An epistemological view of the disputes of the laity state and the laicity in contemporary Brazil

Abstract

The debate on the secular State and the laicity in Brazil throws up many reflections, not only on issues related to the ins and outs of religious intolerance, but mainly, it gives rise to a more acute look in relation to the Constitutional Powers: Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Through a hypothetical deductive approach, developed from the consultation of historical, legal, academic documents and news from the national scene, this approach seeks to trace an epistemological path that aims to reflect on the governmental practices in the contemporary Brazilian public sphere that show controversies around the guarantee of laicity and the constitutional preservation of a laity State. The results demonstrate the strong presence of religious dogmas in the public sphere. Both the Executive Power, the Legislative Power, and the Judiciary at a paradoxically positioned. Sometimes assuming a premise aligned with the constitutional parameters inherent to the laity legal dimension, respecting certain guidelines of laicity, sometimes facing them, explicitly or covertly, according to situations and interests, without supporting the consolidation of a democratic ideal.