Citizens who, because of religious belief, cannot participate in activities on Saturday are hoping to have their rights guaranteed by federal law. On December 13, the Labor and Social Security Committee of the Brazilian House of Representatives approved a draft proposal of Rep. Silas Brasileiro establishing that public testing and college entrance examinations should be carried out from Sunday through Friday. The law would regulate that in cases in which the organizing entity is to hold tests on Saturday, the candidate who alleges and proves religious conviction should be given an alternative of taking such a test after 6:00 p.m. The proposal is viewed as a victory of proponents of religious freedom and was supported by Rep. Geraldo Magela, who intermediated the discussions between the churches and members of the legislature. “The approval of this law is nothing more than regulating a right guaranteed by the Federal Constitution,” explained Rep. Magela.

In its final passage before the legislative vote, the proposal will now be evaluated by the Constitution and Justice Committee.

Addressing the importance of the proposed law, Siloé de Almeida, spokesman for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America, appealed to Seventh-day Adventists in Brazil by suggesting that “all members of the church who know a federal representative in their state should speak with them requesting their support for this bill.”