in Brazil (i.e. Candomblé/ Umbanda); and that it is considered to instigate hate, prejudice, and discrimination.
• The defendant (YouTube) is no longer allowed to re-introduce this particular video in Brazil. (Note:  Any video with similar content such as my personal testimony of leaving Umbanda for Christianity falls under this law considering it hate speech/ religious intolerance).
• YouTube is ordered to supply the Brazilian government with the date, hour, location, and IP number of computers utilized to post this type of video. (Note:  My computer IP number, location, etc. has possibly been flagged by the Brazilian government).
• The reason I post this is to alert Christians that testimonies such as mine, and many others are considered by law in Brazil as religious intolerance and hate speech.
• I am not legally being charged, however if my testimony (or any similar testimony) is reported in Brazil, these videos must be blocked in order to comply with local Brazilian laws.

On April 3, 2019, I received the following email:

“Dear Ivani Greppi – In gods we trusted: Regarding your account: Ivani Greppi – In gods we trusted.  We have received a court order regarding your video.  

After review, the following video: Testemunho Forte Ex Mãe de Santo da Bahia Ivone Silva: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szlPhlopv94  has been blocked from view on the following YouTube country site(s): Brazil.

YouTube blocks content where necessary to comply with local laws.  Please review our help center article on legal complaints.

Sincerely,
The YouTube Team”

Today, April 6, 2019, I received the email and actual court order from Brazil:

“legal@support.youtube.com

To:ivanigreppi@yahoo.com

Apr 6 at 7:17 AM

Olá,

Enviamos este e-mail para informar que o YouTube recebeu o mandado anexado juntamente com uma petição inicial legal acerca de seu vídeo do YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szlPhlopv94 

De acordo com o mandado, a visualização do conteúdo em questão foi bloqueada no domínio do país.

Atenciosamente,

Equipe de suporte jurídico do YouTube”

Translation of the “Legal Support Team of YouTube Brazil” email above:

“Hello,

We are sending this email to inform that YouTube received the annexed order along with an initial legal petition regarding your video on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szlPhlopv94

In accordance with the order, the visualization of the content in question was blocked in the country’s domain (Brazil).

Legal Support Team of YouTube”

The annexed 11-page court order submitted by the Judiciary Power of the Federal Justice of Rio de Janeiro is a Public Civil Action authored by the Federal Ministry against the Defendant:  Google Brasil Internet. 

PDF link to the court order:  10. Sentença – Procedência em parte (Remoção) – Improcedência (Dano moral)-2

In summary, the paraphrased translation of this document states the following:

“The Public Federal Ministry proposes Public Civil Action against Google Brasil Internet requiring to remove all contents from the internet within 72 hours, under the penalty of daily fines of $500.000,00 Reais (approximately $127,000 dollars) to be reverted to the Common and Collective Rights (article 13 of Law 7.347/ 1985) and supplying by the defendant information regarding the date, hour, location, and IP number of computers utilizing the posting of videos. In final merit, it is asked that (such videos) be excluded definitely from the internet, offensive to African religions, and the instigators of hate, prejudice, and discrimination determining that the defendant take the necessary measures in order that the same is no longer re-introduced with the penalty of fines for reparation to collective moral damages in accordance with the gravity of the case, time of exposure on the internet…including legal expenses, costs, (etc.)”

The video I shared is the testimony of Ivone Silva of Brazil, who left the spiritist practice of Candomblé for Christianity:

Powerful Testimony by Ivone Silva (Mãe-de-Santo), previously known as Mãe Baiana do Brasil (Baiana Mother of Brazil). Here’s the link: EX-MÃE DE SANTO BAINA-TESTEMUNHO DE IVONE SILVA

Wikipedia:  “A Mãe-de-santo is a priestess of Umbanda, Candomblé and Quimbanda, the Afro-Brazilian religions. In Portuguese, this translates to “mother of [the] saint[s],” which is an adaption of the Yoruba language word iyalorishá, a title given to priest women in African religions. Iyá means mother, and the contraction l’Orishá means “of Orishá”. As a product of the syncretism, the word Orishá (elevated or ancestral spirit) was adapted into Portuguese as saint.”

Wikipedia: “Candomblé (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐ̃dõmˈblɛ], “dance in honor of the gods”) is an Afro-Brazilian religious tradition, practiced mainly in Brazil by the povo de santo (“people of saint”). Candomblé originated in Salvador, Bahia at the beginning of the 19th century, when the first temple was founded. Candomblé is practiced primarily in Brazil and is also practiced in other Latin American countries, including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela, having as many as two million followers. Candomblé developed in a creolization of traditional Yoruba, Fon, and Bantu beliefs brought from West and Central Africa by enslaved captives in the Portuguese Empire. Between 1549 and 1888, the religion developed in Brazil, influenced by the knowledge of enslaved African priests who continued to teach their religion, their culture, and language. In addition, Candomblé absorbed elements of Roman Catholicism and includes indigenous American traditions. As an oral tradition, it does not have holy scriptures. Practitioners of Candomblé believe in a Supreme Creator called Oludumaré, who is served by lesser deities, which are called Orishas. Every practitioner is believed to have their own tutelary orisha, which controls his or her destiny and acts as a protector. Music and dance are important parts of Candomblé ceremonies since the dances enable worshippers to become possessed by the orishas. In the rituals, participants make offerings like minerals, vegetables, and animals. Candomblé does not include the duality of good and evil; each person is required to fulfill their destiny to the fullest, regardless of what that is.”

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The Candomblé Priestess Ivone Silva was famous worldwide. Many elite customers in Hollywood like Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Estefan, and many others paid large amounts for her spiritual services. During a flight to Miami from Brazil, an evangelical Christian passenger approached her and witnessed to her. After almost committing suicide in her struggle to be set free, Ivone renounced her worship to Satan and gave her life to Jesus Christ.

In this video, she states that all the material wealth Satan gave her was taken away. But she praises God for her salvation in Jesus Christ and gives Him all the Honor, Glory, and Praise for setting her free from satanic bondage of practicing the occult.

As a former Umbanda Medium (read my testimony here: Former Umbanda Spiritist Medium: Ivani Greppi’s Testimony.), I am well aware of the dark powers involved in any type of occult spiritualist practices.  Be it consulting mediums, psychics, palm readers, Ouija boards, Tarot cards, or any kind of spirit communication God’s warnings are clear:

Leviticus 19:31 – Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I [am] the LORD your God.

Isaiah 8:19 – And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

1 Timothy 4:1 – Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

Matthew 24:24 – For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

2 Corinthians 11:14 – And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

On social media, many people are being persecuted for exposing God’s Truth regarding the occult.  What happened with my video has happened to thousands of Christians online. Any exposure regarding false teachings may be viewed as hate speech, intolerance, prejudice, and considered highly offensive.

Here in America, Yoruba beliefs are spreading like wildfire.  Promoted by the entertainment industry, it is fast becoming a new wave of practicing spiritism in a glamorous and seductive fashion.

This article summarizes this movement in the US:  The Witches of Baltimore

From the Washington Post:  Beyoncé’s Grammy performance

History on the practice of Yoruba and Ifa:  Yoruba/ Ifa

A request to remove 16 videos from YouTube has sparked a broad debate on the limits of freedom of speech and religious expression in Brazil. Simone Marques reports:  Religious intolerance 

Followers of Christ should not be surprised by what is happening in the world regarding the persecution of believers. We must be prepared for what is to come. If a “small fish” like myself is having content censured from my online presence, imagine what the Church will be facing soon. Sadly, many corporate churches and pastors will bow down to governmental and social pressures by avoiding politically incorrect topics. And by this, we will recognize the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats.

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Many thanks for taking time to read or even share the above post. For similar posts and more about myself and friends, please see the below links! God bless you! Ivani Greppi.

LINKS FOR IVANI GREPPI:

Blog
YouTube Channel
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