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Edir Macedo Bezerra (born February 18, 1945) is a Brazilian evangelical leader〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=O ateu que não vive sem Deus )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=O céu e o inferno não são folclore )〕 and media mogul; he is the owner and chairman of the second-largest television network in Brazil, Rede Record, since 1989 with its parent Central Record de Comunicação who also founded after he bought the network. Macedo was raised Catholic, but by 1970 converted to a Pentecostal. He founded with others the Pentecostal Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil in 1977. He is referred to with sneer quotes as ''"Bishop" Edir Macedo'' by Forbes.〔 His rapidly growing religious movement and his teaching of prosperity theology have been a source of controversy. His sermons partly focus on freeing his followers from unclean spirits that oppress them, which manifest in them, and are cast out in the name of Jesus, in order for them to overcome their problems. His views about other faiths, particularly Catholicism, are also controversial. In 1992 he spent eleven days in jail on accusations of charlatanism. There were several protests, with his religious followers camping in front of the police precinct he was held in, according to his autobiography "Nothing to Lose".〔(From favelas to Spanish parliament: Nothing to Lose: Book launch )〕 His Prosperity theology is used by church leaders to justify his lifestyle, "If I preach prosperity and my clothes are ragged, who will follow me?〔 According to Forbes and Business Week he is continuously involved in scandals, mostly due to allegations that the UCKG illegally channeled donations of billions of US dollars intended for charity overseas, then returned the money to Brazil where, according to São Paulo's public prosecutor, there was no evidence that it was used in the personal interests of the church leaders, including Macedo, being accused. Macedo Is accused of using the donations received from his poor followers to buy jewelry, TV stations, and other businesses for himself, it is said that from 2003-2008 alone Macedo took over $2 billion in donations. There have also been unofficial charges of fraud and money laundering.〔〔(Guardian newspaper: Brazilian evangelical leader charged with fraud, 13 August 2009 )〕〔(Business Week: Edir Macedo, Brazil's Billionaire Bishop, 25 April 2013 )〕 Macedo was still under prosecution by US and Venezuelan authorities. In 2007 Macedo was also criticized by the acquisitions of his church which include, twenty-three TV stations, forty radio stations, two major daily newspapers, a real state agency, a health insurance company, and an airline. The church's acquisitions seems very suspicious due to the church's short history of about thirty years.〔 In March 2013 Macedo was on the Forbes billionaires list with a reported US$1.1 billion. That makes him by far the richest pastor in Brazil and the world.〔(Forbes: The Richest Pastors in Brazil, 17 January 2013 )〕〔(Forbes profile of Edir Macedo as of March 2013 )〕 ==Criticism== Macedo has been criticised, especially after the 'kicking of the saint' incident in which UCKG bishop Sérgio Von Helder, who later left the Church, kicked a Catholic icon in a TV program, for which he was later imprisoned for two years. Followers are asked to make a financial sacrifice in addition to tithing, the pastor explains that the donations must be proportionate to the benefit sought from God.〔 Twice a year UCKG pastors take prayer requests to the holy land, each with a monetary offering of value suggested by the pastors, to show appreciation. Edir Macedo was indicted by the Federal Justice for import of equipment and use of public documents and legal proceedings, but not convicted. Ten years later he was prosecuted again by the prosecutors of the State of São Paulo. On 19 October 2010 the São Paulo Justice Court (TJ-SP) annulled all accusations made by the São Paulo Public Ministry against the UCKG and its principal representatives by a majority vote. The judges deemed that the São Paulo prosecutors did not have jurisdiction to investigate the case, as the accusations were of a type that fell into the federal jurisdiction.〔(Universo Politico: Accusations against UCKG recognised as illegal, 24 October 2010 ) 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Edir Macedo」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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