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PHOTOGRAPHY: MARCO ANTONIO TEIXEIRA\/RIOTUR<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s been years since we celebrated Carnaval. As Christians, we understand that the depravity and debauchery displayed during the festivities dishonor God.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the past two years, because of the global pandemic, Carnaval has been canceled. However, this year, from April 20th through April 30th, Carnaval returned with a vengeance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Ash Wednesday, the judges announced the winner for Rio de Janeiro. And the theme for the champion samba school for 2022 was the deity Exu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0Who is Exu?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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PHOTOGRAPHY: FABIO MOTTA\/RIOTUR<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exu, or Eschu in the Yoruba language, is considered a trickster god, a messenger, a diviner of the future, and even a \u201cbenevolent\u201d spirit existing in mostly all African-Diaspora traditions. Although Exu is considered dangerous and unpredictable, many religions that worship him view him as \u201cnot inherently evil.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a teenager, I became a Umbanda medium. Umbanda is a Brazilian syncretic religion combining African Ifa Yoruba faith, Roman Catholicism, and Spiritism beliefs. This belief system spread throughout the Americas during the slave trade. At the temple where we worshipped and became possessed with our \u201cspirit guides of light\u201d (now I understand these spirits are demonic), I met Exu firsthand.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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PHOTOGRAPHY: THIAGO LARA\/RIOTUR<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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On one Thursday of each month, the temple was closed off to the public to worship Exu and Pomba Gira (spirits similar to Succubus and Incubus). The justification behind the need to honor the Exu line of spirits was to appease them. Exu was considered the temple\u2019s guardian, and unless we paid him homage each month, he would become disruptive and threatening. During this session, the mediums became possessed, drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes and cigars, danced seductively, and declared obscenities while demanding offerings and sacrifices to fulfill petitions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It never occurred to me as a fifteen-year-old to question these ceremonies. I was a willing participant, lighting black and red candles, bowing down before the altar, and inviting these demonic entities to take over my body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Recently, I watched a YouTube video titled, \u201cThey are Mocking God!\u201d This video by Pastor Antonio Junior in Brazil showed footage of the samba school celebrating Exu. He stated, \u201cChristians know that the most popular celebration of Brazil has sin as its principal characteristic. Prostitution, abuse, adultery, and drug and alcohol use happen frequently. These days, a type of license to do whatever is wrong without consequences is nothing more than Satan\u2019s lie to destroy people\u2019s lives. This year, the samba schools clearly showed that Carnaval is a celebration of worship to Satan and his demons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Antonio Junior said, \u201cThe Samba School\u2019s objective of using Exu as its theme was to combat intolerance of religions with African roots. But this is a lie from Satan to fool people. [Exu] is a demonic entity, a fallen angel, a servant of Satan who causes confusion, discord, and brings people to sin and keep them from Christ and His Truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that many participants and spectators likely became possessed during the parade: \u201cSome participants danced bent backward with hands behind their backs as if in a trance. Was this only a representation? I believe not. By participating in this, the person allows Satan to possess their bodies and do with them as he desires.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pastor\u2019s YouTube video is no longer available. Globo.com, a Brazilian news organization and one of the world\u2019s largest media conglomerates, reported that Exu\u2019s celebration by the samba school \u201cis to deconstruct the negative stereotypes attributed to this process of religious racism toward the deity of Exu.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BBC.com published an article titled, \u201cRio Carnival: Tribute to Afro-Brazilian god wins the title.\u201d It reported that \u201ca samba group highlighted prejudices against Afro-Brazilian religions has been crowned as the champion\u2026Afro-Brazilian religions have come under attack from Evangelical Churches which mistakenly label Afro-Brazilian deities as demons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is considered hate speech in Brazil to state that these deities are demons. A few years ago, I translated a testimony of a former Candombl\u00e9 priestess on YouTube. YouTube Brazil sent me an email with attached legal documents stating that I was violating Brazilian hate speech law by posting this evangelical testimony of a former Candombl\u00e9 practitioner. This video is no longer available in Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The message by Pastor Antonio Junior is considered religious intolerance. They censored and canceled him. Like here in the U.S., freedom of speech applies only to what the liberal society and media approve.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is overwhelming to see in real-time the acceptance of wickedness spreading globally. How evil is good, good is evil. Darkness is put for light; light for darkness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart breaks for those blinded by these spiritual practices as I was many years ago. May the Truth and Light of Jesus Christ reach those lost to this deception.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Antonio Junior stated, \u201cWe are living the ends of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Matthew 9:37, Jesus said, \u201cThe harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivani Greppi was introduced to the Umbanda (Yoruba) Religion in Brazil at the age of fourteen. She was considered a medium from birth due to her psychic \u201cgifts\u201d of seeing the spirit world from early childhood. Then she found deliverance through Jesus Christ.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n FOR A FREE DOWNLOAD OF MY TESTIMONY BOOKLET, PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW<\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/product-category\/ebook\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ebooks1-1.png\")
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