Tuesday 29 March 2011

Contact based on Carl Sagan's book

Have you guys watched a film called Contact? A very interesting film. If I were you, I would watch it. It's based on the book of Carl Sagan. I always say to my husband that this film is about God and that's why I like it, but he always says that this film is about Science and that's why he likes it...maybe it's about both. 
I will tell you how I see it. The film is about scientists that want to discover if there is life in other planets (sensitive subject for many). The main scientist is Jodie Foster and she is the most skeptical scientist of all of them. She doesn't believe in God and, in fact, she thinks God is a creation of the human mind to comfort us when we have problems. But then she meets a religious men and they get involved. Jodie Foster's character goes through an experience and when she comes back from that experience, no one believes her story because she doesn't have proof of what she's seen and what she's heard. She had a camera with her that only recorded statics and the project she was involved in seemed to have failed, but she experienced something. 
The funny and great thing about this film is that every penny of skepticism she gave to religion came back to her after the scientists panel (the panel where she once belonged to) asked her when she went to an official meeting to defend her story: "Do you expect us to believe your story on faith?" That was exactly what she was expecting as a scientist that couldn't prove what she's seen and heard. And yet, the only people who believed her were religious and all her scientists fellows turned their back on her.
There is another bit of the film that I find great. When Jodie Foster's character was a little girl, she asked her father: "Do you think that there is life in other planets?" Her father answered: "If there isn't, it seems an awful waste of space." 
This movie makes me think and wish that scientists find the answers they are looking for sooner than later. We will all be in the same page when they discover the truth that has always been in front of them the whole time ;) 
That's the film trailer for you below.
Take care! 

Mrs. P 

Tuesday 22 March 2011

The greatest of the commandments

Yesterday I posted something about having faith in men as well as in God. Then I read on Facebook afterwards something that made me doubt that humanity or men deserve to be honoured with any one's faith. One girl wrote a message on Facebook showing that she was actually proud of being part of the reason why someone quit their job. I understood that she was this person's superior and she posted on a social network that this situation made her a little bit proud. My God, it is so hard to not judge people and yes, I am so wrong in doing so, but, for heaven's sake, what was she thinking? What drives someone to be proud of something like that? And, even more sad, it's to see that she doesn't only feel proud of that but she also doesn't care about the other human being who took this decision because she contributed somehow to it. It wasn't probably an easy or good decision for that person and it could have been this girl in her shoes, but she doesn't even give it a second thought. Remember my post about the use of good or bad authority? I totally remembered it! Maybe I shouldn't have said anything to her at all...after all, I don't know what happened between these two people and their consciousness is to be judged by God only. But I have this terrible urge to just express my mind and my feelings, especially if something seems so unacceptable and wrong to me! Maybe one day I will learn how to silence my urges...
I opened the Gospel according to Spiritism book right after that to see which message I would get and it was the message below. It is a good one.
Take care! 

Mrs. P 


THE GREATEST OF THE COMMANDMENTS
 

4. But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying, Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew, 22: 34-40).
 
5. Charity and humility, such is the only path to salvation. Selfishness and pride are the paths to ruin. This principle is found to be formulated on the following precise terms: "Love your God with all your soul and your neighbour as yourself; all the law and the prophets are contained in these two commandments." And so there would be no mistake in the understanding of the meaning of the love for God and for our neighbour, He then added: "And there is the second commandment, which is similar to the first." This means that it is not possible to truly love God without loving your neighbour, nor to love your neighbour without loving God. Straightaway, all that you do against your neighbour you also do against God. Therefore, as it is not possible to love God without practising charity towards one's neighbour. All of mankind's obligations are resumed in the maxim: without charity there is no salvation.
 
THE NEED FOR CHARITY ACCORDING TO SAINT PAUL
 
6. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all the mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, lam nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long and is kind, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, do not behave itself unseemly, skeet not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. And now abideth faith, hope, charity these three; but the greatest of these is charity (SAINT PAUL, I Corinthians, 13:1-7 & 13).
 
7. This is the way in which Saint Paul understood this great truth, which said: 'When I have learned the language of the Angels; "When I have the gift of prophecy, which I can penetrate all the mysteries; When I have all the faith that is possible, even to the point of transporting mountains, if l do not have charity, then lam nothing. Within the three virtues: faith, hope and charity, the most superior of these is charity." In this manner and without any possible doubt, Paul places charity above even faith. This is because charity is within the reach of everybody, from the ignorant to the wise person, from rich to poor people; it is also quite independent of any particular beliefs. He does even more: he defines true charity by showing it as being not only beneficence, but also a collective of all the qualities of the heart, in terms of goodness and benevolence towards all of our fellow beings.

Message from the book Gospel according to Spiritism by Allan Kardec from the chapter "Without charity there's no salvation". 



Sunday 20 March 2011

Ghandi's non-violence speech

Today I was thinking about what is going on in Libya. Why can't that man just quit? What makes him think that he is so important to people that he can't quit or doesn't want to? Why is the world divided between Western and Arab right now? Everybody is the same, so what is with the separation? I don't like that!
I was also thinking that, when I die, I just want people to remember me as a person like everybody else independently of my nationality, my culture and my beliefs. I just want people to pray for me and forgive my mistakes when it's my time to go...
Yes, culture is part of our identity, but culture is not the most important thing about us, it doesn't define who we are as a whole, especially if cultural differences are used to separate and divide people in any way. I'm proud, at the moment, that Brazil decided to not participate in this military intervention in Libya. I'm not sure what should be done, but violence shouldn't be the right answer to anything. People in Japan are struggling because of natural disasters and money seems to be in the process of being wasted in this military no- fly zone intervention. Is it really sensible?
We need to pray...a lot!! Maybe we just need another Gandhi to help us see that non-violence also gets results. Maybe, if there was another leader like him in Libya, people there would be able to fight Gaddafi without international help. We need to fight our own battles, but it doesn't need to be with violence. I just pray that God helps them and us to understand that a new era is coming and that we should start changing ourselves first inside...not outside us. It makes me feel hopeless to not be able to do anything directly for them, but I believe that faith can do wonders. Where is our faith? If not in God, why not in humanity at least? Men deserve our faith as well. Humanity and individuals can change if they want to. Nothing can express my thoughts better, at this present moment in time, than the passage from the Bible when a men answered Jesus saying: "I believe, help my unbelief" (Mark, 9:24).

I decided to put a video that is part of the film about the life of Gandhi here today (below). I so respect this man! It's a good time to remember him, I think! Hope you see his point...I sure do.

 Mrs. P





 






Thursday 10 March 2011

The good or bad use of authority

 Sometimes I wish a different world to all of us...don't we all? A world where money, status, financial position, material things and appearances wouldn't be so important. If you are religious or not, it doesn't matter: no one will be able to take anything with them after death apart from whoever they became with their experiences. That's a lot to think about if you give it a proper thought.
I worked in many places where I saw so many people being humiliated for many reasons, but mainly because they didn't have the money, the power or the status to be respected or to be treated decently by people above them. Bosses, owners, managers, wealthy people can be extremely petty, spoiled and childish, sometimes, just because they have the power to be it. It always bothered me to see someone being pushed down, not receiving the recognition or the respect they deserved as human beings because they didn't have the final saying...maybe it bothered me to see it happen to others more than when it happened to me! Sometimes it's difficult to have money, power and everything else that comes with it and be a leader, I understand that. Pressure, competition and keeping up is not easy for anyone and I appreciate that leaders, owners, managers, bosses in general have also great responsibilities over their shoulders and leading people anywhere is not a walk in the park. I ask myself if I would be able to impose myself  to others through humiliation and intimidation to be able to get the results I needed if I was someone with power, money and everything else that comes with it. There's no way to know unless you've been there and I haven't. But it makes me sad to think that people in leadership and holding the power, at the moment, think that humiliating and intimidating is the best they can do. Let's try not to judge anyone, but I ask myself why this would be necessary. How many times I asked myself if it wouldn't be easier for everybody if the leaders and the ones "in power" would do us the favour of giving the examples first and then expecting things from others afterwards. How can you be respected by anyone by making people work their hardest for you while you watch them do it and take the credit? How can you expect to be fair acting this way? If you would like to be treated fairly by others, why can't you be the first one to treat others fairly?
I am talking about work because of one of my favourite messages from Cardinal Morlot from the book Gospel according to Spiritism that is called THOSE WHO ARE SUPERIOR AND THOSE WHO ARE INFERIOR. It talks about authority and the use we make of it, so I couldn't help thinking about work in general with human beings!!!
I started talking about bosses, leaders, owners, the powerful and the wealthy, but don't forget that, every single employee or subordinate also have their moral obligations. Lack of power and money doesn't make us victims. Employees cannot steal their money from somewhere, they have to work for it. If you don't do what you know you should, that means you're stealing from your employer, not working. Stealing doesn't necessary mean only material things! We do have also the responsibility to work for our salary and not pretend to work. An awful boss doesn't justify lack of hard work and dedication from the employees. Can you visualise both situations happening at your work place? I am sure that, in every work place (no exceptions!), there is that employee who doesn't do anything, but somehow always gets the promotion or the attention. Luckily, the same lazy co-worker won't be a back stabber!!!! There is also those bosses that take the credits for their leadership and etc when, in fact, they don't have a clue about how things are done and how the results were achieved! Luckily, some bosses are not bullies!!! The incredible part is that everybody sees what happens, but everybody pretends they don't!  How human beings are complicated!!!
Wouldn't be great if everybody just did what is right independently of other people's attitude? Because, at the end, it's only this that we are going to take with us: our actions, our thoughts, our consciousness and our story...
I watched a film the other day that is called Extraordinary Measures. It is about money, power and work, but focused on the Pharmaceutical industry. Good film with Harrison Ford playing a scientist. His character said something that I really liked. He said: " I don't care about money, I am a scientist. I have more important things to care about!!!!" I totally got his point!
Let's all be careful to not do to others what we don't want others to do to us. Let's also be careful to do our part, no matter if others are doing their part or not. Nobody is saying it will be easy!!! Always remember what we can take with us and what we can't!!! 
I am copying the message from Cardinal Morlot for you below. If you want to read Gospel according to Spiritism, you can go to my previous post to click on the link for this book there. If you would like to read other Spiritist books, you can go to this site here:  www.oconsolador.com.br There are various books in english and in portuguese for you to read for free!!! 

I hope you enjoy this message and think about it! 
Take care! 

Mrs. P 


THOSE WHO ARE SUPERIOR AND THOSE WHO ARE INFERIOR 

Authority, just as much as fortune, is delegated; and those who have received it will be required to give an account of what they have done with it. Do not believe that it has been given for the futile pleasure of command, nor even less as a right or property, as is falsely thought by the majority of powerful people on Earth. Besides, God is constantly proving that it is neither the one nor the other, since He takes it away whenever it pleases Him. If it was a privilege inherent to the person who exercised it, it would be inalienable. However, no one can say that something belongs to them, when it may be taken away without their consent. God confers authority with the title of mission or test, as He sees fit, and takes it back in the same manner. For the depository of authority, whatever its extent may be, from the master over his servants to a sovereign over his peoples, it must never be forgotten that such people have souls in their charge, and will have to answer for both the good and bad directives given to these subordinates. The misdemeanours these may commit, and the vices to which they may succumb in consequence of the directives received or the bad examples given, will all revert to those in command; just as in the same way the fruits of the solicitudes offered in conducting these subordinates towards goodness will also revert to those in authority. Every good person on Earth has either a small or a great mission, and whatever form it may take, it is always given for the purpose of goodness. Therefore to turn it away from its purpose is to fail in the execution of the task. If God asks the rich man: "What have you done with the fortune in your hands which should have been a source for spreading fruitfulness all around you?", He will also inquire of those who have some authority: "What have you done with your authority? What evils have you avoided? What progress have you made? If I gave you subordinates it was not so that you could turn them into slaves to your desires, or docile instruments for your whims or your greed. I made you strong and entrusted to you those who were weak, so that you could protect them and help them to climb up towards Me." The acting superior, who keeps Christ's words, despises none of his subordinates, because he knows that social distinctions do not exist before God. Spiritism teaches him that if these people are obeying him today, perhaps they have already given him orders in the past, or may give them to him later on, and that then he will be treated in the same manner as when they were under him. If the superior has duties to be fulfilled, the subaltern also has duties on his side which are no less sacred. If this person is also a Spiritist their conscience will tell them, in no uncertain terms, that they are not exempt from fulfilling these duties even when their superior does not fulfill his, because they know that you do not repay evil with evil and that the failings of some do not authorize others to fail likewise. If they suffer in their position, they will comment that without doubt they deserve it because they have perhaps abused the authority they had been given at some other time, and that now they are feeling the disadvantages that they had made others suffer. If they are obliged to support this situation for want of a better one, then Spiritism teaches them to be resigned as a test of their humility which is necessary for their advancement. Their belief guides them in their conduct; inducing them to proceed as they would wish subordinates to behave towards them, if they were the superior. For this reason they are more scrupulous in the fulfilment of their obligations, as they understand that all negligence in the work which has been confided to them would cause a loss to the one who pays them and to whom they owe their time and effort. In a word, this person is guided by their sense of duty, which their faith has instilled in them, and the certainty that all turning aside from the straight and narrow pathway will be a debt incurred that must be repaid sooner or later.
FRANÇOIS-NICOLASMADELEINE,  Cardinal MORLOT (Paris, 1863).

Message from the book Gospel according to Spiritism by Allan Kardec, chapter 17 "Be perfect".


Tuesday 8 March 2011

From the chapter I have not come to destroy the law







The title of this book (Gospel according to Spiritism) is not inviting to many people, I am sure, but it is a very interesting book if you give it a chance. Many people reject any thoughts of reading a religious book because there are so many annoying religious people around trying to force us or bully us into believing in God and in their religion. That's not my intention at all by posting things about God and these religious books. But I do like to read and think about God to get to my own conclusions with no prejudice. People can be used to dismissing everything that includes Jesus, New Testament or Bible immediately because these things are associated to boredom, disbelief, wars and annoying religious people...I know it happens because it happened to me to a certain degree at the beginning of my studies of Spiritism. I truly think it can be fascinating to analyse the explanations and theories in Allan Kardec books about God. I am really into God at the moment as it has been a phase of introspection to me, especially after I have been to Israel...I've been thinking and thinking, non stop! Great trip!!! I remember that a nice tour guide who was Jewish in Israel made a joke that was really funny. He said: "Jewish people pray 5 times a day, Muslims pray 3 times a day and Christians...well, once in a while, when they remember!!" It might be just me, but I thought it was hilarious!!! It can be so true!! But I will ask you a question: Have you ever thought how difficult it is to live what you preach instead of only preaching? Is it easier to only pray or is it easier to put what we believe in and pray for into practice?


Gospel according to Spiritism is one of the books from Allan Kardec and it talks about the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus Christ as much as it talks about Spiritism. This book is based on passages of the Bible. Sometimes people interpret the Bible in a very strict and "set in stone" way. The Bible is a sacred book for many reasons, but men can interpret this book in a very unilateral and partial way looking for what suits their beliefs only, denying everything else, and they don't seem to even try to think that other possibilities can complement their beliefs or even be better than what they currently believe. 
To me, Spiritism is a line of thought that I see myself following not because I think it's better than other religions (every religion has it's value), but maybe more complete than others, in my point of view. There is always a problem when we keep our minds closed to new ideas, even if the new ideas seem a long shot! Is there anything else more important than finding answers that make more sense to us and relieve our inner doubts? We never get every answer at once. The truth comes in parts as much as Science makes new discoveries gradually...that's how we evolve morally and intellectually. 


I am posting a part of the book entitled THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION from the chapter I have not come to destroy the law. I find this message very interesting because it talks about Science and religion as complements of each other instead of being against each other, which I already posted something about  previously. 
Jesus said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17) That's exactly what Jesus did, he complemented the teachings from the Prophets and the Law laid by them, but even nowadays, there are people who do not believe in Jesus teachings or do not consider his teachings relevant. Maybe because he wasn't the kind of leader they were expecting, maybe because he was too peaceful and died crucified...Then I ask you again: Have you ever thought how difficult it is to live what you preach instead of only preaching?
No matter what the reason is for not believing in Jesus, I still can't see why the way he died or the fact he was a peaceful leader would matter more to some people than his teachings, but I suppose this is a personal question that each one of us should ask ourselves...as long as it has been thought about and analysed before being dismissed...
If you would like to read this book, you can go on the link below and read it for free. 


Book in english
http://www.oconsolador.com.br/linkfixo/bibliotecavirtual/ingles/gospel.pdf




I hope this message below makes as much sense to you as it makes to me. 
Take care! 


Mrs. P 




THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION
 

8. Science and religion are the two levers of human intelligence, one revealing the laws of the material world, the other revealing those of the moral world. But seeing that these laws have the same principle, which is God, they cannot contradict themselves. If they contradict one another it would stand to reason that one was right and the other wrong. However, God could not have intended the destruction of His own work. Therefore the incompatibility that apparently exists between these ideas proves that they have been incorrectly interpreted, due to excessive exclusiveness on both sides. For this reason we have a conflict which has given rise to incredulity and intolerance.
We have now reached a phase upon this planet when the teachings of Christ must be completed and the intentional veil cast over some parts of these teachings lifted. A time when science must desist in its exclusive materialism, so taking into consideration the spiritual element; when religion must cease to ignore the organic and immutable law of matter, so that both may became two forces, each leaning on the other and advancing together in mutual concourse. Then religion, no longer discredited by science and no longer being able to oppose the overwhelming logic of the facts, will acquire an unshakable power because it will be in agreement with reason. Science and Religion could not come together till this time as they could only see matters according to their exclusive points of view, which in turn caused them to be reciprocally repelled. Something more was needed to enable them to close the gap that separated them, something which could unite them. This missing link is contained in the knowledge of the laws which govern the spiritual universe and its relationship with the world of matter. These laws are as immutable as those which govern the movement of the planet and the existence of all the beings. Once this relationship could be proved by experiments, a new light would begin to shine as faith began to be directed towards reason, and reason, finding nothing illogical in faith, could finally defeat materialism. But, as in many other matters, there are always those who remain behind until the general wave of movement towards progress drags them along. If they choose to resist instead of accompanying this movement they will eventually be crushed. So, after an elaboration which has lasted for more than eighteen centuries, a moral revolution is now in progress, operated and directed by Spirit, as humanity reaches the climax of its present potentialities and marches towards a new era. It is easy to forecast the consequences which will cause inevitable changes in social relations and be impossible to withstand, because they are determined by God and derived from the Law of Progress which is God’s law. 


Message from the book Gospel according to Spiritism by Allan Kardec

Thursday 3 March 2011

Freedom of thoughts and freedom of Conscience

Let’s think! Thoughts are only ours. I wonder how people who don’t accept the existence of God feel when they think that no one really knows what they feel and think, I mean no one. Even if they talk about their feelings and thoughts to people, no one really knows what’s inside their head and their heart. Only God can really know what we are feeling and thinking. It must feel lonely somehow to not have this belief...
Why people choose to be good if they don’t have the belief that there is a God? I asked myself this question many times. How can we have consciousness then? How can we distinguish between right and wrong and care about it if there’s no God? Do we learn it from society? Why do men still choose to do what’s wrong?  
Everybody has free will. Mentally ill or sensible people have as much freedom to choose their actions and their beliefs as each other. Who is to say if there’s anyone not disturbed in this world if not God?  Who never made a mistake? For example, society can choose to ban the use of cigarettes and alcohol forever by simply not producing them anymore since they’re considered bad for everybody’s body. Close all the factories that produce these two things would not be simple, but definitely possible. Why doesn’t it happen?
I try to put myself in people’s shoes (hard though!), especially the ones who don’t believe in God, to try to imagine what they are thinking while they are reading this post. I bet they will think things like: this is non-sense, why this people who believe in God are so fanatic and keep talking about it all the time, why they waste their time thinking about these things, too much time available to waste and that’s why she writes about this religious stuff, or a classical one is the argument that religion is the reason of almost all wars in History...There are also some religious people who fight against each other trying to prove that their religion is the only way to be “saved” and the only possible truth.
 I am always puzzled by the way human minds work and I am always curious to know how people get to their own conclusions. Not that I care necessarily about what they think, but I am curious about their train of thoughts. I wonder if people who don’t believe in God ever thought about why other people believe in God without ever dismissing the thought that there’s a possibility their belief can actually be true. I also wonder why certain religious groups fight against each other without ever considering that the truth as a whole can be made of different parts from different sources. I also wonder why people classify God as religion.
I personally think that I have nothing to lose by believing in God and Spiritism. If I’m wrong, death will bring me nothing, only darkness, nothing to lose. But if I’m right, death will bring me spiritual life and consequences to face. How idiotic would I feel to not have believed in that possibility and be dragged into it after death? It’s always better to be prepared for all possibilities!!! I say God AND Spiritism because it’s the only line of thought I see myself following to understand God. I agree with our friend Chico Xavier who said once: “If Allan Kardec had written that without Spiritism there’s no salvation, I would have looked for another path. Thank God he wrote that “Without charity, there’s no salvation.”

With all this in mind, I decided to put more questions from The Spirit’s Book here. They talk about Freedom of Thought and freedom of Conscience from Chapter X of the book entitled “The law of Liberty”. 

Mrs. P  


Freedom of Thought.

833. Is there in man something that escapes constraint, and in regard to which he enjoys
 absolute liberty?
"Yes, in his thought man enjoys unlimited freedom, for thought knows no obstacles. The
action of thought may be hindered, but not annihilated."

834. Is man responsible for his thoughts?
"He is responsible for them to God. God alone can take cognisance of thought, and condemns or absolves it according to His justice."

Freedom of Conscience.

835. Is freedom of conscience the natural consequence of freedom of thought?
"Conscience is an inner thought that belongs to man, like all his other thoughts."

836. Has man tile right to set up barriers against freedom of conscience?
"No more than against freedom of thought, for God alone has the right to judge the conscience. If man, by his laws, regulates the relations between men and men, God, by the laws of nature, regulates the relations between men and God."

837. What is the effect of the hindrances opposed to freedom of conscience?
"To constrain men to act otherwise than as they think,  and thus to make hypocrites of them.
Freedom of conscience is one of the characteristics of true civilisation and of progress."

838. Is every honest belief to be respected, even when completely false?
"Every belief is worthy of respect when it is sincere, and when it leads to the practice of goodness. Blameable beliefs are those which lead to the practice of evil."

839. Is it wrong to scandalise those whose belief is not the same as our own?
"To do so is to fail in charity, and to infringe on freedom of thought."

840. Is it an infringement of the freedom of conscience to place hindrances in the way of beliefs that are of a nature to cause social disturbance?
"You can only repress action; belief is inaccessible."
The repression of the external acts of a belief, when those acts are injurious to others is not an infringement of the freedom of conscience, for such repression leaves the belief itself entirely free.

841. Ought we, out of respect for freedom of conscience, to allow of the propagation of pernicious doctrines, or may we, without infringing upon that freedom, endeavour to bring back into the path of truth those who are led astray by false principles?
"Most certainly you not only may, but should, do so; but only by following the example of Jesus, by employing gentleness and persuasion, and not by resorting to force, which would be
worse than the false belief of those whom you desire to convince. Conviction cannot be imposed by violence."

842. All doctrines claiming to be the sole expression of the truth, by what signs can we recognise the one which has the best right to call itself such?
"The truest doctrine will be the one which makes the fewest hypocrites and the greatest number of really virtuous people, that is to say, of people practising the law of charity in its greatest purity and in its widest application. It is by this sign that you may recognise a doctrine as true; for no doctrine, of which the tendency to make divisions and demarcations among the children of God, can be anything but false and pernicious."

Wednesday 2 March 2011

Charities in Brazil




I would like to dedicate today's post to talk about two charities in Brazil that are really dear to my heart. I have volunteered for both charities and I know how serious they are and how much they help the poor community in Brazil. One is called Casa Maria de Magdala and the second one is called Remanso Fraterno.

Casa Maria de Magdala is a hospital for HIV positive adults and children. They are usually patients that were abandoned by their families because of the disease; that were taken there because the family couldn't afford medication or because they didn't have time to take care for them. They live in this hospital and receive treatment from volunteers doctors, nurses, and other volunteers in general, as well as medication for free. They receive donations to be able to acomodate so many patients and treat them properly. It's a beautiful work they do and I am a big fan of their work. If you can help in any way, please do, because they need every possible help. They have a bank account in the Banco do Brasil bank which you can find an agency in London if you would like to donate anything. 
The bank address is Pinners Hall 105-108 Old Broad St, London EC2N 1ER 
Casa Maria de Magdala' bank details are: 

BANCO DO BRASIL

Agency 0072-8 
Account: 507273-5

You can have a look in their website here                                                              


The other charity I would like to talk about is Remanso Fraterno. It's a social work where social disadvantaged kids and families receive education and medical assistance for free. It survives from donations from the public in general. It's very important to help this Institution as many of the families depend on it and it is struggling to get financial help. If you can help in anyway, please do. Unfortunately, they only have an account in a Brazilian bank which makes it difficult to donate money from the UK. 
If you want to have a look in their website, please click in the link below. Their website is in Portuguese though. 


 
If you can help, great. If not, thank you for taking the time to have a look at the charities I love so much! :) I will leave you now with some messages that I personally like. 
Take care! 
Mrs P 


"Science and religion are the two levers of human intelligence, one revealing the laws of the material world, the other revealing those of the moral world. But seeing that these laws have the same principle, which is God, they cannot contradict themselves." Allan Kardec - The Gospel According to Spiritism, Chapter 1, published by International Spiritist Council, 2004 

"Accustom yourselves then not to censure the things you do not understand, and more especially to believe that God is just in all things, and that on many occasions what appears to be an evil is really a blessing. Due to the fact that your faculties are so limited, it is not possible to have a clear vision of the whole, nor can it be felt by your obtuse senses. However, if you strive to reach beyond your limited sphere by means of thought, you will find the importance of all material things diminishes, according to the manner in which you are able to lift up your thoughts. In this way life presents itself as a mere incident in the infinite course of spiritual existence, which is the only true life". - FÉNELON (Sens, 1861), message from the book The Gospel according to Spiritism.