Oh Jesus Christ This Guy Again
Jesus of Bourgeoisie -- Has He Risen Over again in Houston, Texas?
Jose de Jesus preaches an unusual gospel: no sin, hell, the devil, or damnation.
March 6, 2007— -- A few weeks agone, in a tattoo parlor in the hip art deco commune of Miami Beach, people were lining up to become "666" tattooed on their bodies, and so grinning through their pain. Simply these are non devil worshipers. They see themselves as devout followers of Jesus Christ. But the major difference that separates them from other Christians around the world is that the Jesus Christ they worship is alive and well -- and living in the suburbs of Houston.
These people belong to a new motility devoted to a human being who calls himself the 2d Coming of Jesus, and also claims the title of Antichrist, which to him is the next incarnation of Jesus on earth, not an evil being. To show their devotion, some followers ink themselves with "666." One follower said, "I just want to brand sure it's visible, that everyone knows my life belongs to the man." Some other said, "I want anybody to know I'm one of the antichrists."
They and others like them are fervently devoted, some say fanatically, to a 60-twelvemonth-erstwhile Puerto Rican whose legal name, to his pleasure, is Jose de Jesus, or "Jose of Jesus." He counts followers in more than than 30 countries; some say they total more than than a million. Just where does this human being, who claims to be God, live? Non where you might expect: He resides with his wife in a suburban community just exterior Houston.
The Birth of 'Jesus'
When asked to explain who he is, de Jesus responds: "Jesus Christ, man, the 2nd manifestation, the Second Coming of Christ." He acknowledges that "it bothers a lot of people" that he calls himself Jesus.
De Jesus' get-go was anything but grand. Born in Puerto Rico, de Jesus grew up poor, living in government housing. He stole for a living to pay for his teenage heroin addiction and admits to eight felony charges that put him backside bars for 9 months.
Like many, de Jesus says he was born once more in prison. From there he moved to the The states, where he became involved in church youth groups, and somewhen a government minister in Boston. Just it was a vision, de Jesus says, that turned him from human being of God to beingness God.
"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 at that place's no real way for him to bear witness 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. Y'all know what are they going to say? Is that I prefer his lies than what faith gave me. I prefer, see because when they believe in what I teach, they activate angels in their life."
'Jesus Drank Wine Because He Didn't Accept Dewar's'
His followers do seem happy. They greet him with mariachi bands at airports and ofttimes plummet in tears when they see him preach. But when he speaks to them, information technology is without theatrics. No holy rolling, no healing -- it'southward a pretty straightforward lesson in the fundamentals of what he believes. And it's an upbeat, no-fault, sin-free bulletin. This cocky-proclaimed Jesus does not believe in sin, hell, the devil or damnation of any kind.
"Before the presence of God, in that location'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 exercise 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 accept anything to do with your behavior," he says.
And de Jesus practices what he preaches: He loves women and has been married twice. He smokes cigarettes and while enjoying a drinking glass of scotch, he says, "Jesus drank vino because he didn't accept Dewar's."
De Jesus doesn't listen that his ministry building often gathers in the corner tavern. "Like my former, Jesus of Nazareth, he used to go to places like this and the religious people, they used to criticize him. … I'grand only doing the aforementioned kind of thing."
But he does draw the line: no drugs, and he says no getting boozer.
"Jesus never got drunk and I never get drunk. I enjoy life. I relish everything that I do."
'The Super Raza'
De Jesus has come a long way from Puerto Rico, and those rough times. Today his believers requite money freely. And where does all the coin get? Joane de Jesus, the girl of the man called Jesus, is the official accountant for the ministry. She says, "What you see as luxuries are gifts that members accept given him. They're just very grateful, and they want to give him gifts."
There are no rules in de Jesus' church. Anything goes when yous follow "Jesus of Suburbia." Simply he is serious about being the Second Coming of Christ. And forth with his followers, he as well has many detractors. Some who remember he'southward the devil incarnate and others who call up he'southward merely a adventurer and a con human. 1 of the things that makes him so hated, so controversial, is that he preaches the Catholic Church building is evil, and his followers burn pictures of the pope and agree protests outside churches.
And what virtually the children who grow upwards in his movement believing that Jesus is alive and well? He calls them the "super raza" or the super race, because they are being brought up pure and with no stain of faux religion on them.
The de Jesus ministry is growing, with big followings in Venezuela, Columbia, even Cuba, and the human who believes he is the 2nd Coming of Christ is at present turning his attention to America.
"Miami is the bridge for all nations," he said. "That'due south where Hispanics are, and and then eventually I'yard going to find a lot of cute English language-speaking people who volition want to believe in me and I'm going to have millions of them."
Associate Producer Caroline Borge contributed to this report.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=2925021&page=1
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