'Antichrist' Cult Leader to Preach in Guatemala*

By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA
The Associated Press
Friday, April 20, 2007; 4:10 PM

GUATEMALA CITY -- He calls himself the Antichrist, wears the number 666
tattooed on his arm and claims a following of 2 million people.

And Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is coming to Guatemala whether it wants
him or not.

The Central American country has banned the leader of the Florida-based
Growing in Grace church, arguing he is a security risk because he
provokes conflict with Roman Catholics and evangelicals.

But Miranda still plans to fly in on a private jet Saturday to celebrate
his 61st birthday and meet with thousands of followers from around the
world.

"It has been predestined and angels will make it happen. He is, after
all, God himself," said Axel Poessy, Miranda's media director.

It is the Puerto Rican-born former evangelical priest's latest attempts
to expand his following in Central America. Most of his supporters are
in Miami and Colombia, but Miranda holds a congress every year in
different locations in the Americas. He has a 24-hour Spanish-language
television network and a radio program broadcast on 287 stations.

He often takes aim at the Catholic Church _ the most powerful faith in
Latin America _ calling all priests child molesters and saying chastity
vows go against the Bible's teachings. Members of his church have torn
up images of saints and other religious symbols in El Salvador, and
marched in Guatemala and Honduras.

He preaches that sin and the devil do not exist. In January, he revealed
tattoos of the numbers 666 on his forearms and declared that he and his
followers were antichrists because their beliefs supersede those of
Jesus Christ. The Bible describes the antichrist as someone who will
fill the world with wickedness but be conquered by a second coming of
Christ.

Guatemala's Congress labeled him a terrorist, and immigration officials
have been instructed to refuse him entry to the country. Honduras and El
Salvador have also banned him.

"Many have told me that I shouldn't pay attention to a crazy man like
him, but Hitler was also crazy and look what he did," said Julio
Morales, the congressman who proposed the resolution declaring Miranda a
terrorist. "We took this measure because they have burned crosses,
images of Christ in other countries and demonstrated in front of an
evangelical church in Guatemala, just to create confrontation."

It was not clear, however, if the government would be able to block
Miranda's private jet from landing. His right-hand man, Carlos Cestero,
said Miranda has been in Guatemala at least 14 times in the past decade
_ before he declared himself the antichrist.

Followers see Miranda as a savior. Critics say he is a dangerous cult
leader.

"What is more evil than all the exorbitant titles associated with him is
the power he exercises over his followers," said Daniel Alvarez, an
instructor in the department of religious studies at Florida
International University who has studied the movement. "He wants
attention, shock value, and he's always trying to top what he did before."

Miranda, who lives in Miami, founded the Growing in Grace church in 1986
and based the church in suburban Doral. He preaches to followers in some
35 nations, mostly in Latin America.

Hundreds have followed his lead by getting "666" tattoos. The number 666
is often associated with the Antichrist or the devil.

In a tidy shop in an upscale, Guatemala City neighborhood, 18-year-old
Andrea Recinos hunched over as a tattoo artist carved "666" across her
back, decorating the number with angel wings.

"I wanted to show my love to the apostle," she said, referring to
Miranda. "I wanted to show the whole world that I am an antichrist."

Other followers get "SSS" tattoos, referring to Miranda's motto of
"Salvo, siempre salvo," or "Saved, always saved." He believes sinning is
impossible because Christ died for the sins of mankind.

Cestero said some of the sect's members donate 50 percent to 80 percent
of their earnings to Growing in Grace, often in appreciation of the
church's message that nothing is sinful.

"When someone is thankful, they show it by giving a gift, and the people
are thankful for the liberty given to them," he said.

___

On the Net:

Growing in Grace: http://www.cegenglish.com