Over the years, we have witnessed various shocking controversies about the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ. Also known as the Israelite Church of Universal Practical Knowledge or simply Israel United in Christ, this organization is made up of a group of African-American Jewish Israelites with a highly controversial doctrine. In total, this New York-based church is present in ten US states and makes waves more often than you might think.
Israel United in Christ is the second largest African-American Hebrew Israelite organization in the United States, the first being Yahweh’s Nation. Organizations from all over the world have labeled this religious movement as hate group, sexist, racist, and homophobic.
In this article, I will uncover the top 10 most controversial things about Israel United in Christ.
Let’s see why it has such a negative reputation!
1. It all started as a non-profit organization.
Although it might seem quite surprising, it all started as a non-profit organization. The Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge was an American non-profit organization. It started by supporting the African-American community but ended up causing controversy and laying the foundation for the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ. This school quickly attracted attention with their preaching and quickly being labeled as an extremist religious sect. The group considers African-Americans to be descendants of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
2. The Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge has gone to court.
After laying the foundations of the Israelite Church, the Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge went to court. And this should not surprise you! The Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit human rights organization, has labeled the group as dangerous. It pointed out that this extremist ideology with their black extremist rhetoric incites hatred and violence.
3. Israel United in Christ has strict beliefs and guidelines for its followers.
As happens with many religious groups, Israel United in Christ focuses on strict obedience of their doctrine. The Church teaches followers that the true descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes are Black Americans, Native North Americans and South Americans, and West Indians. Moreover, it claims that the Black Israelites are God’s favorite people and are superior to the Caucasian race.
4. This church wanted to pay tribute to the High Priest, but it all ended in a big scandal.
Among the top controversies worth mentioning is the famous doll that was supposed to be identical to the face of the High Priest Tazadaqyah (whose real name was Jermaine Grant). This doll caused two big scandals. The first was that it was considered a blasphemy to distribute such a doll in children’s stores. It was believed that the ultimate goal of this action was to indoctrinate children from an early age.
The second scandal on this subject came from the church itself. The organization sued the doll manufacturer because it felt discriminated against because of it and even offended. The representatives of the church claimed that that doll did not look like the High Priest at all, and moreover, its skin color did not meet the requirements. This went to court in 2013.
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5. The group was categorized both as extremist and as a danger to society.
The main problem with this group is that they state that all white people are their enemies and society’s enemies. Over the years, the media has labeled the group as extremist because it preaches against so-called fraudulent Jews, against those who support abortion, and against homosexuals.
6. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has waged an ongoing battle with this organization.
As mentioned above, the SPLC has been directly involved in diminishing the negative effects of this church. Accusations of black supremacy and racism have not stopped coming in. One controversy highlighted by the SPLC is that church members preach that Jews are diabolical impostors, and it directly condemns whites as the evil personified. And this has led to numerous acts of violence and sometimes deaths.
7. The 2019 Lincoln Memorial incident describes them best.
In this infamous 2019 event, a large group of extremists from Israel United in Christ preached in front of African-American students using obscene words and highly provocative language. Those students did not see the event as beneficial to them and even claimed that this organization was not under the command of God. The result was an extended brawl in the streets surrounding the Lincoln Memorial, which led to the appearance of law enforcement and the arrest of many members of the Israelite Church.
8. Accusations of fraud and tax evasion are the order of the day.
As you can imagine, with such a unique group, fraud and tax evasion accusations are the day’s order. In 2018, the organization’s leader and treasurer, Jermaine Grant (aka Tazadaqyah), was arrested for fraud. The prosecutor alleged that he used his position to obtain and use millions of dollars for his personal use. The leader of the Israelite Church pleaded guilty and admitted to withdrawing funds from church members to support his extravagant lifestyle. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 44, only a few weeks before beginning his prison sentence.
9. In 2020, Grant was sentenced to a federal prison again but died before the sentence was served.
Allegations of fraud and tax evasion continued to emerge. In 2020, Grant was sentenced to a federal prison but died of complications from COVID-19. As expected, church followers perceived this event as a divine sign that absolved Grant of all sins. Moreover, the event led to other extreme situations because the followers of the Israelite Church were convinced of a divine intervention. This resulted in street protests and more extremist sermons in locations frequented by African-Americans.
10. The purpose of Israel United in Christ is to cast demons out of their fellow men.
Although it seems like a statement made from another century, the members of this organization have many extremist beliefs. Besides the fact that they believed that Jesus was of African ancestry, they passionately argued that everyone should listen to their sermons. There have been numerous documented instances of members of Israel United in Christ approaching people on the street they claimed were demon-possessed. With an aggressive attitude, they tried to instill fear and convince the so-called “demon-possessed” person to join their cult in order to escape the evil influences that reside within them.
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Now watch the video presentation:
In the end, the only advice I can give you is to: Keep your eyes open and your mind sharp! Until next time, take care.
Sources: Wikipedia 1, 2, 3, Zims, Forward, NY Times, Times of Israel
