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He Calls Himself God (Puerto Rican "Minister")
MSNBC / Newsweek ^ | 1/31/07 | Arian Campo-Flores

Posted on 01/31/2007 6:30:57 AM PST by epow

At first glance, the congregation gathered in a warehouse in Doral, Fla., seems like a typical Hispanic evangelical group. There's the 10-piece band, the singing and swaying, the whooping and hollering. But look a little more closely. There's not a cross in sight. The lectern is emblazoned with a near replica of the U.S. presidential seal, except that it reads in Spanish, government of god on earth. Off to the side stand three burly guys in dark suits with Secret Service-style earpieces. When a door by the stage opens, the guards leap into action. They surround the man with slicked-back hair who emerges and escort him to his seat. When the crowd spots him, it goes wild. People chant, "Lord! Lord! Lord!" It quickly becomes clear that they're referring to him. "It's Jesus Christ himself!" a preacher onstage announces. "Let's welcome Jesus Christ Man!"

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: conman; fraud; jesus; religion
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Luke ch 21:v 8 - And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

This con man is a 3rd-rate piker compared to Sun Myung Moon, but he's fabulously rich compared to the poor suckers who are showering him with their hard earned money. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when the real Jesus Christ returns.

1 posted on 01/31/2007 6:30:59 AM PST by epow
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To: epow

Must be a graduate of the Binny Hinn School of Frauds and Hucksters.


2 posted on 01/31/2007 6:34:11 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (Every time a jihadist dies, an angel gets its wings.)
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To: epow

Ping me when ICE gets around to raiding the place.


3 posted on 01/31/2007 6:35:42 AM PST by org.whodat (Never let the facts get in the way of a good assumption.)
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To: epow
Fascinating tidbits:

(1) He claims that he is the true Jesus Christ and that worship of Jesus of Nazareth is forbidden - only he himself should be worshipped.

(2) He claims that he is Jesus of Nazareth's Antichrist, and he has a "666" tatooed on his body to prove it.

(3) He says that there is no such thing as sin, there is no such thing as Satan and that everyone will be saved.

(4) He has a particular animus against the Catholic Church and instructs his followers to burn Catholic objects like rosaries and crucifixes. He is an apostate Catholic himself.

4 posted on 01/31/2007 6:38:49 AM PST by wideawake
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To: epow

"And just last week, he called himself the Antichrist and revealed a "666" tattooed on his forearm. His explanation: that, as the second coming of Christ, he rejects the continued worship of Jesus of Nazareth."

Very odd.


5 posted on 01/31/2007 6:39:34 AM PST by razzle
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To: epow

And here I thought it was Tom Cruise.


6 posted on 01/31/2007 6:43:28 AM PST by WakeUpAndVote (Got towel?)
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To: epow
Sheesh. He's a bargain basement Anti-christ.

An effective one will more closely imitate the real Messiah. This clown is is like a cheap Chinese knock-off Rolex.

7 posted on 01/31/2007 6:46:21 AM PST by JOAT
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To: razzle

Yes it is very odd. He's come up with a new "schtick", a variation on the usual con-man claim of "I'm Jesus Christ" that seems to be paying off quite well financially. I wonder how he explains to his followers how he can be both Christ and Anti-Christ at the same time. But I suppose that any poor deluded soul who would fall for that kind of malarkey probably doesn't ask many questions.


8 posted on 01/31/2007 6:49:45 AM PST by epow (I'm too blessed to be depressed)
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To: Teófilo

Ping


9 posted on 01/31/2007 6:51:49 AM PST by cll (Carthage must be destroyed)
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To: razzle

They work out of a Doral warehouse which is a pretty well off part of town. Gee I wonder if he has a house there too. I'm tempted to go see this man in action. Its just a few blocks down from my job. This is just peachy. I'm tempted to go just to see.


10 posted on 01/31/2007 6:57:23 AM PST by FreeManWhoCan (**An American in Miami**)
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To: JOAT
This clown is is like a cheap Chinese knock-off Rolex.

A clown who's taking $1.4 million to the bank every year. Of course that's just pocket change to a real con man like the one the Moonies work their tails off for.

If old P.T. Barnum was still around he would have to update his motto, there are far more suckers born every minute these days than there were in his day.

11 posted on 01/31/2007 6:58:00 AM PST by epow (I'm too blessed to be depressed)
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To: reagan_fanatic

You know, you may want to put Benny in the same class as this guy but you are wrong. Benny has never made any such claims about himself. I personally know people that have been healed by the power of God released through Benny Hinn.


12 posted on 01/31/2007 6:58:37 AM PST by Armed Civilian ("Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.")
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To: epow

Just damn.


13 posted on 01/31/2007 6:59:42 AM PST by mhking (I make my livin' on the evening news....)
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To: epow
The Antichrist has arrived and, golly, he's Puerto Rican!
14 posted on 01/31/2007 7:06:57 AM PST by Teófilo (Visit Vivificat! - http://www.vivificat.org - A Catholic Blog of News, Commentary and Opinion)
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To: Armed Civilian
Hinn's a huckster and a fraud in the same class as this con artist. Both pretend to be men of God while squeezing their followers out of every single drop of money they can, and living like kings as a result. They view their followers as open wallets, not people yearning for spiritual guidance.

As far as leading people to God - I can do that, and I'm no preacher or multi-millionaire televangelist.

Jesus himself warned of satan's deception and of false prophets, especially in the last days. Hinn, the Crouches and the rest of the tele-hucksters certainly fall into that category.
15 posted on 01/31/2007 7:24:36 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (Every time a jihadist dies, an angel gets its wings.)
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To: Teófilo

Sorry to duplicate your thread. I did a search using the title of the MSNBC/Newsweek webpage article and nothing showed up.


16 posted on 01/31/2007 7:29:46 AM PST by epow (I'm too blessed to be depressed)
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To: reagan_fanatic

Don't forget Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker. They are still on TV.

ARRRRGH!!!


17 posted on 01/31/2007 7:39:17 AM PST by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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To: epow

The Newsweek article says "some" call his group a cult...ya think?! Exactly how many people wouldn't call it a cult?


18 posted on 01/31/2007 7:40:23 AM PST by highlander_UW (I don't know what my future holds, but I know Who holds my future)
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To: epow

If a Puerto Rican were to be regarded as a God or Goddess, it would have to be this one:

http://www.missuniverse.com/missuniverse/gallery.html#


19 posted on 01/31/2007 8:38:09 AM PST by adorno
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To: reagan_fanatic

(Every time a jihadist dies, an angel gets its wings.)

I noticed your tag line, so this is what Jesus taught?


20 posted on 01/31/2007 9:28:10 AM PST by Armed Civilian ("Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.")
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