Born in the north Portugal,in a small town,before the "revolution"(1974),I've been rised in a sociaty that matches the image used to ilustrate the southerd countries of Europe:a "black&white" sociaty,ruled by a State/Catolic Church,with supertitions and the fear of a God that no one really understand,and more of a burning Inferno.I've been baptized,going to the "sunday school",do the 1rst communion.I never took religion serious,never saw a Bible in our Families houses who had the walls covered with Saints stamps and statues/figurines.Then it turn important in a politic level,'cause the Cruch were the most strong sustain of the "Old Regime",and to figth againgst it we...use the..
ible!We were more expert in the "Holly Book" than the most religious people!But with the years,the Church regains some of the power and influence that had loose,and becomes,again,a fact to have in count in the way (mostly)small towns are driven.Plus,at my 50's,I've a child,and we agree to baptise the kid,and have the celebration and Family reunion...That make me approached again to the Church issues;We put him in the "sunday school" and do the catholic first comugnion:but allways with our understanding of religion,just to learn a part of our history,only like it was one more of the legends and facts, that make us the people and country we are.If to my child it was something like "Santa",I've saw the return of the Church into the Society,and became again a factor of negative influence in the live of the people;beeing in the political brunch of the town,I can see how religion is working to put an "agenda" on the way the city is driven.Them,I see that's a movement to fight against the influence that Religion have,mainly in the USA, and,now,in Brasil.As a Lawyer,now retired after 25 years,I've a formation on History,Philosophy,Sociology,etc,I've a professional live were I could do lots of actions to drive things to the right way ( I start working in a time were the laws were just starting to change,and the minds still in the past,and it was a hard fight to make things different),but,if,for me Religion was a thing too far away from my life and mind,here,in Portugal,we still have Religion and Church all around us.So,my interests drove me to the decision of create a "think tank" to discuss the role of religion in the Society,and debate the Bible,writing in local newspapers,and inviting scholars to conferences.And I never dream that were such a hard and difficult thing to do:even friends of mine tell me to quit,or run from anything I promote,and people that are agnostic and have the same ideas I fight for!So,I'm joining the people that stand for it,around the world.I'm at disposal to "talk" to anyone that think useful to contact me,here in the north of Portugal!