Police are pursuing those responsible for the death of a 2-year-old boy at a church in Texas where the parents and pastors starved the boy to rid him of his possession by a demon — only to try to resurrect the dead boy later with the use of blessed oils. Police say the pastors at a Balch Springs church starved a 2-year-old boy they said was possessed by a demon, and later held a ceremony to resurrect the boy. The parents are believed to have taken the body to Mexico while Aracely Meza, 49, was arrested Monday and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission. The boy was given only water for 25 days and died on March 22.
Police have reported a very strong case for not just serious bodily injury by omission but homicide. When a church member tried to feed the boy, the pastors scolded her and prevented her from feeding the boy. However, as this column discusses, people who kill children in the name of religion have often been given more lenient treatment. This type of Abraham defense creates a mitigating factor in the names of some judges and prosecutors.
The boy denied at the Iglesia Internacional Jesus es el Rey, where Meza, her husband and several others lived. Meza acted as the church’s vice president and also claimed to be a prophet who could communicate directly with God. You can see the final ceremony in the video here.
It was Meza who on the morning of March 22 held the bizarre resurrection ceremony as Meza held the boy, named Benjamin, and says “In the name of Jesus, I’m utilizing this oil to try to get him back to life.”
After applying oil to his head, she says it’s time for him to wake up, “right now.” He didn’t.
Source: Dallas News
An exorcism is a truly hair-raising event! Robbie the “haunted boy”, was the case the exorcism is based on. This is what Blatty’s exorcism account was based on, when he wrote his novel, and was turned into cinematic gold…sweet!
SWM, I’ve noticed that there are a lot of Mexicans being converted to the fundamentalist religions, such as Pentecostalism. Looks like another one of those huge mega churches.
http://www.elreyjesus.org/ The church is part of a large christian fundamentalist pentecostal denomination based in Miami, Fl. Has nothing to do with the Catholic Church. You see these congregations in Florida and Texas. They have made inroads in many other places also.
Happypappies – You are right that cults that abuse its members spring up here in the US, too. The above example was a blending of native and Catholic religions. But ignorant people everywhere can start their own cult and abuse members.
My personal definition of a cult is when the leader claims to have a direct line to God with supernatural powers, and starts having multiple wives. For some reason, every cult I’ve studied ends up with the leader abusing women. Yearning for Zion comes to mind. They may not all end up that way, but it seems rather common.
There was that Heaven’s Gate cult that believed if the worshipers committed suicide they would be taken up by an alien space ship. I think the aliens liked the color purple, because everyone had a purple blankie. The aliens were cheap, too, as the “interplanetary toll” was only $5.75, the amount in each body’s pocket. I guess that combines Christianity, New Age, Sci-Fi and human sacrifice.
As a non-religious example, there was a “re-birthing” movement where it was thought that recreating the experience of child birth can be cathartic for children with behavior problems and repair a broken bond with the mother. They wrap the child tightly with a blanket and the mother and “practitioner” lean, push, and sit on him to recreate being born through the birth canal. Unfortunately, there have been instances where the children have been smothered to death.
Karen S
I saw an example of that on Law and Order Special Victims Unit about the re-birthing.
For some reason I have lots of people in and out of my life who do and have had extreme examples I am able to share such as the Pentecostal exorcism from a schizophrenic girl whose parents insist their house became infested with demons and refused medication at first until they were unable to calm her at a later date with “prayer warriors” These particular people are loving but I will always believe a chemically imbalanced person needs their medication.
Insofar as this yearning for Zion – I just had another Facebook person be done with me after 2 weeks of Davidian/Seventh Day Adventist ploys to try to brainwash me in the midst of the Cake Wars (lol) What I learned is they use the yearning for Zion in a Concrete way as a Kingdom for Jesus won’t be here until we follow the “True” Gospels which were only partially revealed as Jesus took the Disciples aside-Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” — Matthew 20:17-19 But this is a secret that I don’t know about because he kept asking me about these 3 days lololol It was ridiculous. For 2 weeks this went on about how could I believe in God If I did not know about the 3 days……
If they had been so specifically forewarned—and especially if they knew in advance that Jesus would rise from the dead—why were the disciples so confused and frightened during the drama of Easter week?
Stupid. But I had nightmares all last night and have been upset the last two weeks and now I know once again how people get brainwashed into these cults…….Sorry for any rude behavior on the blog. I know DBQ is probably really mad at me.
Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is another blending of religions, both Catholic and native American.
However, it is more fun, as it’s essentially a costume party where family has a nice picnic in the cemetery with their deceased relatives. Ancestors and family who have passed are included in the celebration with the living, strengthening family ties. Plus Pan De Muertos (Bread of the Dead) is absolutely delicious.
DBQ:
You’re very right about religions in Mexico combining Catholicism and native beliefs.
For those who may not be familiar:
Santa Muerte is not a Catholic saint. She is a pagan Death Goddess, incorporating aspects of Aztec and other native cultures. She is especially appealing in a nation with a very high murder rate and wars between drug cartels. Worshipers borrow heavily from Roman Catholic symbolism to appeal to the predominantly Catholic nation. Santa Muerte is typically portrayed as a skeleton in the posture of the Virgin Mary, and shrines and rites resemble Catholic shrines.
One of the major differences is that people can pray to her so they can find their victim to murder, that their meth shipment makes it over the US border, or that they get through the day without getting into a car accident.
What is especially interesting is that many of her worshipers also practice Catholicism, and see no conflict in practicing opposing faiths simultaneously. This plasticity is also common in regions where multiple religions are blended together.
I do not know if the above article referenced a Santa Muerte cult, or a similar blended religion advocating human sacrifice.
What an unbelievable tragedy for that poor child. Every time I hear about stories like this I wish we could go back in time and save him.
One of the most horrifying aspect of the movie The Shining was that the murderous villain was the father. To have a parent harm a child rather than protecting him is abhorrent on an instinctive level. In this unhappy case, it was the parents, religious leader, and an entire community that conspired to murder a two year old.
I came to the Planet Earth in 1967 and stayed in the Chase Park Plaza in Saint Louis. I rode around with a bunch of teenagers in Mustangs and and Edsel. We went to a place where teenagers hung out called Jennings Steak. It was a franchise of Steak N Shake. But it was more like Shake Rattle and Roll– very wild. I wonder if happypappies ever frequented this place. When I visited Ferguson recently, and Saint Louis in general, this place could not be found.
Beldar
Do you mean Circle Steak that Me and My Girl Friend Cheri Mueller used to go around in her 1968 Mustang in?? I used to work in that Baden Bank there also…… Please don’t tell me anymore. I am weepy tonight 🙁
Issac
I was talking with a good friend today, another one who was raped by a priest when she was 8 and chloroform was used — I don’t know why these people are put in my path but I do know this happens all the time with these so called holy men. Her mother actually hushed her up and told her he was a holy man and was forgiven. This was in Iowa. Anyway, I told her about this and We came to the conclusion that things might have to go secular for a while and our Savior would accept it as he is about love and when the time would be right there would be a reassurance. There would still be churches but not the ones that are popular now. Hopefully they will somehow get blown out of the water
” I knew many people that were raped by their Fathers as a Child that were white girls but had to keep their mouths shut to keep the peace. ”
Really? Where did you grow up at?
It has taken thousands of years, almost two thousand with Christianity, to understand that man is the measure of all things. This little tidbit was offered up by Protagoras almost 2,500 years ago, when people were starting to think straight, without having to use fairy tales to validate rational thought and actions. Now, for the past couple hundred years, the West, which is the most advanced part of the world in all things, has established what Protagoras opined 2,500 years ago. We are destined to take care of ourselves.
There is no place for religion in law, justice, civil issues, or commercial ventures. A person’s religion is his or her private and personal relationship with the obscurity of the all and the relative limitations of the individual. Once religion is forced, in any way, on a person it ceases to be a religion in spirit but only a device to procure power and authority. Why is it so important to those who believe in some god or agent of god that others believe what they believe? The very necessity that others believe in certain things in certain ways negates the worth of the god and/or agent.
These, so called religious, people that took this child’s life must be dealt with without any protection from anyone’s concept of religion.
rcocean
” I knew many people that were raped by their Fathers as a Child that were white girls but had to keep their mouths shut to keep the peace. ”
Really? Where did you grow up at?
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I grew up in St Louis County and I have mentioned this on the Blog Several Times. If you are unaware of the Fact that Women Keep their Mouths Shut about their Abusive Fathers from the 1950s – 1960s -1970s then you are blind indeed. This was very common in large families. I lived in St. Jeromes Parish and I know it also happened across the River in Granite City, Missouri and in outlying counties. I am a white woman and the funny thing is that I talk to lots of people on line men and women and now that they are older, they admit how they protected their sisters and they are in therapy now and how they did not tell their mother when the 2nd husband who was a Pentecostal Minister did it and on and on and on
Now, I am not slamming religion. I am saying take the log out of your eye before you pick the mote out of your brothers you know?
I am very religious. I never shut up about it and most people here will not engage me. That is okay. I have a great sense of Ethics.
I get tired of people blaming Jesus for their Moral dilemmas. It is absurd. If Christianity would have stayed out of Aristotelian Values and the 4 Cardinal Virtues and kept from moralizing the people to death and let them live natural lives, there would be little to no perversion.
But, what do I know? I just am a person who thinks too much.
Those who believe in God should think thrice and reconsider their belief system. May Dog have pity on your lame brains.
@DBQ
You have brought some fascinating perspective to this story. Thank you! I can’t help but think that all the Day of the Dead ceremonies and their imagery have a profound input from the previous religions operating in the region.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Gah. Didn’t close the italic html. The first sentence is isaac. The rest is me.
Mentioning religion and this sort of behavior in the same sentence is where the problem starts. Perhaps we agree.</i<
I do agree. This was premeditated murder cloaked in a religious veil. In no way do I condone this type of horrific action and do not think it should be protected by religious rights. I have often said, I personally do not care WHAT people do in their private or religious lives as long as it doesn't involve hurting children, mentally defective adults or animals. Supposedly, adults are cognizant enough to protect themselves and get out of the abusive sect or situation.
What I am trying to point out that this type of religion which is a blend of several religious sects….RC and Mexican Native American…..will be seen more frequently as we have a higher and higher proportion of people immigrating and NOT assimilating. As it becomes more and more common, I expect to see people leaning over backwards to not appear racist or prejudiced. Allowing the bad things to continue by politically correct excusing.
DBQ – at no point do I think this was premeditated murder. If they tried to resurrect him, they did not try to murder him.
Religion poisons everything! Maybe the only worse fate for that poor child would have been growing up under the influence of those criminal morons.
Aaron Hernandez, was just sentenced to life.
DBQ
You can explain Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, etc. Regardless of the history and/or beliefs, this is murder of the worst sort and should be given the most extreme punishment. Perhaps these idiots on death row will set an example of the separation of church and state. Mentioning religion and this sort of behavior in the same sentence is where the problem starts. Perhaps we agree.
There goes Squeeky again, adding perspective & throwing reality in our face. Good show Girl Reporter! Thankfully, compared to the abortion holocaust, this kind of unmitigated foolishness is very rare.
This death was caused by those who have taken Yeshua’s Name in vain. They profess to know Him, but do not. There is NO Bible precedent for starving a child like this for any reason. What they did flies in the face of the New Covenant. And even the old one.
There is no way that Jesus approves this kinda stuff. Every exorcism recorded in The Book shows that demons were cast out by invoking Jesus’ Name. NO true follower of Messiah as recorded in the Book used any other ‘method’. These peeps were fooled by the one who seeks to discredit Yeshua & His real followers, the devil.
As a Christian, I deplore that this kind of garbage goes on in the name of Yeshua. If they were really connected to Him they would know better.
I do hope there is not a lot of lumping all people who profess Yeshua into the same category as these deceived people.
SamFox
@larry brothers
You said, “Not the kind of thing you see from atheists, thank Christ.”
True. An overwhelming majority of atheists just support aborting them pre-exorcism. Hmmm. How many babies have been sliced and diced in the U.S. to date since 1973—over 56 million.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
@ Karen
Santa Muerte. Exactly what I was trying to convey about the syncretism of RC and Mexican/Native American religions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Muerte
Very interesting reading.