Existe secularização no Brasil? análise a partir da desfiliação, descrença e ausência de prática religiosa

Abstract

Brazil has experienced many transformations in its religious landscape during last decades, being remarkable in this context the growth of the non-religious. Regarding it, and considering that even those who maintain a religious affiliation may have their religiosity below the level expected by the churches, the aim of this study is to investigate whether there is secularization in Brazil. Thereunto it is used data from Brazil Religion Survey conducted by the Datafolha Institute in 2007, and the theoretical framework proposed by Azzi and Ehrenberg (1975). Three models were estimated using discrete choice models, controlling for socioeconomic, demographic, geographic and cultural attributes. The first two models, concerning disaffiliation and unbelief, were estimated by Probit. The third model reports the absence of religious practice and was estimated by Ordered Probit. The results confirm some hypotheses of the theory of secularization, for example, have liberal opinion relating to moral and social issues is positively associated with secularism, and lower levels of income incur lower chance of disaffiliation. In addition, the profile of those who define themselves as nonreligious, unbelievers and those who do not practice religion is similar, and religious adherence does not always imply more intense religious practice or belief in religious dogmas. Thus, it is possible to affirm that there is secularization in Brazil.