How the "Message" Killed Santa Claus
An article published on MSN describes the death of Santa Claus as celebrated by leaders of William Branham's "Message" cult of personality. Though Branham himself celebrated Christmas by decorating trees[1] and exchanging gifts,[2] he harshly scolded cult members for doing the same.[3] Some leaders in Branham's cult of personality, such as Paul Shafer, took this to extremes — staging the murder of Santa Claus in front of "Message" cult children.
An article published on MSN describes the death of Santa Claus as celebrated by leaders of William Branham's "Message" cult of personality. Though Branham himself celebrated Christmas by decorating trees[1] and exchanging gifts,[2] he harshly scolded cult members for doing the same.[3] Some leaders in Branham's cult of personality, such as Paul Shafer, took this to extremes — staging the murder of Santa Claus in front of "Message" cult children.
Paul Schafer, devout anti-gay Christian cult leader and convicted Nazi pedophile, took The War on Christmas to new lows back in the mid-20th century by staging the murder of Santa Claus in front of children. {...} This revelation connected Schafer with charismatic American Evangelical 'prophet' William Branham, one of the founders of televangelism, pillar of the Healing Revival movement, and mentor to infamous cult leader Jim Jones of The Jonestown Massacre..[4]
- An evangelical cult leader assassinated Santa Claus in front of a bunch of kids
Read the full article:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/an-evangelical-cult-leader-assassinated-santa-claus-in-front-of-a-bunch-of-kids/ar-AA15CWut?li=BBnbfcL
References
[1] Branham, William. God's Wrapped Gift. 1960, Dec, 25. God's Wrapped Gift (60-1225). "1960/25/12 God's Wrapped Gift And then I want to take this time to express, to each and every one of you, how grateful I am to you, for your Christmas cards and gifts, and things that was received at our house. I certainly thank you, with all my heart. It certainly did us good, this morning. When…I got a little boy, small enough yet to kind of want a Christmas tree, and we had it in the room. And this morning, go under there, I found several gifts from my church here, and my friends from around different places, that had come in, laying under the tree. And I don't have words to express to you what I…how I appreciate every one of them William Branham And then I want to take this time to express, to each and every one of you, how grateful I am to you, for your Christmas cards and gifts, and things that was received at our house. I certainly thank you, with all my heart. It certainly did us good, this morning. When…I got a little boy, small enough yet to kind of want a Christmas tree, and we had it in the room. And this morning, go under there, I found several gifts from my church here, and my friends from around different places, that had come in, laying under the tree. And I don't have words to express to you what I…how I appreciate every one of them."
[2] Branham, William. Absolute. 1962, Dec, 30. Absolute (62-1230M). "1962/30/12 Absolute All your cards and things through the—the—the Christmas seasons, and gifts that you sent to the family, and, oh, I, they were innumerable to me. And little spots that cannot touch the spot in my heart, nothing could do it like that, to know that it come from you. And so some of them sent me some of their Christmas gifts in money William Branham All your cards and things through the—the—the Christmas seasons, and gifts that you sent to the family, and, oh, I, they were innumerable to me. And little spots that cannot touch the spot in my heart, nothing could do it like that, to know that it come from you. And so some of them sent me some of their Christmas gifts in money."
[3] Branham, William. We Have Seen His Star And Have Come To Worship Him. 1963, Dec, 16. We Have Seen His Star And Have Come To Worship Him (63-1216). "1963/16/12 We Have Seen His Star And Have Come To Worship Him Oh, brother, sister, how nice it would be if each one of you, if each one of us, us, me, if each one of us could lay aside all this here Christmas tinsel, see, quit all this swapping gifts, one with another, all of this nonsense of the world; and just take off our pride and lay it down, and stomp the thing under foot, say, 'Lord Jesus, guide me to that perfect Light.' Watch something Supernatural happen. The Holy Spirit will come in a phenomenal way. See William Branham Oh, brother, sister, how nice it would be if each one of you, if each one of us, us, me, if each one of us could lay aside all this here Christmas tinsel, see, quit all this swapping gifts, one with another, all of this nonsense of the world; and just take off our pride and lay it down, and stomp the thing under foot, say, 'Lord Jesus, guide me to that perfect Light.' Watch something Supernatural happen. The Holy Spirit will come in a phenomenal way. See?"
[4] An evangelical cult leader assassinated Santa Claus in front of a bunch of kids. MSN. Accessed. 2022, Dec, 25. Msn. Accessed 2022, Dec, 25 from https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/an-evangelical-cult-leader-assassinated-santa-claus-in-front-of-a-bunch-of-kids/ar-AA15CWut?li=BBnbfcL. "2022/25/12 An evangelical cult leader assassinated Santa Claus in front of a bunch of kids. MSN. Accessed"