Divine Truth
| Divine Truth | |
|---|---|
 Alan John Miller and Mary Luck presenting a Divine Truth seminar in 2013 | |
| Region | Australia |
| Founder | Alan John Miller (known as "AJ" and "Jesus")[citation needed] |
| Origin | 2005 Wilkesdale, Queensland, Australia |
| Official website | www |
Divine Truth is a spiritual or new religious movement based in Australia.[1] It was started in 2005 by spiritual teacher Alan John Miller, also known as A.J., who claims to be Jesus of Nazareth through reincarnation. Miller has been an elder in the Jehovah's Witnesses and used to be a computer systems engineer.[2]
It has been referred to as a cult.[3][4][5]
In 2007, Miller purchased a 16-hectare property at Wilkesdale, Queensland, Australia. In 2009, Divine Truth listeners purchased another 240ha property with plans to build "learning centres" and a visiting centre for international visitors. Hundreds of people have bought dozens of properties that are located close to Miller near Kingaroy.[2][3][4]
The evangelical 'Christian Faith' church group in Coffs Harbour NSW is critical of Miller and claims "he is not the messiah"[6]
Leadership
When questioned about whether he could speak Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, he said, "It can be spoken. Not now I can't."[7] Miller says that he has met Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Mahatma Gandhi, Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the afterlife. In a seven-minute interview which aired on A Current Affair, Miller claimed that Divine Truth is God's truth and is the "absolute truth of the universe".[8]
His partner, Mary Suzanne Luck, claims to know she is the reincarnation of Mary Magdalene.[3]
On the British magazine-programme This Morning on 15 July 2015 Miller claimed that in the 1st century as Jesus he was in a state of "at-one-ment" with God and thus God could perform miracles through him; in his present "incarnation" he is not yet at that stage of development and thus cannot perform miracles. He only became at one with God at the age of 31 in the first century. In his present (2015) "incarnation" he only started accepting he was Jesus at the age of 40 (although he said he has had memories of being Jesus since he was 2).[9]
When asked by Eamonn Holmes what his message to the world is Miller responded that there are two forms of love, the love that flows from the individual to another (natural love) and then there is God's Love (Divine Love). God's love can enter a person and has the power to transform a person. Miller stated that he encourages people to engage this process by asking God for His love and then to notice the changes that will occur once a person receives this love and their ability to share this love with others. Miller claims he communicates with God not through words but that God communicates through Her Love and this is how he also discovers God's Truth, a process open to all people, all God's children.[9]
Earth changes prediction
Miller has made multiple predictions which include "100-foot tidal waves" that would turn Kingaroy into beachfront property. The predictions were set to occur between 2011 to 2013. Some of these cataclysmic events are called "Earth Changes" by Miller in which billions of people would die. Miller describes some of these events as similar to events in the movie 2012.[2] Miller stated in 2011: "There's the movie 2012 right? Everyone I suggest you see it, everyone. A lot of the events portrayed in the movie are kind of similar to the events that will be occurring.[10]
Miller has also made similar claims such as a 100m tsunami will hit Australia, that a new continent would rise up next to Hawaii, that devastating earthquakes will occur, that some countries will disappear completely while other countries will change completely.[11]
Accusations of cultism
The Cult Awareness and Information Centre had previously said of Divine Truth: "The moment someone becomes God or God's voice on Earth it gives them another level of authority to enforce submission to them."[12] Miller states: "All we do is present seminars and answer people's questions. I still for the life of me can't quite understand where the cult thing has come from. There were lots of people in the first century who didn't believe I was the Messiah and were offended by what I said - and in fact I died at the hands of some of them."[12]
References
- ^ 'Australian IT worker believes he is Jesus' - Daily Mail - 30 May 2013
- ^ a b c "The messiah complex". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 24 Mar 2016.
- ^ a b c "Jesus and Mary cult followers buy up land around Kingaroy". The Courier-Mail. 15 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ a b "Reincarnation couple in cult friction". The Courier-Mail. 22 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ "Sunday Night - Inside Australia's Chilling New Cult (AJ Miller".
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ ., Terry (January 1, 2010). "AJ Miller – he is not the Messiah!". Christian Faith. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
{{cite web}}:|last=has numeric name (help) - ^ "Concerns voiced for friends and family in religious cult". The Courier-Mail. 22 May 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
- ^ "The second Coming?". A Current Affair. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ a b Man Claims to be Jesus on This Morning - This Morning - 15 July 2015 - available on YouTube
- ^ "Aussie messiah questioned". A Current Affair. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Australia's Chilling Cult Transcript". Yahoo News. 21 Sep 2011. Retrieved 26 Mar 2016.
- ^ a b 'AJ Miller: I am Australian Jesus, Follow me' - International Business Times - 29 May 2013