Divine Truth
 |
| Divine Truth | |
|---|---|
 Alan John Miller and Mary Luck presenting a Divine Truth seminar in 2013 | |
| Classification | Christian new religious movement |
| Region | Australia |
| Founder | Alan John Miller (known as "AJ" and "Jesus")[citation needed] |
| Origin | 2007 Wilkesdale, Queensland, Australia |
| Official website | www |
Divine Truth is a controversial new religious movement based in Queensland, Australia, taught by Alan John Miller, also known as A.J., who claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus of Nazareth, and his partner, Mary Suzanne Luck, who claims to be the reincarnation of Mary Magdalene. The couple describe Divine Truth as non-religious. Critics accuse the couple of running a cult.
Alan John Miller was born on March 10, 1963, in Loxton, South Australia, Australia, and Mary Suzanne Luck was born on January 2, 1979, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Alan and Mary both claim that prior to their current lives on Earth, they each have lived only a single life on Earth, which began around the beginning of the 1st century AD and then continued for 1900+ years in the spirit world (or other dimensional spaces) after their deaths on Earth in the 1st century.[1][2][3] They state that during their existence in the spirit world, they continued to grow and learn, and were able to discover a process by which they could return to Earth.[4] Miller calls the return process “reincarnation”, although his conception differs substantially from most other philosophies of reincarnation.[1][5][6][7]
Miller claims that Divine Truth is God’s Truth, which is the absolute truth about the universe and everything inside of it, from the perspective of God.[1][8][9] He clearly defines Divine Truth as non-religious, saying "It is always logical, it is always scientific in its nature, it is always mathematical in its nature. It is always based in reality, but not human reality, it's the reality of how God sees everything."[8][9] Miller teaches that he has discovered it through forming a personal relationship with God, and he teaches that Divine Truth can be discovered by any person through the same process.[1] Divine Truth teachings include information about God and God’s nature, the nature of the human soul, its growth and potentials, how to have a relationship with God, what is loving from God’s perspective, how to become a more loving individual, life after death, spirits and the spirit world, and the laws that govern the operation of the universe.[8]
Several of Miller's teachings are very similar to teachings found in True Gospel Revealed Anew by Jesus (4 vols.) (1940-1972),[10] a collection of material which had been dictated (between 1914-1922) via a form of automatic writing through lawyer and medium James Edward Padgett (August 25, 1852 - March 17, 1923). This material allegedly had been communicated directly to Padgett by Jesus and by several other discarnate spirits who were also highly spiritually advanced. The Prayer for Divine Love, on the Divine Truth website, was originally dictated to Padgett on December 2, 1916.[11] Miller claims that since he is Jesus, he gave most of the information contained within the Padgett messages to James Padgett.
Divine Truth teachings
[edit]Relationship with God
[edit]The primary focus of Divine Truth teachings describe how to form a personal relationship with God, since God is personally interested in all of His or Her Children. It teaches that it is possible to form this relationship directly with God, and the relationship does not require intermediaries, such as Jesus or priests. It is claimed that this relationship will become the source of all truth, love, happiness, and information about the universe and how it operates.[1][8][9]
Relationship with God is achieved by engaging in three principles – firstly developing humility, then being open to praying for Divine (God’s) Truth, and most importantly praying for Divine (God’s) Love to enter our soul.[1][8] Humility is defined as a passionate and sincere longing and desire to experience all emotions, whether those emotions are painful or pleasurable.[1][12] Prayer for God’s Truth is defined as a passionate desire for universal and personal truth to be a part of one's life, and which causes a person to seek truth daily.[1][13] Prayer for God’s Love is defined as a sincere emotional longing towards God for God’s Love.[14] Prayer is not an intellectual process.[1][13]
The focus on humility derives from the teaching that human souls are emotional, and God’s Soul is emotional, and therefore a true relationship with God can be formed only through an emotional bond with God, and not a thought-based connection.[1][13] There is a focus on the cathartic release of emotions in the teachings, since emotional “errors” inside of people, which are emotions that are not in harmony with love, block the flow of God’s Love into the human soul.[14] Therefore these painful emotions need to be experienced in order for one to continue to receive God’s Love.[1]
Miller teaches that a personal relationship with God can lead to a rapid development in love, through the reception of God’s Love, and that after the experience of all emotional errors, God’s Love can transform the human soul into a condition of at-onement with God, or being “Christed”. He teaches that this condition is possible for any person, and that it is the state that Jesus (whom he claims to be) attained in the first century. He also teaches that millions of people have reached this state in the spirit world after they died on Earth.[1] Divine Truth teachings also focus on how to develop in love through an understanding of ethics and morality, and the respect of others’ free will.[1] He teaches that free will is a primary gift from God, and must be used responsibly, ethically and morally if a person desires to maintain a relationship with God.[1]
The principles of Divine Truth have been presented since 2007. In 2012, the couple created the Divine Truth YouTube channel.[15] In a seven-minute interview which aired on A Current Affair, Miller explained that Divine Truth is God's truth and is the "absolute truth of the universe".[16]
Leadership
[edit]On the British magazine-programme This Morning on 15 July 2015, A. J. Miller was asked why he has now decided to publicly claim to be Jesus, he said that as soon as he realised who he was, he felt he had to be honest about his identity (which was over 10 years ago), but that he has always shared Divine Truth or God’s Truth with others throughout his life. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Miller clarifies, ”When I claim I'm Jesus, most people automatically assume that means I'm claiming a lot of things. They assume it means I'm claiming I'm God, and I'm not. They assume it means that I'm claiming that everyone should listen to me, and I'm not. In fact, I tell people they need to always analyse things through their own experience."[17] When asked to perform miracles to prove that he is Jesus, A. J. explains that in the first century he was only able to perform miracles once he became "at-one" with God, whereby God could work through him. He goes on to say, that at present, he is not yet at that stage of development, but when he becomes at-one with God he feels both he and Mary will do so, which they see as just the reality of being at-one with God, rather than miracles.
Miller explains that since the age of two, he has had memories of his entire 2000 years of existence. He has found it psychologically difficult to assimilate these memories into his current life, hoping for some time that they were not evidence of his identity, knowing people would respond negatively. Miller finally started accepting he was Jesus at the age of 40.[18]
When asked by Eamonn Holmes what his message to the world is, Miller responded that “The primary message is that there are two forms of love. There is the love that comes out of the individual, given to another, and there’s God’s Love that can enter the individual. God’s love has the power to transform not only the individual into becoming a more loving person, but also transform the world. What we’re trying to encourage people to do is to engage this process with God, of receiving Love from God, then noticing the changes that occur inside of themselves and then sharing that love with others. So that’s our primary message.” When asked if he talks to God, the Father, does he communicate with the Father, Miller responded by saying, “Yes, but not in the manner that most people believe, the language of God is love, and the communications with God have to flow through the connection with love.” [18]
Earth changes prediction
[edit]A. J. Miller has stated that what others claim are predictions are just his personal opinions and feelings at that point in time and not to be taken as definite predictions. One of these opinions was that "100-foot tidal waves" would turn Kingaroy into beachfront property. His feeling at the time was that global Earth changes would occur between 2011 and 2013. Miller describes some of these events as similar to events in the movie 2012.[17] 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.[19]
Miller has also stated similar feelings such as that a 100m tsunami might 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.[20]
Accusations of cultism
[edit]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."[21] 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."[21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "What Is Divine Truth?". Notes Along The Way. 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
- ^ 20170922-1310 Identity & Self Belief, Julian Morgans, Vice, 30 December 2017, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ "AJ Miller - The Jesus Cult". Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ^ 20111012 Interview With Jesus & Mary - Introduction To Jesus & Mary S1, 5 November 2011, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ 20100424 The Human Soul - Reincarnation Emotions, 21 August 2011, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ Jesus on When, Why and How Reincarnation Occurs, 13 December 2015, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ 20090124 The Human Soul - The Truth About Reincarnation, 12 February 2012, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ a b c d e 20130821 Interview With Jesus - Divine Truth S01P01, 22 October 2013, retrieved 2021-07-14
- ^ a b c What is Divine Truth?, 28 October 2013, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ The Padgett material, throughout its publication history, has not always been known under the title True Gospel Revealed Anew by Jesus. For example, Vol. 1 of the Padgett material has been published under the following titles: Book of Truths (1940), The True Gospel Revealed Anew from Jesus (1941), The True Gospel Revealed Again from Jesus (1941), Messages from Jesus (1950), and Messages from Jesus and Celestials (1956). Vol. 2 of the Padgett material has been published under the following titles: Book of Truths (1950), and Messages from Jesus and Celestials (1950). (Click on https://new-birth.net/other-stuff/books-we-love/books-on-the-messages-received-by-james-padgett/#oop for photos and detailed information on these various editions of Vols. 1 and 2 of the Padgett material). Both Vols. 1 and 2 of the Padgett material, in all the various printings or editions just listed, were privately published by Dr. Leslie Rippon Stone (November 10, 1876 - January 15, 1967), who was one of Padgett's close confidants and collaborators. Stone was a spiritualist, and a chiropractor by profession. On January 2, 1958, in Washington, D. C., Dr. Leslie R. Stone, along with his colleagues Dr. Daniel George Samuels (May 18, 1908 - March 1982) and Rev. Dr. John Paul Gibson (d. October 1982), founded and incorporated the Foundation Church of the New Birth (FCNB). By being incorporated, the church would be able to obtain formal recognition from the IRS that it was operating legally on a tax-exempt basis as a non-profit organization. The purpose of this church was to serve as an effective means for the ongoing publication of the Padgett material, and for the dissemination of the teachings revealed through Padgett. Soon after being founded, the FCNB in 1958 started publishing all volumes of the Padgett material uniformly under the same title, which title was: True Gospel Revealed Anew by Jesus. This 1958 printing of Vols. 1 and 2 of the Padgett material is sometimes referred to as the "4th edition" of the Padgett material. After the 1958 printing, Vols. 1 and 2 of the Padgett material were printed again in 1965. Vol. 3 of the Padgett material was originally published in 1969, and Vol. 4 in 1972, both volumes being published after Stone's death. After the death of Dr. Leslie R. Stone in 1967, Rev. Dr. John Paul Gibson was head of the Foundation Church of the New Birth, until the time of his death in 1982. Leadership of the FCNB then passed briefly to Victor Summers (b. November 22, 1954), who was voted in as president on April 10, 1983. However, Summers, even by his own admission, was too young and inexperienced for this role. At a meeting held on December 25, 1984, Summers and 6 FCNB trustees decided to divest the FCNB of all its assets, and to transfer all the published Padgett material out of copyright status and into public domain status. However, all these actions didn't go so far as to actually dissolve the FCNB - fortunately, the FCNB still retained its status as a fully registered legal entity in various corporation databases. Additionally, Summers' actions were opposed by a majority of FCNB members. Two major groups of FCNB members decided to act to save the Padgett material from falling into oblivion. One group of FCNB members founded an organization in Washington, D. C. called the New Birth Christian Healing Sanctuary, which in December 1985 was incorporated as the Foundation Church of Divine Truth, which is still in operation. In 1991 a different group of FCNB members restarted the FCNB, using the legal framework which had been left in place by Summers and which could thus be salvaged and utilized as the legal foundation for a new incarnation of the church. Thus, although the Foundation Church of the New Birth suffered through a period of dormancy for a short time (1985-1990), it found a new lease on life and is still in operation. Also, the Padgett material is still now in the public domain, and as a consequence the books now being published which are based on the Padgett material are really starting to multiply.
- ^ "Books by James E. Padgett (Author of The Padgett Messages, Volume 1)". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
- ^ Jesus on Humility and the Need to Feel, 14 September 2015, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ a b c 20130511 Relationship With God - Faith & Prayer S1P1, 26 June 2013, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ a b Jesus on Prayer, Pure Desire and Turning the Other Cheek, 14 September 2015, retrieved 2021-10-15
- ^ "Divine Truth - YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ "The second Coming?". A Current Affair. 16 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ a b "The messiah complex". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 24 Mar 2016.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 27 September 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