Surrounded by a mob of news cameras, a group of smiling, well-dressed church members crowded into a South Beach storefront parlor on a recent muggy evening and got matching tattoos of their prophet's symbol:666 Members of Growing in Grace, a controversial religious sect headquartered in Doral, said they were following the example of their leader, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, who has claimed to be Jesus and recently declared himself the Antichrist.
Critics have called De Jesus a cult leader who manipulates followers. Church members say he has brought them happiness and spiritual fulfillment.
"This is backing up what I truly believe," said Alvaro Albarracin, 38, who heads a film production company and joined the church more than a decade ago. He showed a bandage that covered the freshly tattooed "666" on his forearm. "It's like a brand. It's like a sign."
It's a sign most Christians would shun, because for centuries the numbers have been associated with Satan. But for the 30 or so church members who branded themselves with 666 and SSS - the initials of De Jesus' motto,"salvo siempre salvo," or "saved always saved" - it's a mark of their absolute faith in De Jesus.
Church members say the symbol doesn't connect them to Satan but rather to De Jesus claim that he has replaced Christ's teachings with a new gospel. Scholars and critics of the movement say the tattoos offer frightening evidence of the influence De Jesus commands over his followers. "What is he going to do next to call attention to himself?" asked Daniel Alvarez, an instructor in the department of religious studies at Florida International University who has studied the movement. "This means that his control over people is so great that no matter what he says to them, they'll follow him."
De Jesus was not available to comment, said a church spokeswoman.
At the tattoo parlor, one woman wore a T-shirt with De Jesus picture and the phrase "The Lord Arrived" in Spanish. Others wore shirts and baseball caps marked with 666. Spanish rap music blared from a stereo in the back. News cameras circled the tattoo chair as artist Jessica Segatto, wearing pink rubber gloves and a huge silver cross, carefully inked 666 on church member's ankles, forearms, backs and one member's neck. Some members said they decided to attend the tattooing session - which was prompted by a church announcement the previous week to prove their committment to De Jesus vision. Others said they hoped the symbol would provoke questions about the movement.
"I figured if I have it on my leg, people are going to notice it, 666, and they're going to ask," said church member and spokeswoman Axel Poessy.
De Jesus, who preaches that sin and the devil were destroyed when Jesus died on the cross and that God's chosen already have been saved, has built a massive movement around his claim to divinity. Followers call him "Daddy" and "God" and lavish him with $5,000 Rolexes and sometimes 40 percent or more of their salaries.
Christian leaders have denounced De Jesus, saying he distorts the Bible. The Rev. Julio Perez of Nueva Esperanza, a faith-based community group in Hialeah, said De Jesus was promoting himself rather than helping members of his church. "What he's doing is trying to create his own sect," he said.
De Jesus had just a few hundred followers when he launched his church in a Hialeah ware house about 20 years ago. Today, he commands a global movement from his Doral headquarters that boasts 335 education centers, 200 pastors, 287 radio programs and a 24-hour Spanish-language TV network that's available to 2 million homes - including by special request from some U.S. cable companies. Only De Jesus and his right hand man, Carlos Cestero, are authorized to preach.
In his sermons, De Jesus emphasizes wealth and success as a sign of God's favour. Many of his members are business owners who give a percentage of their corporate profits to De Jesus, said Alvaro Albarracin, who oversees corporate donations to the church and holds the title "entrepreneur of entrepreneurs." Albarracin, who runs the film production company MiamiLa Entertainment, said he gave 20 percent of his profit to the movement when he sold his Web-hosting company, Dialtone, for more than $16 million in 2001.
Martita Roca, 25, a South Florida singer and actress from Guatemala, said she sometimes gives 40 percent of her salary to Growing in Grace. Giving a piece of her flesh by getting a tattoo was another way to prove her commitment, she said.
"For all of those people who pray for us to come out of this movement, this shows that this is it, there's no going back," Roca said of her tattoos. "This is to make sure that everyone relates me to that vision."
Luz Fuentes, 51, a former Catholic who joined Growing in Grace in 1990, said she and her brother give Growing in Grace up to 50 percent of profits from their Hallandale mortgage company, Apos Mortgage. "Apos" is short for "apostle," one of De Jesus monikers. De Jesus is listed on the company's website as its CEO. "Antichrist" is the latest in a string of titles De Jesus has bestowed on himself.
In 1988, De Jesus announced he was the reincarnation of the Apostle Paul. In 1999, he dubbed himself "the Other," a spiritual superbeing who would pave the way for Christ's second coming. In 2004, he proclaimed himself to be Jesus Christ. That claim caused some prominent members to defect from the movement - including De Jesus first wife, Nydia, and his son Jose Luis Jr., who started his own church in Puerto Rico.
In January, during a packed worship service at the church, De Jesus took off his coat and revealed the numbers 666 on his forearm. "This is a congregation of Antichrists," De Jesus said, drawing whistles and cheers.
The number 666 appears in the Book of Revelation , a portion of the New Testament that details the prophet John's apocalyptic vision of the rise of the Antichrist,the tribulation and Christ's return. In Revelation, a horned beast appears on earth and requires everyone to get his mark 666 on the right hand or forehead.
Experts on new religious movements say De Jesus opposition to other religions, and his claim to be the only legitimate spiritual authority, resemble the teachings of some cults.
"It's clearly a personality-driven group," said Rick Ross, an anti-cult consultant based in New Jersey. "It is defined by the claimsof De Jesus Miranda."
Nick Woodbury, director of the evangelical group Christ for Miami, said most mainstream Christians would reject Growing in Grace's teachings as unbiblical.
"In the Christian evangelical sector, we would consider them asect," said Woodbury, who has served as a missionary in Colombia with the Mimai-based group Latin America Mission."They take the Bible, but their interpretation is very warped."
De Jesus' followers have lashed out against organized Christianity because they believe their prophet holds the true gospel, they say. His adherents have disrupted Catholic processions on Good Friday and protested outside an evangelical church gathering in Miami's Tropical Park. Last July, they tore up literature published by the Jehovah's Witnesses and other Christian movements during a march in downtown Miami.
Scholars who are concerned about the movement's growth say they hope De Jesus' latest claim will insert doubt into the mind of some members.
"The symbol of the Antichrist is so negative, the only good thing that will come out of this is that people will say, 'Hold on, this manis going off the deep end,"' FIU's Alvarez said.
The term social network can be concisely defined as; a networked arrangement, with interesting lines of group of interconnected people or things, living in a community. But we are going to look into the internet social network or social media network, cum its loopholes. This article is aimed at guiding my fellow youths on how to chat or converse on a social media network; such as Facebook, Twitter, Eskimi, Netlog, MySpace, LinkedIn, Waplog, BB Messenger, 2go, WhatsApp, Smiggle, Mozat, etc. The rate at which crimes are committed these days can be adroitly traced down to ineffective or inappropriate use of internet social networks! Many people do not necessarily know how to chat on a social network, especially in this computer age! Some do even go on making a security risked conversation with the unknown via the internet. Let us look at some areas that requires much attention for an effective and productive use of the social media network! With these areas that I am going to list out below, you will be able to know when to chat, how to chat, and the things that we should bear in mind when on a social media network!
The areas that requires much attention are: 1. PROFILE INFORMATION
2. FRIEND REQUEST
3. STATUS UPDATE
4. CONVERSATION/MESSAGES
1. PROFILE INFORMATION
The word "profile" can be abridgely defined as a short account of a person's character or career. Although, most people do update whatever they like as their profile information, especially those on facebook, 2go, Mozat and eskimi. Some even has spurious profile information!
Did you know that most people will judge your personality based on what they see on your profile?
Even if you don't want your friends or people to disclose you based on what they will see on your profile, is it not better for you not to update irrelevantly on your profile? Some do update whatever they like as their activity or interest on a social media network like Facebook, Netlog and Eskimi. Some facebook users do update something like; I love sex, Blowjob, Sex Chat, Lesbianism, I love Gay, etc as their profile information on activities and interests!
With such a profile information, how can you literary convince your friends that you are not a sex pervert? All these incoherent profile information do lead some people into being sexually harassed, but there are ways on how to avoid sexual harassment!
Please, we should be mindful on what we do update as our profile information because it can befall you a victim of a crime!
Your profile describes who you are, what you are, and your quest!
The issue of profile picture is even a role model to your profile information! The appearance you made on a profile picture amply speaks much of what you craves for and you must surely get it! The females do upload an aphrodisiac image in the name of their profile picture! You will see a female's profile picture where she dressed well in it, but will leave her cleavage open for the world to see the flesh of her breast, and your activities or interests will be religiously inclined! Now, who is deceiving who?
Some do even take a snapshot of their bare thighs or wear a skimpy mini skirt and upload it as their profile picture! I wonder who you are about to deceive!
There are differences between the photo you uploaded yourself and the ones you were tagged in
The males on the other hand will sag their jean trousers, with their role model being Lil Wayne or Plies. Whereas some do upload their erect manhood, thereby blaspheming their personalities and thinking that they are seducing the females! What a demented mentality! Enthroning themselves to a forlorn heresy! You should also be mindful on the type of compliments you do welcome on your uploaded photo! Moreover, some do visit pornographic sites to download an image, then will use it as their profile picture!
Please, we should know the type of images we do depict as our profile picture!
2. FRIEND REQUEST
There is nothing bad in making friends on a social media network, but making out a friendship with the wrong one is extremely egregious! Some don't even care on the type of friend request they do accept on a social media network. At least, it is good to accept a friend, then delve his or her profile information so as to know whether your personality will suit with the person you accepted his or her request!
There is nothing bad in deleting a friend if you found out that his or her personality do not match with yours!
It is good when accepting a friend request to first check his or her profile, so as to know the type of an association you are about to make out. Although, some people do not answer reasonable names on facebook, and such people are capable of sending any type of message or signal to his or her friends, as far as he or she cannot be traced, based on a spurious profile information!
So it is good to make out a friendship with those that bear reasonble names, especially on facebook!
Futhermore, it is better to make friends with those you physically know. But if friend requests comes your way, then you need to view his or her profile before accepting that friend request, at least with his or her profile you will be able to know the type of friendship you are about to accept!
The best mirror is a friend's eye! It is also good to make good friends, so that your demeanour can be mirrored from another perspective, and with such, promoting and enhancing your goals!
3. STATUS UPDATE
The word status can be defined as a person's position or rank in relation to others; high rank or prestige! Let's look at the sentence; person's position or rank in relation to others! Anybody can update a status, but not everybody knows how to update a reasonable status!
If you fail to maintain your position or rank when relating to your friends, then nobody will rate you to any echelon.
Virtually, most people do update their life experiences as a status on a social media network, but that is not really good because everyone his or her own view to life!
Did you know that the type of status you do update, do reasonably account on the type of messages you do receive in your inbox?
Some people do even go to the extent of updating every minute of their life experiences on a social media network, whereas some do update their real life relationships on a social media network! Most people do update ill-fated words in the name of a status update!
In mid 2008, when Ucheonye Nzubechi signed up with facebook, he do update everything in the name of status update. But later on, he discovered that such an idiosyncrasy is not ideal, so he made a switch!
The type of status you do update is as good as how your friends will rate you, based on the kind of words that emits from your mind. Most people don't know that they can be traced with the type of words they do update on a social media network! So it pays to make a reasonable status update! Some 2go users, especially the females, do update anyhow with a bottom line that nobody knows them! Some do even use their nude photo as their profile picture, and will update that someone should send them an airtime of #400 for them to upload more of their nude photos! And you should know that people that do such are mentally insalubrious!
4. CONVERSATION/MESSAGES
This is the most crucial paraphernalia to this article, as it spanned over all the enlisted topics. And that is why I indexed it to be the last. This is where the devil maps out an engineering outline on peoples souls. The most suitable attitude towards this area is to make sure that your profile information cum status update is devoid of sexually related words, because if they were, then all conversations from your friends to you will be sex inclined! But if your profile information or status update is not sex inclined, and a friend of yours sent in such an absurd text, then you have to quickly abhor it and go futher to berate the sender so as not to repeat such an insane attitude!
Most people are wolves in sheep's clothing, and as such, may not necessarily disclose their minds to you on the first few months they started making out with you. Later on, it may lead to do you care for a sex chat?
This is peculiar to 2go, Mozat, BB Messenger and Smiggle pals! So you should know when you should call it a day when in a mutual chat! Some of these internet related frauds do lead people into homophobia, which is as a result of the conversations they made online! It is quite obvious that someone will come your way for a chat, but we should mind the kind of words that we do reply to, so as not to fall a victim to them!
Any chat that leads to can you pay me a visit or can we meet somewhere is risky, and you should know what to say in such an advance!
Your friends may trick you with their river of lovely words, yet their minds are deeply corrugated with evil thoughts! ßeware!!!
CONCLUSION
This article was dexterously written and published by Ucheonye Marcellinus Nzubechi to alert the populace, and as well, internet chat addicts that many criminals are roaming online, searching on who they will dupe or engage in a carnal relationship with. Most of them are diabolic and self-centered. They use all sorts of ways to trick their clients into sex in the form of an invitation! They will invite you to a hotel, their house or an eatery centre, then from there, they will keep on making advances till they sleep with you, and that is all.You should also bear in mind that not all invitations are for a sexual activity! Some are paid by people to collect human parts for them and in the process of your honoring their invitation, you may be drugged with strong drugs like Heroine, Rophynol, etc in which you may die or get killed in the process, and they will have your parts dismembered!
Most of you heard and even watched a video of the girl that was tricked by her 2go friends, and was eventually raped by a gang of males. And of recent, some of you read the headline on how Late Miss Cynthia Valerine Osokogu was invited from Abuja to Lagos, and was driven straight to a hotel in Lagos, drugged and assaulted to death! You can read the full story here!
There are tens of such things happening on a daily basis, but it depends on the one that was disclosed to you!
The world you see today has deep things running beneath it, which the mere physical eye cannot see, except the spiritual.
In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield, and likewise in a social media network!
So you need to envisage on some things with empathy before giving in to them! The world today is evil, and the only way the diabolic being can get his or her clients is via the social media network! Beware!
Note: This article solely reticulates into the lives of males and females, and with such a motive, this article is not gender oriented!
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As written, formatted and published by 'Ucheonye Nzubechi to alert the youths on the growing internet fraud!
