Catholic converting to Lutheranism?
Alright, so here's the deal. I'm only fifteen years old, and have been raised a Catholic for as long as I can remember. My parents are devout Catholics, and would probably want me to have a long, dull chat with them if they found out that I was even contemplating this. Basically, I agree with pretty much everything that Catholicism has to offer, except for certain, key aspects. For example, I don't believe in the Pope. I don't believe that a man that is voted up by the people can 'speak for God,' or that we have to take whatever he stands for as a Catholic law. Sure, he's a holy man, but I can't bring myself to see him as some sort of chosen, divine person. I think that the Pope can act as a sort of religious figure, but he shouldn't be able to tell use what to do; the bible should be the word that we follow. Also, I'm not against homosexuality. I don't support them, I don't oppose them, but I think that they're just another part of society. I never really got why everyone made a big deal out of gays in the first place, except for the fact that it's supposedly against Christian faith. But even then, the church and state have been separate for how many years now? And this is still an issue? Then again, it's the Pope that insisted homosexuality to be a sin, so what can I say? And I don't want to be one to declare the Catholic system as corrupted, but it sure seems that way on a superficial level. More importantly, as my Catholic spirit has been slowly fading, Lutheranism has begun to seem more and more appealing. I'm still pretty young and definitely ignorant about a lot of things, so my questions are: 1. What are some significant things that I need to understand before considering a religious conversion? 2. What are some fundamental aspects of Lutheranism that I should know before thinking about taking it up? 3. If I do decide that this is the right decision, when would be the best time to switch?
Why is Brazil such a violent country? Despite being a very peaceful nation (regarding war), we have homicide rates of countries that are in civil war, or that are much poorer than us
I think this is a case where the statistics are slightly misleading. Brazil is a large economy but the distribution of wealth is very unequal, such that there is a clear divide between the poorest people living in the favelas and the middle / upper class living in walled condos. The favelas operate to a different politic to the rest of the country. With little or no police presence (especially not protecting the interests of those in the favela) law enforcement is informal, typically with the drug gangs at the top of the stack. Drug and gang related crimes are a major culprit behind the murder statistics but this shouldn't be confused with a wider cultural issue of violence.In fact, this violent element has an interesting implication to the rest of society. Speaking as someone who grew up in the UK, Brazilian people outside the favelas are much LESS violent than the average British person. In London, for example, violence is very common and linked to alcohol. On your average night out in the westend you'd generally expect to see at least one fight (this goes for double in Dublin). People drink too much and since they are too drunk to get laid, they attempt to fight instead. After living in Rio for 5 years, I have never seen a fight in a club or bar. People don't drink to get drunk and they dance instead.When I asked a local why this is the case, I got the following insight. In Brazil, you would never engage in "random violence" because you don't know who that person knows. The densely social interconnections of Brazil are a clear disincentive to violence. It seems like most people are afraid to visit Rio because of the perceived threat of violence - this goes for Brazilians too. However, the truth is as long as you don't venture into the falevas, get caught up with drugs, don't go to the toilet in random alley ways and generally listen to local advice, you will find Rio to be as safe as any big city.