Edir Macedo criticizes Bolsonarista slogan

Edir Macedo, founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (IURD), has publicly criticized the slogan “God, Fatherland, and Family,” a central expression of the Bolsonarista movement. During a service on October 25, Macedo proposed a different hierarchy of priorities, stating: “I do not approve of that theory ‘God, fatherland, and family’... First God, second the family, and third the State, or whatever else one may want to be.”

Macedo used biblical figures such as Abraham and Isaac to justify this theological stance, arguing that the family must precede the State. He further questioned the possibility of a nation existing without a family structure, asserting that a fatherland can only exist through the family, which in turn comes from God.

This statement comes amid shifting dynamics between evangelical leadership and the Bolsonaro family. While the IURD supported Jair Bolsonaro in previous elections, the church has reportedly adopted a stance of distancing itself from the 2026 presidential race to focus on congressional elections.