BIBLE BABIESInside the Weird World of Brazil’s Child Preachers (Page 3 of 3) Published May, 2009 
| Alex Silva, Photo courtesy of the Silva family |
Alex Silva, 15 years old Vice: Please tell us the story of your birth.
Alex: I’m the son of a prophecy. When my mom got pregnant, a prophet came to her and told her that I was going to be an instrument in the hands of God. Here in Brazil we have a strong belief in prophecies like that. So you’ve been at this is for some time.
I’ve been preaching since I was nine years old. How do you prepare for a sermon?
Every preacher has his own ritual. The first thing is that I don’t do anything that stresses me. The second thing is that I read a certain passage of the Bible that I want to talk about. The third thing is that I read religious books in general so that I get to know more about the topic and can preach better, and the fourth thing is that I always think a lot about everything I read. Also, I always try to rest right before a sermon—I pray and fast to face the Holy Ghost. Is there a special child-preacher training program in Brazil?
I never had the chance to take religious classes. My rhetoric, my preaching, and my creativity all come from God. I have my own motivation, which is more important than a class. But the point is that everyone starts on the same footing. When do the miracles come into play?
You need to be anointed to make miracles and to do healings and bring people back to life. You need to win souls for God’s realm. Have you seen miracles?
Yes, I’ve seen a lot of them. What role do your parents play?
My mom was always a friend, a partner, a helper, and a safe harbor. She is the supporter of my creation. She helps me with everything I do, supports me, and prays wherever I pray so that God blesses me. Tell us about your own prayer.
When I pray, I speak to God. When I pray, I’m in total peace and the Holy Ghost comes down to me so that my soul finds peace with God. If you ask me how often I pray, I have to say that I usually don’t pray longer than five minutes—but I never have more than five minutes where I don’t pray. The secret is that you always have to talk to God. It doesn’t matter how often, it matters how you pray. And when you aren’t praying and you aren’t preaching? What do you do then?
This sounds like the fun part of the interview. When I don’t pray to God I watch TV. Sometimes I read books or play video games. I recently started to get into soccer and tennis with my friend Waldir. He became my tennis teacher, but to be really honest I love soccer more. I’m not that different from any other kids my age. I’m just precocious when it comes to my gift. Do you have a girlfriend?
How can you dare to ask that? Of course not. Are you nervous before you go on stage to preach?
In the beginning I was pretty nervous. Not because of the crowd, but because of the spiritual responsibility: I’m a portal for God’s voice on earth to the people. What was the greatest moment of your life?
I’ve seen a lot of miracles in other people’s lives because they found God. I grew up in a very poor environment, and God changed my whole life. He came down to me and gave me this gift to spread his words. I became very popular all over Brazil, and even in other countries. Every time I see someone crying because he is so touched by my words, it warms my heart. Your DVDs are among the best-selling ones out there. I take it the money’s pretty good.
Many of my DVDs are sold around here, but the guys who make the most money are the ones who pirate them. Also, I do a lot of preaching all over the country. I do make a lot of money, but you have to know that the costs of what I do are pretty high, too. Oh? Give us an idea, please.
For every sermon I do in public I get a new suit. I buy a lot of religious books. I have to pay for my education and for food. Also, together with Waldir I try to help the kids who really need it, because they don’t get any help from the state or the church. At Christmas and during Easter everybody gets gifts from us in the favelas. We try to help the poorest people. What is your goal in life?
That is a pretty good question. We live in a materialistic and pessimistic world. People just live to work, to get food, and get food to work more. That’s how the world is right now. I want to bring love to the people. I want to free the people’s minds. I want to change the world.
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| jnevs, on Aug 4, 2009 wrote:
theres alot of desperation in Brasil it isnt so outrageous that this happens children represent purity and brasil is a place full of controversy crime and poverty. | | Anonymous, on Aug 4, 2009 wrote:
This is child abuse, plain and simple. | |
| catbird, on Jul 13, 2009 wrote:
I can’t believe these kids don’t go to school! just because a prophet told their parent that they where chosen one’s! | | Anonymous, on Jun 20, 2009 wrote:
He has a H U G E left hand | |
| greeksalot, on Jun 5, 2009 wrote:
What bothers me the most is the fact that since children naturally assume that their parents tell nothing but righteous truth, these poor kids are spoon-fed all this total bullshit by those they trust the most | | |
| greeksalot, on Jun 5, 2009 wrote:
"The Bible says that I don’t need to take time off because I’m God’s servant all the time and that is a blessing. You can rest when you are blessed, and you are blessed when you are dead."
Cant someone please save this poor girl from the exploiters (her parents)?? | | Anonymous, on Jun 2, 2009 wrote:
WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THE WORLD AND THESE CRAZY KIDS?
I thought the US was nuts with places like Jesus camp, but the fact that ’awesome exotic places’ like Brazil, who in my mind can do no wrong, now have caught on. Shit.
Some dude’s mum at my school told him he was the son of the Virgin Mary? He subsequently then went on to sell his soul on EBAY and film a cat dying in a jar on YOUTUBE?
How much can you really know at 14? You haven’t even made underage drunken mistakes yet. Thats when you will REALLY understand the meaning of cleansing. Literally and metaphorically. | | Anonymous, on May 27, 2009 wrote:
this needs a follow up 5 years from now. they’re successful because their youth is a novelty in this industry. | | Anonymous, on May 27, 2009 wrote:
this is a good sign, not because christianity is proof of progress, but because it appears that extreme evangelical power-house preacher moments in history are indicative of desperation which is often followed by power shifts and revolutions-- which brazil sorely needs. viva la revolucion! | | Anonymous, on May 27, 2009 wrote:
Its really annoying that people allow their children to be brainwashed into believing into something as crass as religion. It should be outlawed, it promotes uniform thinking and a really basic way of living. Sure, if you can apply all the good stuff to your life and because of it you’re a better person then great but I cannot see the point in ’giving yourself to Jesus’, look what happened when all those German’s ’gave themselves’ to Nazism. Right? Right. Now fuck off, I’m busy
Chesus Jrist | |
| Virgin Mary, on May 23, 2009 wrote:
I want to give birth to a "son of God" or maybe adopt one and explore it until I get rich with desperate poor people’s money. And while my son is preaching the stupid holly book of bullshits for retards I will be drinking and getting skin cancer in my big ass by the sea in Rio... | | Anonymous, on May 22, 2009 wrote:
this is really fucking depressing | | Anonymous, on May 22, 2009 wrote:
"Anonymous, on May 15, 2009 wrote:
Alot of you people think that these kids are being brainwashed and what not for the money, but once you give your life to Christ the material things of this world lose their luster. How do you know that the parents are not protecting their childrens money for them? Or are you jumping to conclusions and assuming that everyone in this fallen world is evil?"
Are you kidding? The parents aren’t "protecting their childrens money" from them just in case their lustre for material possesions returns: they’re using the kid as some conniving cash scam that sadly - because it involves God, the promise of salvation and an innocent little kid - works. So shut up about jumping to conclusions and accept that this is fucked up. | | Anonymous, on May 22, 2009 wrote:
scumnation says ’religion is child abuse’ | |
| tj, on May 20, 2009 wrote:
me and my friends wanted to start an elvis religion to try and make some money but then we realized its too corrupt to take money from a bunch of dumbasses! | | Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote:
love the silhouetted fingers on the girl preacher’s snatch. god is such a perv. go all the way with jesus! morons and charlatans one and all. | | Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote:
religion is a crutch for the mentally deficient. no exceptions. | | Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote:
There’s an asshole born every minute. In this case, every three seconds. | | Anonymous, on May 18, 2009 wrote:
these kids are just babies! what do they know about life? and to have adults listen to them like they’re the prophet seem stpuid | |
| zerotransfat, on May 18, 2009 wrote:
"You can rest when you are blessed, and you are blessed when you are dead."
i was born into christianity. my parents are hardcore religious but me, not so much. the quote above? that’s the kind of shit that pisses me off. I get angry when I see shit like that. the kid’s parents piss me off and the kid pisses me off for not going against it and questioning anything.
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| bird is the word, on May 18, 2009 wrote:
this reminds me of the documentary "jesus camp" with all the young children preaching | | Anonymous, on May 18, 2009 wrote:
haha look at the picture of Matheus. he’s reaching out his hand as if to say "mooooreee moneeeyyy. give me more!"
| | Anonymous, on May 18, 2009 wrote:
"I want to become a federal judge"
and the scary thing is, is that she probably WILL be one. | |
| boggle_brains, on May 18, 2009 wrote:
they are all very touchy about the boyfriend/girlfriend question....suspicious. maybe they are all dating each other?! | | Anonymous, on May 17, 2009 wrote:
Fuck God.
Oh yeah, I forgot. There isn’t one.
My bad....... | | Anonymous, on May 16, 2009 wrote:
to jesus preaching on the 5th row down, this is exactly why the world is fallen. | | Anonymous, on May 15, 2009 wrote:
i would love to get all these kids in the same room and watch them tear each other apart arguing about who is really "chosen." | | Anonymous, on May 15, 2009 wrote:
"I mean look at how many people that get coming to see them too. they must make be crazy rish"
I want to make be crazy rish too! | | Anonymous, on May 15, 2009 wrote:
"Every preacher has his own ritual. The first thing is that I don’t do anything that stresses me."
You’re 11! What the fuck are you stressed out about. | | Anonymous, on May 15, 2009 wrote:
That Matheus boy is totally milking Jesus’ story about the birth thing.
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