A businessman from God

"Do you believe in God?
'Cos That's What I'm Selling
And If You Wanna Get to Heaven
I'll See You Right "
Genesis, " Jesus he knows me "

For the evangelists from Brazil, some are not at all good: the prosecutor’s office accused Edir Masedo, the head of the Ecumenical Church “The Kingdom of God” of fraud and the fraud of the donations. The prosecutors believe that over the past few years, Masedo and nine more leaders of the “Kingdom of God” have abducted more than $ 2 billion of believers. From its Brazilian fans, the Ecumenical Church receives about $ 800 million annually. But where specifically they go, most philanthropists are not interested, satisfied with the statements of the priests that it is necessary to build new temples and finance high -moraine broadcasts on TV. But in vain they are not interested, the prosecutor’s office claims: according to her, the funds go, mainly to offshore or shell companies, from where they are returned in the form of loans (in fact, free) church bosses. Those investing with hard work earned money in the development of their own business: they buy television channels or, for example, transport companies. The charitable deed. The kings of the universe
The Kingdom of God (ACCB) is the third in the number of believers the evangelist organization in Brazil, it has about 8 million parishioners and, according to the prosecutor's office, about 4,500 temples (quite a retail network - to attract investments in God's fishing). The church does not pretend to be an active role in Brazilian politics: in the past elections to the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress, the PRB party (Brazilian Republican Party), created by the “Kingdom of God”) received only 4 places out of 513. It is simply necessary that such a party, that's all. But on the other hand, the ALCB is much more aggressive than other Brazilian evangelists, claims to be world domination. The branches of the Ecumenical Church are open in a hundred countries , including in the post -Soviet space - in Russia, Ukraine, etc. Recently, the activists in South Africa rolled a powerful scandal to the “Kingdom of God”. It turned out that the local pastors and pay much less than the visitors of the Brazilian, and they collect money from them for fictional medical insurance, and their wives are discriminated. Africans accused the head of the ACCB of Masedo of racism, many of them simply left the church. And the “Kingdom of God” is a large media holding: the heads of the Church control the second most popular Rede Record television channel and related television centers, three newspapers, one of which is released more than 2 million, and more than 60 local radio stations. The founder of the Church of Edir Masedo, who is usually called the “bishop”, has other businesses, for example, a recording company, travel agency and air tacks. There is not only the kingdom of God, here is the kingdom of earthly. From lottery to the church empire
To relieve parishioners is simple. But to build a worldwide church empire is a completely different matter. Masedo created it literally from scratch: in 1977, this former Catholic and the former employee of the state lottery organized the readings of the Gospel in one of the cinemas of Rio de Janeiro. Masedo borrowed the main ideas from the American and Canadian Pentecostals with their special meaning “speaking in other languages” (hence the multinational church of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee with the Brazilians-emissaries). Someone considers those simply sects, and someone-a full-fledged current in Christianity along with Baptism. But about the All -Russian Central Council of People's Commissars, there are fewer doubts. This is a “church of results”: believers are invited to allocate 10% of their income to the church treasury, and in exchange, preachers promise a blessing (however, the poor can also come to church and, for example, wash). And here it is not some abstract wish for good and happiness in personal life, but specifically-wonderful treatment, career successes, family well-being, etc. These results are often demonstrated at church meetings. “Ads are investments,” Oedir Masedo quotes The Economist. In the investment, he knows a reason: in 1990, Masedo bought a small Rede Record television channel and made it a real competitor to the Globo Chief Brazilian channel. The business head of the Kingdom of God is built on the broadcast of American series and the production of own soap operas. The popularity of the channel he fuels with scandalous episodes. Once, one of the leaders of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee Sergio von Gelder, the Catholic icon flooded live on the air. However, in the personal blog of Masedo, such liberties does not allow itself. There he writes about how Evils are waiting for the believers everywhere, comments on the death of Michael Jackson, likening to the lot who came to Sodom, and answers the questions (“My husband is so lazy, should I get divorced with him?” The answer: “You need to stop blaming for everything in everything, and help him be the way you want to see him”). The Kingdom of God will not go to the polls
Without punctures, of course, it did not do. In 1992, Masedo was detained by the police - either for charlatanism, or for tax evasion. He was kept under arrest for 12 days, but then the issue was somehow resolved. Well, there are a lot of fans among police officers. Of course, they prefer not to mention this incident in the church, but if they mention, then as an absurd error. However, the police investigated the CPSB cases further, but until the last events they were not given the move. Last winter, President Lula da Silva actually supported the ALCB and its supporters who tried to sue the local newspaper for accusations against Masedo, based on some police reports. After all, Brazilian politics and populism are almost the words-synonyms; And the Ecumenical Church, at least directly and does not interfere in politics, but this is a powerful media machine, which one cannot but reckon. But now the “kingdom of God” is already tired of the president and his partners in the ruling coalition. This may not defeat, but at least preparations for the 2010 elections are not needed from God.