• 2025.10.22 (Wed)
  • All articles
  • LOGIN
  • JOIN
Global Economic Times
APEC2025KOREA가이드북
  • Synthesis
  • World
  • Business
  • Industry
  • ICT
  • Distribution Economy
  • Korean Wave News
  • Opinion
  • Arts&Culture
  • Sports
  • People & Life
  • Lee Yeon-sil Column
  • Ko Yong-chul Column
  • Photo News
  • New Book Guide
  • Cherry Garden Story
MENU
 
Home > World

Evangelicals in Brazil Struggle with Gambling Addiction Despite Church Teachings

Pedro Espinola Special Correspondent / Updated : 2024-11-16 02:23:41
  • -
  • +
  • Print


SÃO PAULO - Stories of believers getting caught up in sports betting, or "bets," are becoming increasingly common. "We have the case of a young man who had 90 reais and went out to dinner with his girlfriend. The bill was higher, so he went to the bathroom and bet the 90 reais. He lost everything," says Apostle Estevam Hernandes of the Renascer em Cristo church.

Despite most churches condemning gambling, pastors are noticing a growing trend of their congregants getting hooked on sports betting, particularly among evangelical Christians. A study conducted in 181 Brazilian municipalities has shown that evangelicals are more inclined to engage in online gambling and accumulate significant debts.

Tania Martins Vieira, a 48-year-old church member, struggled with a gambling addiction that cost her half a million reais. She credits her faith with helping her recover. "The churches that adhere to the Prosperity Theology believe that God is a shortcut to prosperity," says Pastor Filipe Scarcella, who has dealt with gambling addiction among his congregation.

Bishop Renato Cardoso, seen as the likely successor to Edir Macedo at the Universal Church, argues that wanting to be rich is not inherently evil. "Unless it turns into greed and distances a person from God," he says.

Celebrating Recovery is a Christian-oriented therapeutic program inspired by the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Água Branca Baptist Church in central São Paulo hosts group meetings with 350 participants.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]

Pedro Espinola Special Correspondent
Pedro Espinola Special Correspondent

Popular articles

  • OpenAI's $500 Billion Valuation Ignites 'AI Bubble' Debate on Wall Street

  • Trump's H-1B Fee Hike Sends Shockwaves Through Wall Street Banks 

  • NOV Secures Contract for Argentina's First FLNG Project

I like it
Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Kakaotalk
  • LINE
  • BAND
  • NAVER
  • https://globaleconomictimes.kr/article/1065547391958297 Copy URL copied.
Comments >

Comments 0

Weekly Hot Issue

  • LG Electronics Launches 'ThinQ ON' AI Home Hub to Lead Smart Home Market
  • Supersonic 'Hyperloop' Poised to Shrink South Korea, Cutting Seoul-Busan Trip to 20 Minutes
  • Traffic Congestion Levy Stifles Support for Small Businesses
  • S. Korea Ramps Up Cybersecurity with Sweeping Measures
  • Gmarket Challenges E-Commerce Leaders Coupang and Naver with 700 Billion Won Investment and Alibaba Synergy
  • Arc Flash Horror: Uncertified Adapter Blamed for Fiery Tesla Charging Explosion in Canada

Most Viewed

1
The Imminent Reality: Donald Trump's Unlikelihood for the Nobel Peace Prize as a Destroyer of International Order
2
Renewable Energy Covers 100% of Global Electricity Demand Growth in H1 2025, Marking a Turning Point in the Fossil Fuel Era
3
McDonald's 'Subtle Racism' Controversy: Korean American Denied Order After 70-Minute Wait
4
Early Winter Chill Grips South Korea as Seoraksan Sees First Snow
5
A Chemical Revolution, the Era of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Begins: 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
광고문의
임시1
임시3
임시2

Hot Issue

Chinese Researchers Unveil Ultra-Fast Analog Chip, Targeting 1,000x Nvidia Speed

Melody in the OR: Parkinson's Patient Plays Clarinet During Brain Surgery

South Korean Chip Titans Clash Over Next-Gen HBM4 Memory

South Korea to Launch Government-Led AI Certification to Combat Market Confusion

Let’s recycle the old blankets in Jeju Island’s closet instead of incinerating them.

Global Economic Times
korocamia@naver.com
CEO : LEE YEON-SIL
Publisher : KO YONG-CHUL
Registration number : Seoul, A55681
Registration Date : 2024-10-24
Youth Protection Manager: KO YONG-CHUL
Singapore Headquarters
5A Woodlands Road #11-34 The Tennery. S'677728
Korean Branch
Phone : +82(0)10 4724 5264
#304, 6 Nonhyeon-ro 111-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Copyright © Global Economic Times All Rights Reserved
  • 에이펙2025
  • APEC2025가이드북TV
  • 세종시
Search
Category
  • All articles
  • Synthesis
  • World
  • Business
  • Industry
  • ICT
  • Distribution Economy
  • Korean Wave News
  • Opinion
  • Arts&Culture
  • Sports
  • People & Life
  • Lee Yeon-sil Column
  • Ko Yong-chul Column
  • Photo News
  • New Book Guide
  • Cherry Garden Story
  • Multicultural News
  • Jobs & Workers
  • APEC 2025 KOREA GUIDE