MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The minister has the number 666 tattooed on his arm.
But Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is not your typical minister. De Jesus, or "Daddy" as his thousands of followers call him, does not merely pray to God: He says he is God.
"The spirit that is in me is the same spirit that was in Jesus of Nazareth," de Jesus says.
De Jesus' claims of divinity have angered Christian leaders, who say he is a fake. Religious experts say he may be something much more dangerous, a cult leader who really believes he is God. (Watch followers get 666 tattoos for their leader )
"He's in their heads, he's inside the heads of those people," says Prof. Daniel Alvarez, a religion expert at Florida International University who has debated some of de Jesus' followers.
"De Jesus speaks with a kind of conviction that makes me consider him more like David Koresh or Jim Jones."
Is de Jesus really a cult leader like David Koresh, who died with more than 70 of his Branch Davidian followers in a fiery end to a standoff with federal authorities, or Jim Jones, the founder of the Peoples Temple who committed mass suicide with 900 followers in 1978?
Prophets 'spoke to me'
De Jesus and his believers say their church -- "Creciendo en Gracia," Spanish for "Growing in grace" -- is misunderstood. Followers of the movement say they have proof that their minister is divine and that their church will one day soon be a major faith in the world.
But even de Jesus concedes that he is an unlikely leader of a church that claims thousands of members in more than 30 countries.
De Jesus, 61, grew up poor in Puerto Rico. He says he served stints in prison there for petty theft and says he was a heroin addict.
De Jesus says he learned he was Jesus reincarnate when he was visited in a dream by angels.
"The prophets, they spoke about me. It took me time to learn that, but I am what they were expecting, what they have been expecting for 2,000 years," de Jesus says.
The church that he began building 20 years ago in Miami resembles no other:
Followers have protested Christian churches in Miami and Latin America, disrupting services and smashing crosses and statues of Jesus.
De Jesus preaches there is no devil and no sin. His followers, he says, literally can do no wrong in God's eyes.
The church calls itself the "Government of God on Earth" and uses a seal similar to the United States.
Doing God's work with a Lexus and Rolex
If Creciendo en Gracia is an atypical religious group, de Jesus also does not fit the mold of the average church leader. De Jesus flouts traditional vows of poverty.
He says he has a church-paid salary of $136,000 but lives more lavishly than that. During an interview, he showed off a diamond-encrusted Rolex to a CNN crew and said he has three just like them. He travels in armored Lexuses and BMWs, he says, for his safety. All are gifts from his devoted followers.
And what about the tattoo of 666 on his arm?
Although it's a number usually associated with Satan, not the son of God, de Jesus says that 666 and the Antichrist are, like him, misunderstood.
The Antichrist is not the devil, de Jesus tells his congregation; he's the being who replaces Jesus on Earth.
"Antichrist is the best person in the world," he says. "Antichrist means don't put your eyes on Jesus because Jesus of Nazareth wasn't a Christian. Antichrist means do not put your eyes on Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Put it on Jesus after the cross."
And de Jesus says that means him.
So far, de Jesus says that his flock hasn't been scared off by his claims of being the Antichrist. In a show of the sway he holds over the group, 30 members of his congregation Tuesday went to a tattoo parlor to have 666 also permanently etched onto their skin.
He may wield influence over them, but his followers say don't expect them to go the way of people who believed in David Koresh and Jim Jones. Just by finding de Jesus, they say, they have achieved their purpose.
"If somebody tells us drink some Kool-Aid and we'll go to heaven, that's not true. We are already in heavenly places," follower Martita Roca told CNN after having 666 tattooed onto her ankle.
In my opinion, this man is blasphemy. Not only for Muslims, but for Christians too. He claims to be Jesus. The following verse from the Bible refutes the "divinity" of this man:
Mathew 24:5 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
In my opinion, this man is blasphemy. Not only for Muslims, but for Christians too. He claims to be Jesus. The following verse from the Bible refutes the "divinity" of this man:
Mathew 24:5 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
I concur with your conclusion. However, I still think it is important that one uses proper logic when turning to the scriptures.
Jesus did say that many would come in his name saying that they were the Christ. Further, it is also true that there are those who would come in his name that were indeed not the Christ, and so they would be deceiving any followers who thought they were the Christ.
But here is where we have to be careful with logic. It is false to simply jump to the conclusion that anytime we meet someone who claims to have come in Jesus' name by saying that he is the Christ that this is one of those deceivers which Jesus warned about. Jesus also promised to return someday. We expect him to come in a different way than this man came, but Jesus was expected to come in a different way than he actually came the first time also. So, that he fits the simple description of a deceiver is not what makes him a deceiver, for perhaps even the real Christ will appear that way to some.
For me what so boldly illustrates that he has nothing to do with the real Christ is how he mocks and even attacks everything that is associated with Christ. I do not believe that Christ would stand against himself. He says things like: "there is no devil and no sin". His followers, he says, literally can do no wrong in God's eyes. How contrary to the actual message of Jesus.
Last edited by Grace Seeker; 02-24-2007 at 01:14 AM.
Why is everyone so harsh of these people believing him? Is he any different then a bunch of people following Moses, Jesus, Muhommad, or Budha?
What is the difference? They all made outrageous claims.
Who are people who believe in religions to talk?
format_quote Originally Posted by Grace Seeker
For me what so boldly illustrates that he has nothing to do with the real Christ is how he mocks and even attacks everything that is associated with Christ. I do not believe that Christ would stand against himself. He says things like: "there is no devil and no sin". His followers, he says, literally can do no wrong in God's eyes. How contrary to the actual message of Jesus.
I am more inclined to Grace Seeker's view on this. The pastor absolves the accountability of himself and that of his followers.
Buddhism teaches total restraint from worldly pleasures as opposed to indulgence. Every prophet in the Abrahamic religions has come to preach about God, enjoining good and avoiding sins. The common ground between these three religions is that they all teach people to be faithful and good.
In contrast, the pastor is teaching his followers that they will NOT be accountable for their actions. So what stops them from sinning, doing evil and harming others? This is a terrorist teaching! This is terrorism without a mask. This is why it raises major concern. Too many false prophets have led their people to their doom, causing death and destruction with no real contribution to world peace, here like this guy here.
So in answer to ManchesterFolk's earlier statement, there is difference between the prophets of the Abrahamic religions and the pastor who claims divinity. The former teaches God, enjoining good and avoiding evil while the latter absolves accountability.
Why is everyone so harsh of these people believing him? Is he any different then a bunch of people following Moses, Jesus, Muhommad, or Budha?
What is the difference? They all made outrageous claims.
Who are people who believe in religions to talk?
The Prophets of God had their signs from God- turning his stick thing in to a snake, resurrecting the dead, splitting the moon, the Quran etc.
Not only that, but their message is believable.
They don't claim to be God!!
Also, this guy is claiming to be Jesus, but he goes against almost everything in the bible. Not to mention, doesn't Jesus return after the anti-Christ according to Christian belief? I don't see no anti-christ yet, theres still a lot of signs that need to be fulfilled before Jesus returns! Talk about inconsistencies!
(He isn't even the correct race, is he? Jesus was Jewish!)
666 isn't the devil's number anyhow. Isn't it 616?
I can't speak for others, but within Christianity there is one school of thought that when the antiChrist comes that he will cause people to have the number 666 put on their foreheads and forearms. Now, with this man we see that number, but being tatooed in other places. Of course, this is just one school of though, others think that we already see it in things like credit cards that are often 18 digits long, divided into 3 sets of 6 digit numbers. Sorry, I can't fill you in more; it is not the sort of subject I pay that much attention to. Now if you want to know more about Jim Jones, ask me that. My father went to school with Jim Jones, and he even came to my dad for advice when the first church he sought to become pastor of rejected him because of concerns regarding his psychological character.
I can't speak for others, but within Christianity there is one school of thought that when the antiChrist comes that he will cause people to have the number 666 put on their foreheads and forearms.
Interesting, Muslims believe he will brand peoples forehead using the ring of Solomon, and it will say either kafir or Muslim. EDIT- actually, it isn't him, it is the beast of the earth who does that.
All I know is that its the "Number of the Beast"...why that number in particular I couldn't say.
Ditto. It is not a subject that I have a strong interest in, but if you do, you might check out the writings of people who enjoy biblical eschatology.
There are both good and bad sites out there I'm sure, but at present I would be hard pressed to discern which was which. So, for a sample of the fare, and without comment as to the quality of the scholarship, I share a portion of what writer that I am not even familiar with had to say regarding your question:
In this chapter of Revelation we have seen that those who worship the beast will be the buyers and sellers and will receive the mark of this beast in their right hand or in their foreheads. By the same token, all those who will not worship this beast shall not receive of his mark, and will be killed. God informs, "here is wisdom, let he who has understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six." Do we count chronologically by one until we reach six hundred threescore and six? That would be ridiculous of course. But God didn't give us any other number to count with or by, so obviously He wants us to simply count "that" single number. He didn't say add it to another number, He didn't say assign letters for numbers, He didn't say to calculate it using Hebrew numerology, and He didn't say that it was three six's. The number is not 6 three times, it is "literally" 600, +60 +6. And so as faithful servants of God, we should do exactly as God has instructed. We count this number the only way it can be counted. As the number of itself. Since it is the number of man, but not of all men (only those marked), we obviously count it as the number of unsaved man, that is part of the whole. Spiritually speaking, we could the number of man who has come under bondage to Satan. Six hundred threescore and six counted as "this part" of man, is two thirds. And not coincidentally, we find that is the number of man that God assigns for those of the house of God who will be cut off. And so our Biblical conclusions that this number signifies those who are of the Church are become deceived, is confirmed on multiple fronts.
Interesting, Muslims believe he will brand peoples forehead using the ring of Solomon, and it will say either kafir or Muslim.
What does the 666 mean?
I might be mistaken but aren't Dabbatul Ardh (Beast of the Earth) and Al-Masih Dajjal (the False Messiah, Anti-Christ) two completely different entities?
The Anti-Christ will deceive the people and sow much unbelief in the world but it is the Beast who will brand people, using the Ring of Solomon, as believers and unbelievers.
I might be mistaken but aren't Dabbatul Ardh (Beast of the Earth) and Al-Masih Dajjal (the False Messiah, Anti-Christ) two completely different entities?
The Anti-Christ will deceive the people and sow much unbelief in the world but it is the Beast who will brand people, using the Ring of Solomon, as believers and unbelievers.
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