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According to its principles, Christian Rationalism is a science and philosophy, not a religion. Despite their name, they say the doctrine has nothing to do with the biblical Jesus Christ, who they regard as just a man, though a remarkable man, whose legacy of moral principles was appropriated by the biblical, mystical religions. (However, myself I never understood why they need to use the word Christian on this non-religious philosophy.)
"The Christian Rationalism deals with Physical and Psychic Phenomena, Philosophical and Psychological issues, Reincarnation, Incorporeal Life, ...", etc., etc. (see in www.christian-rationalism.org or in Portuguese: www.racionalismo-cristao.org.br.)
The Christian Rationalism (Racionalismo Cristão) was founded almost 100 years ago in Brazil by the Portuguese emigrants Luiz de Mattos and Luiz Thomaz, originally as a dissidence of the Brazilian Spiritualist movement (which the Rationalists regard as religious instead of scientific). The Christian Rationalism accomplished a somewhat large implantation in Brazil and other countries. It has a relatively big community of followers in Cape Verde, with a surprising number of Casas Racionalistas (meeting houses) in a single city like Mindelo, for example. The Cape-Verdeans have taken the Christian Rationalism with them to the countries of emigration, like Portugal, the Netherlands or the United States (for example the Casas Racionalistas in the Netherlands have the meetings conducted in both Portuguese and Dutch languages). It seems to me that the Christian Rationalism is more favored by the well-off and more educated sectors of the Cape-Verdean society, but the meetings are free and open to everybody and, in fact, they are attended by people from all walks of life (indeed, there is no collection of alms, nor any soliciting of gratuities).
This picture is one of the Casas Racionalistas in Mindelo city, São Vicente Island, in the area of Alto Miramar (my next post). In the workshop there is a front view (wires cloned out).

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Additional Photos by Francisco Santos (xuaxo) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4896 W: 319 N: 4862] (6854)
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