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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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27

'Reborn' Jesus Leads Vegans in Russia

Known as Vissarion, former traffic cop preaches against war

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(Newser) – A former traffic cop in Russia has declared himself a reincarnation of Jesus and amassed a following of 5,000 devotees, including artists and intellectuals, the Daily Mail reports. Sergei Torop, "reborn" as "Vissarion" after losing his job in 1991, preached against the evils of war and harming the environment. Now he passes his days painting in his chalet while 300 followers live in wooden huts around his church.

Critics accuse him of drawing on a national obsession with personality cults to swindle people in the far-off Siberian village of Petropavlovka. But believers willingly devote their lives to him, accepting veganism, and giving up drinking, smoking, and handling money. They also consider the current year to be 49—Torop is 48 years old—and have given up Christmas to celebrate on August 18, the anniversary of Vissarion's first sermon.

Vissarion, formerly a policeman named Sergei Torop, speaks to a visitor from his residence in Sun City, eastern Siberia, the town he and his followers founded in 1994.
Vissarion, formerly a policeman named Sergei Torop, speaks to a visitor from his residence in Sun City, eastern Siberia, the town he and his followers founded in 1994.   (Getty Images)
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27 comments
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United_States_of_Entertainment
Aug 29, 09 6:39 PM CDT
HAHAHA OH BULL! Reply
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0
doingtherightthing
Aug 29, 09 6:40 PM CDT
The trolls have somebody new to follow, in case, Obama slides further in the polls........go Sergei take the trolls with you! Reply
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-13
IN RESPONSE:
Deebles
Aug 29, 09 6:54 PM CDT
Can you say Rasputin? As for the trolls a word much less offensive then fascist, It still means the guy under the bridge in Holy Grail asking the air speed of a South African Swallow. You got to come up with a better word. How about literate citizen? No, too boring. How bout not you? So, everyone who disagrees with right thing is simply--not rightthing. And to be fair we can shorten it to NRT. Or Nerts. I like that so much better than trolls. Nerts--A Newser word for Obama panty sniffers that belongs just to us.
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IN RESPONSE:
doingtherightthing
Aug 29, 09 7:34 PM CDT
Neeley........getting a little long in the tooth Troll. But it fits. Its hard to brake old habits. Nerts works but the more minus's I get the better I'm doing at newser. They hate it when I call them trolls. Not so much nerts. I'll take your advice under consideration and find something new. Time to shift it into another gear............Nert-trolls..........
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-4
IN RESPONSE:
Robert_Dada
Aug 29, 09 8:38 PM CDT
Rightthing, nobody cares at all what you call them. You're insignificant and banal and as such, don't elicit much of any reaction, except perhaps for a slight smirk from those of us who really get a kick over how unintelligent you are.
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+4

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