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| ==Controversy== | ==Controversy== | ||
| In 2004 the church was accused on Mexican television of several counts of rape against female members. The accusations were spearheaded by the Mexican Anti-Cult group "The Christian Institute of Mexico" who demanded that La Luz del Mundo should be stripped of its legal recognition as a religion because of it. Mexican government was reluctant to take any such action, possibly because the dominant catholic church was under similar charges at the time. <ref> Garma Navarro, Carlos. 2004. "The Legal Situation of Religious Minorities in Mexico:The Current situation, Problems, and Conflicts." In James T. Richardson (ed) Regulating religion: case studies from around the globe. Springer, 2004 </ref> | |||
| ⚫ | According to ] and ] |
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| ⚫ | According to ] and ] the Church la Luz del Mundo has been subject to fraudulent accusations of planning acts of violence or mass suicide against its members. The accusations were made by the church's ideological enemies.<ref>Bromley, David G. &J. Gordon Melton. 2002. Cults, religion, and violence. Cambridge University Press p. 50. </ref> | ||
| Samuel Joaquin Flores has been accused of attacks on members who have left the church. Several witnesses have brought forth charges against Samuel Joaquin, but he has been able to avoide a full investigation<ref>http://www.luz-delmundo.com/principal/videos-policia-judicial.php</ref>. He has also been accused by former members of pedophilia, child pornography, sexual abuse of minors, and rape.<ref>http://www.sectas.org/Articulos/luzdelmundo/luz1_klahr.htm</ref>.<ref>http://www.luz-delmundo.com/principal/samuel-joaquin-violador.php</ref>.<ref>http://www.luz-delmundo.com/principal/fui-drogada-violada-luz-del-mundo.php</ref><ref>http://www.luz-delmundo.com/principal/salvador-guerrero-luz-del-mundo.php</ref>. To date, Samuel Joaquin Flores has not faced trial on these charges, which have been brought forth by several ex members of the church. The church insists that only the media made up these charges, particularly prompted by the Catholic church. Due to statutes of limitations for evidence, most of these charges have been cleared. The official hymn book of La Luz Del Mundo features several songs which glorify Samuel Joaquin as "king," "Christ," "Savior," and praise him as having "the power to forgive sins" "the power to save" and "the power to give eternal life" <ref>http://www.sectas.org/Articulos/luzdelmundo/laluz.htm</ref>. At La Luz Del Mundo's celebration of the Holy Supper on August 14, 1986, Samuel Joaquin Flores himself proclaimed that he is Christ<ref>http://www.sectas.org/Articulos/luzdelmundo/luz.htm</ref>. Former accountant for La Luz Del Mundo Fernando Flores Gonzales states that there were a few deaths during the construction of the temple in Guadalajara, which authorities of the State of Jalisco are not seeking to clarify. Flores Gonzales explains, "When they put up the Temple's structure, a few of the people that were working on the high floors fell down." To disguise it, "they would write down on the Death Certificate that the person had been run over by a car. It was all about avoiding any incidents that might halt the Temple's construction. "<ref>http://www.revistaacademica.com/ToLive/the-apostle.asp</ref>. During a production at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, CA on November 28, 2009, produced by APS an association of professionals and students the following statement was part of the production: "And there was a man who spoke of love and peace to mankind. Who was filled with the Spirit of God, and his name was Jesus. But he is no more. But now we have one who is here on earth for all mankind. Who has the Spirit of God in him and his name is Samuel Joaquin the savior of the earth!’ His work is on the earth bringing peace and salvation by an Apostle named is Samuel Joaquin. | |||
| On Sunday, December 6, 2009, 2 people were killed, and 15 were injured when a La Luz Del Mundo Temple in Uman, Yucatan, Mexico collapsed. The temple was being built without permits for construction or for land use, and there were no licensed professionals supervising the work.<ref>http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/12/08/index.php?section=estados&article=028n2est</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 11:10, 10 December 2009
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La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World) is a Christian denomination with international headquarters in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Its flagship church in Guadalajara is said to be the largest non-Catholic house of worship in Latin America. It is characterized by its pyramidal shape and innovative structure. It was erected between 1983 and 1991, largely by the members of the church. It is a notable architectural feature in Guadalajara despite being in a working-class district on the outskirts of the city. A local architect, Leopoldo Fernandez Font, designed the structure; project management was done by Joel Silva and José Rangel, and the executive engineer was Mario Uribe.
Built to accommodate 12,000 worshipers, the temple is used for annual ceremonies. Members come from all over the world every August 14 to celebrate the Santa Cena (Holy Supper) as well as on February 14 to commemorate the birthday of the Apostle Of Jesus Christ, Samuel Joaquín Flores (known to followers as El Apostól de Jesucristo, "The Apostle of Jesus Christ").
In accordance with the movement's teachings, the building's design represents the infinite power and existence of God. Its 7 levels over a base (menorah) symbolize the seven angels of God and the progressive steps toward the human spirit's perfection.
The church currently claims more than 3,500 temples around the world and has more than 5 million members in counting in more than 40 countries and territories, including Australia, Israel, Russia, Cape Verde, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Moldova, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Romania, Norway, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Curaçao, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Canada, United States, and Mexico.
History
La Luz Del Mundo was founded in 1926 by the former soldier in the Mexican revolution Eusebio Joaquin Gonzalez, who came into contact with two Pentecostal ministers. Upon being baptised he claimed to have heard God's voice speak to him telling him to take the name Aaron and become a prohphet charged with the reinstation of the original Christian church. With his wife he sojourned and evangelized throughout Mexico finally settling in Guadalajara, where the main church was established in 1954. The church is set inside a barrio called La Hermosa Provincia which is almost exclusively inhabited by members of La Luz del Mundo. Before his death in 1964 Gonzalez commended the leadership of the church to his son Samuel under whose leadership the church grew to have 11.000 congregations in 22 countries and 1.5 million followers in Mexico alone.
Doctrine
The church teaches that from the death of the last Apostle John in around 96 AD, up until the calling of Aaron in 1926, there was no salvation on earth. Aaron died in 1964, at which time followers say Samuel Joaquin Flores was elected by God as Apostle and the new leader of the church. Samuel Joaquin Flores teaches members that La Luz Del Mundo is the only true Christian church, because he is the only true servant of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ, and that there can be no salvation outside his church.
The church is also milenarian and teaches that the end of days is imminent and that only members of La Luz del Mundo will achieve salvation.
The main doctrines of La Luz Del Mundo are as follows: “The man of God (Samuel Joaquin Flores) is the life of our souls”. The will of God is hidden. The door is closed to every body except “the man of God. “The world believes that the truth of God and the mystery is revealed to all man kind. The Light of the World does not believe that. We believe that the mysteries are revealed to “the man of God” and then to us. “The man of God”, has taught the Light of the World that we must have a man of God on earth for salvation and Samuel Joaquin Flores is that man. The high priest is the servant of God, Samuel Joaquin. Samuel Joaquin intercedes for us and by his prayers we are free from sin, he intercedes for us to Jesus Christ. He will give us life in the apostle Samuel Joaquin with the authority of Jesus Christ, he (Samuel) prays for our sins. The Holy Bible is powerless with out the apostle, Samuel Joaquin. It is through him that he intercedes for us to Jesus for our sins. It is Samuel Joaquin who only knows the true will of God. If man wants salvation he must know and believe in the one that has been chosen for salvation, through choosing “the man of God, Samuel Joaquin.” Samuel Joaquin will tell us what we need for salvation. We must believe in him the chosen one. Why do we talk so much of Samuel Joaquin? Because our salvation is in him only. We (The Light of the World) say that there is a man of God on earth for salvation now and he is the servant of God for our salvation, Samuel Joaquin.” Wisdom of God is not found by faith in Christ’s Spirit to teach or by the Bible, but only by the word of Samuel Joaquin the chosen one. It is not enough to believe in just Jesus Christ. We must believe in the one sent of God, the man Samuel Joaquin. The world has taken upon them selves to preach the gospel of God without a man of God’s authority. They are wrong. You will not enter heaven without the authority of the man of God, the apostle Samuel Joaquin."
Controversy
In 2004 the church was accused on Mexican television of several counts of rape against female members. The accusations were spearheaded by the Mexican Anti-Cult group "The Christian Institute of Mexico" who demanded that La Luz del Mundo should be stripped of its legal recognition as a religion because of it. Mexican government was reluctant to take any such action, possibly because the dominant catholic church was under similar charges at the time.
According to Gordon Melton and David Bromley the Church la Luz del Mundo has been subject to fraudulent accusations of planning acts of violence or mass suicide against its members. The accusations were made by the church's ideological enemies.
References
- Cahn, Peter S. 2003. All religions are good in Tzintzuntzan. Univeristy of Texas Press
- Garma Navarro, Carlos. 2004. "The Legal Situation of Religious Minorities in Mexico:The Current situation, Problems, and Conflicts." In James T. Richardson (ed) Regulating religion: case studies from around the globe. Springer, 2004
- Bromley, David G. &J. Gordon Melton. 2002. Cults, religion, and violence. Cambridge University Press p. 50.
External links
- Official site
- Site of ex-member
- Official affiliate site
- video biography of Samuel Joaquin
- of articles on La Luz Del Mundo published by Anti-cult organisation Sectas.org
- Short bibliography of LLDM books and articles by scholars