Monstrous

Apocalypse Soon => Religions, Cults & Sects => Topic started by: Devious Viper on October 30, 2005, 11:04:19 AM

Title: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Devious Viper on October 30, 2005, 11:04:19 AM
From One God to the UFO Party, eccentric election campaigners are out of this world.

Jesus Matayoshi has no doubt about his abilities to be able to wrench Japan out of the economic cesspit in which it has been mired since the start of the '90s, according to Cyzo (November).

"I am Jesus Matayoshi, the One God," the head of the Integrated World Economy Party tells Cyzo. "I have come to right Japan and the world. This is the Second Coming."

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has made much of the fact that many who know him regard him as a weirdo. He's comfortable with the label and is certainly sitting pretty having led his Liberal Democratic Party into a position of power following September elections. But, as Cyzo notes, he's not the only politician happy to be coming out of left field, with the past 20 years a veritable wealth of eccentric election campaigners.

Jesus Matayoshi is a perfect example. Unlike the man from who he takes his name, this Jesus hasn't quite found out how to work miracles with voters yet. His efforts at campaigning for a place on the Okinawa Municipal Assembly, the Okinawa governor's post and several tries at a Diet seat have all proved fruitless. But he remains undaunted.

"Politics will not be righted simply by pursuing accountability. Life is the most important issue. Profit oriented capitalism is a killer," he says.

Jesus Matayoshi may not do well on polling days, but he remains one of Japan's most popular politicians in cyberspace.

"On some days, I get as many as 170,000 page views on my site," the self-professed One God says. "I am eternally grateful." If he is who he claims to be, Jesus Matayoshi may indeed be able to express his thanks that long.

Also drawing on religion for her name is Maria Chiba, whose biggest claim to fame is having been born 20 years ago as the illegitimate child of yakuza movie star Hiroki Matsukata. Perhaps it's this holy moniker that gives the former singer her view of politics that some say is divine.

"Politics is too hard for me," Cyzo quotes a 2001 campaign speech from Maria, who uses the Japanese reading of the name for the Holy Virgin. "I don't want to talk politics, I just want to sing."

As an octogenarian, Riho Mitsui didn't exactly bring a spark of life to Japanese politics when she ran in a series of national elections in the early '90s. She was notable, however, for her campaign pledge to try and have homework banned during school summer vacation periods.

A far more palatable taste, perhaps, came from the Aisuto, the Vinegar Lovers' Party, which fought out the 1986 Lower House election on a campaign of "Drink Vinegar for Better Health," but won no seats.

"It was the first Japanese party to campaign on food issues," political commentator Yutaka Okawa tells Cyzo. "In that regard, it had quite an impact."

Without doubt, however, the most out of this world Japanese political group in the past few decades has been the UFO Party. It argued that if UFOs were of importance significant enough for the U.S. Congress to discuss them, then Japan's Diet should be doing the same.

"By becoming a candidate," Cyzo quotes UFO Party Leader Tokuo Moriwaki as saying, "I will make sure there are no more taboos about UFOs."

(By Ryann Connell)
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Devious Viper on September 13, 2006, 05:53:07 AM
Followers Claim Man is God On Earth

His name is Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda; his followers call him everything from apostle to Dad, or simply Jesus Christ Man. De Jesus Miranda himself believes he’s the living incarnation of “Jesus Christ Man,” “the second coming of Christ.”

A follower of his believes “he is God, he is God.” She also lavishes him with money and gifts.

"I don’t have one Rolex,” de Jesus Miranda said, “I have 3 because they want to give it to me. It's like that woman that came to Jesus with the expensive perfume and put it on his feet. He didn’t reject it, so when someone gives me a watch or a gift, I receive it. I like them too, they're nice."

This self-proclaimed Son of God is a 60 year old former heroin addict and convict. The divorced father of 4 was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in South Florida with his second wife.

From a warehouse in Doral, near Miami, he presides over the "Creciendo en Gracia" or Growing in Grace Ministry which he also calls “God's Government On Earth.

As any other head of state, he is protected by a security detail that mimics the U.S. Secret Service.

In an interview with the self-proclaimed Messiah, CBS4’s Ileana Varela asked de Jesus if he was able to do some of the things Jesus Christ did like performing miracles, healing the sick and walking on water.

De Jesus said not necessarily. “My life is my church and what I’m doing worldwide,” he said.

What De Jesus is doing at more than 300 centers in Central and South America, Cuba and the U.S. is preaching a message of "freedom to indulge" because according to this modern messiah, there is no sin, no devil and no hell to pay.

De Jesus says, “It doesn’t exist. The devil was destroyed two thousand years ago."

It is music to the ears of his followers, mostly Hispanic men and women who believe they are God's chosen people, predestined for salvation no matter what they do on earth. They also believe all other faiths are false and must be destroyed, from Catholics to Baptists and Jehovah’s witnesses.

His followers have organized marches at which they destroy religious books and symbols. They also have a campaign aimed at disrupting other religious gatherings, sometimes with violent consequences.

“What disturbs me is that he fits into the typical mold of a cult leader, total complete submission to his authority," FIU Religion professor, Daniel Alvarez said.

Alvarez has a Masters Degree in Theology from Harvard Divinity School, and is among those who fear "Creciendo en Gracia" has the makings of a destructive cult.

“He destroyed my family,” said former member Regina Albarracin, who left the church about 5 years ago. Her husband soon followed but their son Alvaro remained to become one of the ministry's biggest financial backers, donating more than $1 million to the church.

Alvaro is not alone; many others have set up businesses in de Jesus' name that pour cash into the ministry.

"I know were going to be running the whole world,” de Jesus said.

A web entrepreneur and self made millionaire, Alvaro Albarracin left his wife and children for the man he calls Jesus. He has since remarried to another church member and rarely speaks to his parents who insist he's been brainwashed by the man "they" certainly don't call Jesus.

His mother, Regina Albarracin said, "You think he's Jesus Christ? No he’s the devil. You think he's the devil? Yes that's him."

Regina Albarracin is afraid for her son's soul, and Professor Alvarez says she should be. Most of these movements, he says, self destruct sooner or later.

"Lots of broken lives, lot of spiritual and emotional and psychological debris that will be strew on the path of the gentleman,” Alvarez said, “and the fallout will be inestimable for the lives of these people who get caught up in this kind of movement.”

Unfazed by the criticism, de Jesus continues to plan for the role he believes he is destined to play on the world's stage. “I will be president of the biggest government that this earth has experienced," promised de Jesus.
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Morticia on September 13, 2006, 09:09:38 AM
I'm speechless (and that's rare).

~Morticia
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: jordyn on September 14, 2006, 06:27:52 AM
will the real Jesus please stand up...

that's sort of funny, i wonder  how anyone will know the real Jesus if anyone that has the desire to proffess it, can get people to believe it?
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Devious Viper on September 14, 2006, 08:49:29 AM
I find it all quite laughable, really. It reminds me also of those questions people pose like, "What if He has already returned but nobody noticed?" etc.

All of these fake Messiahs and their followers forget one crucial element - Scripture, specifically Revelation 19:11-20:10. Chapter 19 narrates the climax of Revelation - His victorious return. Everything leads us to or flows from this event, which terminates the Great Tribulation and begins the establishment of G-d's kingdom on earth. This is when G-d begins to answer what Yeshua/Jesus taught us to pray for (Mattityahu/Matthew 6:10).

Yochanan/John first sees a vision of Yeshua when he returns to earth (Rev 19:11-16). His description emphasises His majesty and authority. Christians who are at all familiar with His first Coming can't miss the striking contrasts:

1.He came the first time in deliberate weakness (Philippians 2:5); He will come the second time in great power.
2.He came the first time in isolation; He will come the second time accompanied by a great host of angels and redeemed humans (Rev 19:14).
3.Men mocked Him the first time by putting a crown of thorns on his head and a reed in His hand; He will come the second time crowned with crowns (Rev 19:12) and with a scepter of universal dominion (Rev 19:15).
4.When He came the first time, He was apparently defeated by his enemies; when He comes the second time, He will triumph completely over all His enemies (Rev 19:15).

Other Biblical passages provide additional important details of this event:

1.His appearance will be worldwide and unmistakable. Just like a massive thunderstorm that lights up the entire sky, everyone will see Him coming (Mattityahu 24:26-27, 30).
2. His return will also be accompanied by awesome cosmic events (Mattityahu 24:29-30). These events will herald the end of this age and the beginning of a new age in which both the heavens and the earth are cleansed and transformed by G-d.
3. He will return bodily to the very place from which he ascended - the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem (Acts 1:11-12; Z'kharyah/Zechariah 14:3).
4.His return will touch off a tremendous earthquake (Z'kharyah 14:4). This is the great earthquake often mentioned elsewhere in Revelation (Rev 6:12; 11:19) and by other Tanakh prophets (Yesha'yahu/Isiah 24:19; Yo'el/Joel 3:14-16).
5. His return will be the most dramatic event in human history, and it will bring to an end human history as we know it.


Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: jordyn on September 14, 2006, 10:34:55 AM
it is sort of frightening how many followers those sort of deludes can generate however...
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Mr. Kreepy on November 10, 2008, 12:51:05 AM
I agree 100%, jordyn. Just look at Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. True testaments to the sorts of bizarre cults that can form when narcissistic lunatics with charisma can gather followers.
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Raziel on November 10, 2008, 07:08:05 AM
Hmm........ which is not to say that the said movements can't be used for humanitarian and mental shaping purposes/ *chin rub*
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Mr. Kreepy on November 10, 2008, 07:12:03 AM
The same could be said for Nazism and Stalinist Communism. That doesn't mean those systems work. It simply means that some people are incredibly good at taking a system and interpreting it to fit their agenda.
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Raziel on November 10, 2008, 07:17:42 AM
so.... all we have to do is brain wash said leaders into having goals that are humanitarian in nature and send them on thier selfish little power tripping ways....................

sweet!
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Mr. Kreepy on November 10, 2008, 07:21:42 AM
Actually that does sound like a good idea.
Really, the only way to convince a dictator to do something selfless is to point out the ways it will benefit them :laugh:
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Raziel on November 10, 2008, 07:24:49 AM
So............ who do we hit first? I nominate Sarah *state controlled abortion*  Pailin!.................. wait.... does it work on subjects with sub-gerbil intelligence?
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Regina Terra on November 10, 2008, 08:39:07 AM
You guys are... ... ... No, never mind. :-P
Title: Re: Watch Out! Jesus Is Coming!
Post by: Raziel on August 16, 2009, 11:12:15 AM
Does anyone here like politics?