Estado e religião: a interferência da crença religiosa nas decisões político-legislativas sob uma perspectiva histórico-filosófica

Abstract

The Brazilian State is a secular one. The 1988 Federal Constitution sanctioned this assertion when it does not adopt a religion as official. However, there is a reference to GOD just in the introduction to our constitution. Although it has adopted no official religion and the constitutional text ensures the religious belief freedom, objections are raised against the existence of a religious influence in the political-legislative decisions of the State. When we observe the evolution of the State and the main religions throughout the centuries, we see that the State and religion had always been sideby- side or, sometimes, represented in one single body. After revolutions, wars and changes in the State-Religion relation, we still have Denominational States, in which an official religion is adopted and the socalled Secular State, that guarantees the Rights of Those that are Different. The historical-philosophical examination takes us to consider that neutrality does not mean aversion nor indifference to fundamental ethical principles and values brought to us, in particular, by the Christian heritage, and which are of considerable importance for our the social life, and the bases for laws and public policies of several countries. The purpose of the present paper is to submit a consideration about the secular character of the Brazilian State, showing the influence of the religious belief in the political-legislative level from a historical-philosophical point of view