A church service that was meant to inspire faith has instead triggered disbelief, outrage, and fierce debate after a viral video showed a Christian pastor instructing a teenage boy to chew and swallow a torn page from the Bible.
The disturbing moment unfolded in front of a cheering congregation as the pastor claimed the act would allow 'the power of God' to enter the teen's body. As clips spread rapidly online, critics accused the pastor of crossing ethical boundaries and turning worship into what many described as a cult-like spectacle.
The controversy centres around pastor Kevin Leal, who was speaking during a church gathering when he began discussing wisdom and spiritual understanding. While addressing the congregation, Leal recalled an experience from years earlier in Brazil, claiming he had once 'devoured' the Book of Proverbs as a young man.
Moments later,the service took an unexpected turn.
Leal asked a teenage girl in attendance to hand him her Bible and open it to the Book of Proverbs. Holding the Bible in front of the congregation, he then tore out one of the pages and handed it to a teenage boy identified as Ethan.
'Eat it. When you eat this, the power of God is going to go inside of you,' Leal reportedly told the teenager.
The boy, smiling nervously as worship music played in the background, crumpled the page into a ball before placing it into his mouth and chewing. As the teen struggled to swallow the paper, he reportedly asked for water while Leal continued encouraging him from the stage.
'Swallow it! The power of God's coming on you!' the pastor repeatedly shouted while praying over him.
Theclipquickly spread across social media platforms, where millions reacted with confusion and alarm.
Online criticism erupted almost immediately after the footage surfaced. Many viewers described the ritual as manipulative and inappropriate, particularly because it involved a teenager in a highly emotional church setting.
Source: International Business Times UK
