Brazil’s police take Bible classes to reduce stress
Janet Tappin Coelho ("The Washington Post," October 28, 2013)
Rio de Janeiro — Amid concerns about police brutality, Brazilian military
police officers are taking Bible study classes during their working hours to
help them deal with stress and improve their personal and family lives.
The initiative teaches officers how to apply biblical concepts to everyday
family matters and encourages them to search for biblical examples that
give advice, guidance and solutions about family issues, including how to rear
children, handle finances and build personal relationships.
The Moral Education Program was launched as a three-month pilot project in
the capital Brasilia by the Federal District Military Police in partnership
with the Sao Paulo-based University of the Family. More than 150 officers
applied to join the project but only 70 have been selected to attend the
two-hour weekly sessions because of limited space.
The Christianity-based course has hit controversy with critics arguing it
is inappropriate for Brazil as a secular state — with a stated policy of
neutrality on religion — to promote Christian teachings in a public
institution. The military police is the civilian wing of the security forces
and
responsible for law and order on the streets, attending crime scenes and
arresting suspects.
“The constitution clearly prohibits the dissemination of religious doctrine,
” said Paulo Blair, a lecturer in constitutional law at the University of
Brasilia.
But a representative from the military police said while the secular state
makes it clear that it will not favor one religion over another, it also
means the state will not interfere with the operation of any religion.
“We see this course as a tool that can help our officers, said military
police chaplain Gisleno Farias, coordinator of the program.
The program comes at a time when Brazil’s police are under increased
pressure to restrain their heavy-handed tactics against anti-government
protesters who took to the streets in the thousands this year to demonstrate
against
government spending policies, political corruption and the excessive
amount of public funds invested in the construction of the 2014 FIFA World Cup
stadiums and Olympic venues.
Lucia Nader, executive director of Conectas, a Brazilian human rights orga
nization based in Sao Paulo, said the level of violence displayed by the
military police when handling crowd control calls for urgent reforms.
“Military police have not followed the democratization process in the
country,” Nader said. “They must be able to protect citizens, not treat them as
enemies, fulfill their roles efficiently, but also respect human rights.”
But as violent bouts of social unrest, such as last week’s clashes between
protesters and security police in Rio de Janeiro, continue to disrupt major
Brazilian cities, authorities say they are trying to find ways to
alleviate their officers’ stress.
“The police need to be prepared for the worst, because they never know what
kind of situation they are likely to face on a daily basis,” said Farias.
The chaplain said 90 percent of the officers in Brasilia define themselves
as Christian so the material was designed to reflect that faith.
“In December of this year, when the course finishes, we will do a review
and decide after that whether the scheme should be taken nationwide,” Farias
said. “If this happens we will also make sure that similar initiatives are
adopted based on material from other faiths. But this will depend on the
level of the demand.”
Police officer Paulo Henrique Silva de Pinho has been with the Federal
District Military Police in Brasilia for over 10 years. He admitted he wasn’t
religious but when he heard about the course he decided to sign up because
he was having marital problems.
“My wife and I were arguing a lot,” he said. “Things were very unhappy. It
was affecting our son and having a negative effect on my performance at
work. I couldn’t concentrate and felt irritable and pressured.”
After attending four sessions the 34-year-old officer says he has already
noticed the difference in how he approaches the difficulties at home.
“It has been an excellent opportunity for me to examine who I am and to
grow as a man, father, husband and professional,” de Pinho said. “I have
learned how to show patience and tolerance and I feel the sessions are giving
me the qualities to help me grow as a person and to help me play my role
fully in my family.”
His wife, Ruth, agreed.
“This Bible course couldn’t have come at a better time, because I have got
my husband back,” she said. “He is motivated, loving and the changes in
him have helped me to become more understanding. I am excited about our
future together now as a family.”
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