It is a risky business to proclaim oneself the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, or for that matter, anyone at all! Most folks who claim to be Marilyn Monroe, J.C., or even a simple handmaiden in the time of Cleopatra’s rule are going to receive very odd looks from those they share this information with – many will be dumped into mental health facilities without a second thought. Imagine how frustrating it would be to know something like this about yourself only to have everyone consider you insane for believing it? In the case of Vissarion, instead of being marginalized by society or tossed into a mental health facility, he has created his own society revolving around his unusual belief. Is this a scam by a charismatic cult leader, or do you think this man either really believes his claim, or may in fact actually BE You Know Who? Your thoughts?
Remote Russian Sect Revolves Around Self-Proclaimed Messiah
By CLARISSA WARD
Siberia, RUSSIA (ABC News)
“Two white robed men were standing there among them and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring the sky? Jesus has gone away to heaven. And some day, just as He went, He will return!'” — New Testament, Acts 1:10-11
Deep in the heart of Siberia’s birch forests lies one of the largest and most remote religious communes of the planet. More than 5,000 people have left their families and their homes to move here and join the Church of the Last Testament, which has more than 10,000 followers worldwide. The church centers on one man. He is known simply as Vissarion, meaning “he who gives new life,” or simply as the teacher, and he claims that he is Jesus Christ.
I had heard about a self-proclaimed messiah in Siberia and I decided to try to find him myself. Getting to Vissarion’s commune is not easy. From Moscow, the Russian capital, it is more than 2,000 miles and four time zones away. One begins by flying to Abakan, a bleak city near the Mongolian border, dotted with crumbling tsarist buildings and Soviet-style blocks. Driving through, I decided to ask residents whether they had heard of Vissarion and what they thought of him. Most people knew who he was, but they didn’t seem to like him much…
For the rest of the article and to watch an interview with Vissarion, click here
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