The Way of Looking Makes the Difference Luiz Síveres religious pluralism, religious liberty, civil religion, perception Sight is one of the most important senses of the human condition, and classic philosophy, as proposed by Aristotle, defined vision as the most important sense in the search for knowledge. Currently, vision also consists of an infinity of perspectives, accompanied by a diversity of technologies. Yet, in spite of this multiplicity of views, according to Fritjof Capra, humanity is passing through a crisis of perception, because it is no longer able to identify that which is real from virtual reality, nor is it able to differentiate the essential from the secondary or the immediate from what indicates the sense of life. This scenario brought to mind a report that appeared some years ago in a Brazilian newspaper in which the photographer Walter Carvalho was asked, "Why do you continue to take photographs?" His answer continues to resonate in me because, with a great deal of wisdom, he replied, "Because I still believe that we need to seek out the soul, that which is under the surface. What interests me is the mystery." Further, he stated, in reference to the practice of photography, "I am very much afraid of learning to take pictures and losing my ability to think, for photography is not for learning; it is for practicing. We all know the technique. The way of looking is what makes the difference." Considering that the way of looking makes the difference, I will express my point of view on the reality of America, mainly regarding the [End Page 605] phenomenon of religious pluralism. Numerous academic analyses are in progress on this theme; separate studies are proceeding, and an infinite number of publications are available. As the aim of this essay is not to portray the diversity of religious manifestation but, rather, to seek out the soul and look toward that which is revealed as mystery, I intend to look at religious pluralism, directing my eyes behind, upward, downward, around, and forward. In every historical pilgrimage, there is a need to pause and take the time to contemplate the journey already made. Thus, looking at the past in the context of America led me to perceive the importance of religion as a constituent element of its culture, a reality that can be perceived in the proclamation of its motto, "we the people." This proclamation also defined the importance of the religious aspect, principally of a Christian character, in conducting the American story. Therefore, a look at the past allowed me to perceive how much the religious experience was present in the culture of that people, to the point of inserting the theme in the Constitution and referring to it in the first constitutional amendment, defining the principle of religious liberty. Looking upward, however, one perceives the predominance of religions recognized as more appropriate for American culture that are linked to the Abrahamic tradition and, more specifically, the Christian tradition. Nevertheless, there are many religious manifestations that are tolerated, as is the case of ancestral religions, as well as new forms of religious orientation with a more Oriental character. Thus, a religious gradation appears in an upward view, in which some religions are more recognized and made nearly official, and others are merely tolerated. In a glance downward, a difference can be seen between religions linked more to white populations and those linked more to black populations. This aspect can be noted in the expression of Martin Luther King, Jr., in affirming, "I have a dream." It is the dream of equality between whites and blacks, the dream of friendship between rich and poor, the dream of liberty between recognized and tolerated religions. This proposal has contributed to identifying the process of liberation, taking up the experience of the Exodus, in which the people made a pilgrimage from slavery to freedom. It was, at last, the recognition of a black church, governed by the absence of racial segregation and social violence. [End Page 606] In a view of the surroundings, or in a more panoramic contemplative act, one can recognize the diversity of religious manifestations, whose symbols appear on money ("In God we trust...