Jose de Jesus claims to be the second coming of Jesus Christ. He has a growing ministry in many different countries, and many children are being raised as his followers.
Posted on 03/09/2007 9:37:49 AM PST by NYer
It's often said that some people will believe nearly anything or anyone. Go ahead and toss the "nearly" part. ABC News has the bizarre story of a 60-year-old Puerto Rican named Jose de Jesus, or "Jose of Jesus," who claims that he is, in his own words, "Jesus Christ, man, the second manifestation, the Second Coming of Christ." Nothing new there. But that's just the start: His followers get tattoos of the number "666" on their bodies and call him "Antichrist," as a sign of respect. "Jose of Jesus" claims he was contacted directly by angels and Jesus nearly 35 years ago:
"The same spirit that was in Jesus of Nazareth, and the same spirit is in me. He came to me. He [integrated] with my person in 1973." de Jesus says this happened when two angels came to him in a vision, and while he admits there's no real way for him to prove that he's Christ, he says his followers aren't asking for proof.
"So you tell the millions of followers I have that … this guy is a liar. You know what are they going to say? Is that I prefer his lies than what religion gave me. I prefer, see because when they believe in what I teach, they activate angels in their life." ...
His followers do seem happy. They greet him with mariachi bands at airports and often collapse in tears when they see him preach. But when he speaks to them, it is without theatrics. No holy rolling, no healing — it's a pretty straightforward lesson in the fundamentals of what he believes. And it's an upbeat, no-fault, sin-free message. This self-proclaimed Jesus does not believe in sin, hell, the devil or damnation of any kind.
"Before the presence of God, there's no more sin," he says. And with no sin, de Jesus teaches his followers, there's no devil and no need for prayer, because after Jesus of Nazareth died and was resurrected, one can literally do no wrong in God's eyes.
De Jesus says things like murder and theft are crimes, but not sins, and that people are punished for these crimes on earth. "Heaven doesn't have anything to do with your behavior," he says.
And that behavior—surprise!—includes anti-Catholic demonstrations:
There are no rules in de Jesus' church. Anything goes when you follow "Jesus of Suburbia." But he is serious about being the Second Coming of Christ. And along with his followers, he also has many detractors. Some who think he's the devil incarnate and others who think he's just a charlatan and a con man. One of the things that makes him so hated, so controversial, is that he preaches the Catholic Church is evil, and his followers burn pictures of the pope and hold protests outside churches.
The man's theology is indeed dense and difficult, but apparently holds that there is no sin—only crime—but that being a Catholic is evil. So one can be evil and do evil, as he says "organized religion" (aka, the Catholic Church) does, but still have nothing to do with sin? And organized religion is evil, but his followers, who are organized enough to hold services and meetings, have nothing to do with "organized religion"? It defies logic, mostly because it is simply illogical, a spiritual con game that some estimate now boasts close to one million followers. Jose of Jesus's religion—organized and all—is another modern American variation of the MUYOR (Make Up Your Own Religion; yes, I just made that up) impulse that usually defines itself more by what it rejects (sin, hell, Catholicism, etc.) than what it proposes. The only thing more strange than Jose himself is the ardent devotion of his followers, who clearly have thrown themselves wholeheartedly (and mindlessly) into his cult of personality. "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you..."
Go and sin no more!
I thought he was bound for New Orleans.
That's the way I heard it!
I see some jokes coming...
"Two men say they're 'Jesus', one of them must be wrong...."
I wonder what flavor Kool Aid this one will serve?
I saw Elvis at the supermarket last week.
He's about as real for his position as julie annie is for his dream of being president...
" . . . protest singer singin' a protest song . . . "
How come Jesus gets Industrial Disease?
...a 60-year-old Puerto Rican named Jose de Jesus, or "Jose of Jesus," who claims that he is, in his own words, "Jesus Christ, man, the second manifestation, the Second Coming of Christ."
A guy's gotta make a killin' livin'...
< ding > next patient please!
Jesus saves......At the Houston Federal Credit Union.
I thought he took the last train for the coast.
You know ... back on the day the music died ...
Used to be, "SSS" referred to instructions for dealing with various pestiferous problems ...
Reminds me of anohter religion where some leader claims that one angel ( and only one) spoke to him: Islam.
There will be more of this nonsense.
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