Fiat LuxFiat Lux is a small religious community in Germany's southern Blackforest ("Hotzenwald"), with centres in Ibach and Strittmatt (near Waldshut). The community perceives itself as a "religious order" which was founded in 1980 directly "by Jesus Christ through his speaking-tube URIELLA". Despite the rather small size with an 'inner circle' of 135 full-time members ("Ordensträger/-innen") and roughly 800 followers (and some 2000 sympathisers), Fiat Lux has become a relatively well-known NRM in Germany today -- mainly because of some media attention during previous years (esp. court trials concerning toll or tax avoidance and sale of spiritual medicaments and fluids with alleged healing powers). The charismatic leadership is in the hands of Erika Bertschinger Eike ("URIELLA" is her spiritual name), who is the primary "medium" for privileged information and revelation from heavenly reigns. In 1970, the former secretary and interpreter, born 1927 in Zürich/Switzerland, became involved with spiritual healing and natural cure. Claiming to be endowed with divine gifts like clairvoyance, remote hearing and similar paranormal faculties, she presents herself as God's sole "channel", "full trance medium" and "speaking-tube" for today, receiving her esoteric messages directly from Jesus (sometimes Mary). |
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Important religious events are the Sunday services with URIELLA's public "full trance-revelations", delivered as long speeches (by Jesus) addressed to the assembly, with various spiritual healings to follow in separate sessions. Uriella's "messages" and "visions" are collected, printed and, thus, form a cumulative body of new revelations which are the primary source of information: in this bright "Fiat Lux castle", members gain access to a privileged "panorama", since URIELLA opens all the relevant "windows" unto the machinations in the fallen world. The life style is strictly regulated and monastic: new ritual name, times for prayer, celibacy, vegetarian food, white (shining) dress and other rules for 'pure' conduct. The order runs a small humanitarian help project called "Adsum" (e.g. to Rumania).
The faith is syncretistic and apocalyptic in outlook, and it includes many assumptions which are typical for contemporary esoteric ufologies (e.g. reincarnation, "ascension" of the soul): Humanity is now living in the end-times; parts of earth are going to be destroyed by huge tidal waves, asteroids, volcano eruptions, earth quakes, and a terrible World War (including Nazi-UFOs currently hidden in the Antarctic). Only one third of humanity will survive this great tribulation during the "three dark days". But benevolent interplanetary beings under the command of Jesus Christ will help to evacuate the chosen few in small spherical spaceships descending from giant spherical "motherships" (however, access will be denied for the spiritually unprepared). This evacuation will last for three weeks; a spiritual awakening and purification of earthly souls will take place on the motherships, and earth is going to be transformed into a new paradisiacal entity called "Amora" (with a return of the ancient sunken continents, mild climate, new fauna and flora, etc.). A millennial era of peace, harmony and unity with all creation is going to follow on Amora: Christ will return, Maria will reign, Yin and Yang will be at balance, and there will be visible contact with angels and other spiritual beings. Creative powers will prevail, new energies and solely 'green' technologies are going to be employed.
Originally, this "final phase" was
announced to commence already back in 1998. But in the course of this year
URIELLA revealed that, due to the immense praying energies, God has granted
a "temporary postponement" or "time of grace". It might well be that URIELLA
will pronounce other concrete deadlines later, stressing the apocalyptic
tension again. The other option would be that the millenarian events are
increasingly spiritualised or deferred (as in the case of other esoteric
ufologies concentrating more on "light work" and "ascension") -- and some
the order's current publications seem to indicate this. Until today, however,
the religious theory and practice is mainly devoted to a world-and-society-renouncing
strategy of religious coping which mediates new meaning to participants'
life by focusing solely on the imminent "Golden Age" foretold by the charismatic
leader, and on a purification of the soul within a supportive enclave of
the chosen few.
For further reading:
© 09/2001 -- Andreas Grünschloß
(Gruenschloss)
