The influence of heretical cults on the church is increasing year by year. At present, various hereies and cults are getting rampant. The repeated epidemics and a variety of "Doomsday Theories" have exacerbated this situation. Resisting heresies is the mission of Christians. Meanwhile, the church should also give timely help and care to the families victimized and persecuted by heresies.
Pastor H (pseudonym) based in South China once experienced a case. A female believer was brainwashed by members of The Church of Almighty God also known as Eastern Lightning who had been undercover in the church after attending meetings for some time. She believed in Eastern Lightning's teachings and doctrines so deeply that she left the original church, and was even arrested by the police and imprisoned for half a year in the end.
Her unbelieving husband contacted H, hoping that by abiding by legal procedures, H could have a video with his wife who was brainwashed by the cult. It turned out that the communication effect was not satisfactory, because this female Christian’s heart was completely filled with false teachings, for which she would not listen to any advice.
At this time, her husband and two children were in deep pain. The non-Christian husband needed to work normally, whilst the children who went to primary school needed daily diet care. When H learned that the two children often ate takeaways ordered by their father and the situation at home was not very good, he led church members to help them at home on a regular basis.
H said: "What could I do when I saw that the whole family was about to fall apart because of this obsessive believer? I kept in touch with her husband, not to convert him right away, but to help him so that he could feel God’s love. Perhaps he couldn’t carry on since he had to take care of the children after work, while his wife was in prison. As a pastor, I should care about the husband of this family. We couldn’t do anything to help this female believer, for she didn’t listen at all. All we had to do was comforting her husband, giving him strength and support, and persuading him to learn to accept her after she was released. When she is released from prison, we hope he can still accept his wife. We are worried that the husband will not accept her after she’s released in six months. Then if she runs away from home, the family will be completely broken. I don’t want them to get divorced. For the children and the integrity of the family, what the church can do is to give the husband more grace and practical help."
In terms of preventing the church from the influence of heretical cults, H said: "In our church, once spotting the existence of heretical cults, we will immediately speak openly about the errors of heresies, reminding the congregation to boycott. The effect is good so far. Some believers were unfortunately converted by heresies, such as the Shincheonji Church which sends members into the church every week to approach our churchgoers, especially those who are young, literate, and knowledgeable. The larger the church is, the greater the risk of heresies’ infiltration is. When believers without individual care put trust in other members with no caution, they can be easily influenced by heretical cults. All we can do is preach from the pulpit not to go with those who are unusually friendly to you to their churches. However, when the pastor talks about it too often, believers find it annoying. Yet if I don’t talk about it at all, the cult members masquerading as Christians will try to covert our members.”
"One of the cults’ specialties is to make you feel at home, eating and singing together, and staying there. The believers who have a weak foundation and don't know how to distinguish may develop feelings for them after hanging out together for a while. Then, they stop attending church. The pastor needs to make clear about the false doctrines and dangers of heretical cults.”
"A person converted by heresies and cults has two basic characteristics. First, those believers who lack intellect, rationality, and critical thinking are easily kidnapped by heresy cults. Second, those who are too naïve and would accept everything unconditionally, can be brainwashed without effort."
- Translated by Shuya Wang
异端邪教对教会的影响是呈逐年增加的态势，当前各种异端邪教横行，反反复复的疫情以及各种“末日灾难说”更是加剧了这种状况。抵制异端同样是基督徒的使命，但对于被异端迫害的家庭，教会同样应给予受害的家庭及时帮助和关怀。（==当summary）
华南的H牧师就曾经遇到一个案例，有一个姊妹在教会里面聚会一段时后，她被隐藏在这个教会里东方闪电的成员洗脑，这个姊妹便笃信东方闪电的教义和说辞。于是她脱离了原本的教会，再到最后这个姐妹又被警察抓了起来，需要半年的时间才能够出来。
这个姊妹还未信仰的丈夫也曾找到H牧师，希望在法律程序允许的情况下，H牧师能与这个受东方闪电洗脑的姊妹视频一次，结果是，视频沟通的效果不尽如人意，因为这个姊妹的心完全被错谬的道理充满了，听不进去任何劝诫。
而这个时候，她的丈夫和两个孩子都陷入了很深的痛苦之中。 丈夫没有信仰，还要正常上班，上小学的孩子需要上学和基本的饮食照料。当H牧师得知这个家庭的孩子经常吃爸爸点的外卖，家里的情况不是很好，他就带领教会的弟兄姐妹到家里定期帮忙。
H牧者说：“当我看到整个家庭快被这个执迷不悟的姐妹拖垮时，我能做什么呢？我常跟她的丈夫保持联系，我不是为了让他马上信主，而是要帮助他，让他感受到上帝的爱。也许他很难撑下去，下班要照顾孩子，老婆在监狱里。作为牧师应该要关心这个家庭中的丈夫。对这个姊妹，我们什么也不能够做，她完全听不进去。我们要做的就是安慰她的丈夫，给她丈夫力量和支持，劝慰她的丈夫之后要学习接纳她，当她出狱后，希望能给他的妻子一个被接纳的空间。 如果半年后姐妹放出来，我们担心丈夫不接纳，姐妹会离家出走，这个家庭就彻底破碎了。 我不希望他们离婚，为了孩子和家庭的完整，教会能做的是给这个家庭中丈夫更多的恩典和实际的帮扶。”
在防范异端邪教对教会的影响的方面，H牧师说：“在我们教会，一旦发生异端邪教的存在，我们会马上公开讲异端的错谬，提醒弟兄姐妹联合抵制，目前效果挺好的。被拉走的也有，新天地，每个礼拜派人进入教会拉人的，他们专门看一个人年轻，有文化，有知识，就想给他拉走。规模越大的教会这个漏洞越大。因为当信徒得不到个别的关怀，信徒之间缺少防范，就容易被异端邪教影响。我们能做的只能是在讲台讲，不要跟你特别亲热的人去他的教会。有的时候牧师天天讲，信徒就觉得烦，你不讲，这些潜伏在其中的人就拉人。”
“异端邪教的特点让你有家的感觉，一起吃饭唱歌，把人留住了。信徒根基不牢，不懂得分辨，慢慢与他们相处时间长了，有感情了，这样的信徒就不去教堂了。牧师要把异端邪教错谬和危害要清楚的。“
”一个人被异端邪教掳走有两个基本的特征，第一，当信徒缺少知性、理性的，缺少批判的想法时，这样的人容易被异端邪教掳走。 第二 ，一个人在想法上太过单纯，听什么都无条件全部接受，这样容易被异端邪教洗脑洗得干干净净。”
案例| 一牧者分享如何帮助受异端邪教东方闪电影响的家庭走出破碎边缘？
The influence of heretical cults on the church is increasing year by year. At present, various hereies and cults are getting rampant. The repeated epidemics and a variety of "Doomsday Theories" have exacerbated this situation. Resisting heresies is the mission of Christians. Meanwhile, the church should also give timely help and care to the families victimized and persecuted by heresies.
Pastor H (pseudonym) based in South China once experienced a case. A female believer was brainwashed by members of The Church of Almighty God also known as Eastern Lightning who had been undercover in the church after attending meetings for some time. She believed in Eastern Lightning's teachings and doctrines so deeply that she left the original church, and was even arrested by the police and imprisoned for half a year in the end.
Her unbelieving husband contacted H, hoping that by abiding by legal procedures, H could have a video with his wife who was brainwashed by the cult. It turned out that the communication effect was not satisfactory, because this female Christian’s heart was completely filled with false teachings, for which she would not listen to any advice.
At this time, her husband and two children were in deep pain. The non-Christian husband needed to work normally, whilst the children who went to primary school needed daily diet care. When H learned that the two children often ate takeaways ordered by their father and the situation at home was not very good, he led church members to help them at home on a regular basis.
H said: "What could I do when I saw that the whole family was about to fall apart because of this obsessive believer? I kept in touch with her husband, not to convert him right away, but to help him so that he could feel God’s love. Perhaps he couldn’t carry on since he had to take care of the children after work, while his wife was in prison. As a pastor, I should care about the husband of this family. We couldn’t do anything to help this female believer, for she didn’t listen at all. All we had to do was comforting her husband, giving him strength and support, and persuading him to learn to accept her after she was released. When she is released from prison, we hope he can still accept his wife. We are worried that the husband will not accept her after she’s released in six months. Then if she runs away from home, the family will be completely broken. I don’t want them to get divorced. For the children and the integrity of the family, what the church can do is to give the husband more grace and practical help."
In terms of preventing the church from the influence of heretical cults, H said: "In our church, once spotting the existence of heretical cults, we will immediately speak openly about the errors of heresies, reminding the congregation to boycott. The effect is good so far. Some believers were unfortunately converted by heresies, such as the Shincheonji Church which sends members into the church every week to approach our churchgoers, especially those who are young, literate, and knowledgeable. The larger the church is, the greater the risk of heresies’ infiltration is. When believers without individual care put trust in other members with no caution, they can be easily influenced by heretical cults. All we can do is preach from the pulpit not to go with those who are unusually friendly to you to their churches. However, when the pastor talks about it too often, believers find it annoying. Yet if I don’t talk about it at all, the cult members masquerading as Christians will try to covert our members.”
"One of the cults’ specialties is to make you feel at home, eating and singing together, and staying there. The believers who have a weak foundation and don't know how to distinguish may develop feelings for them after hanging out together for a while. Then, they stop attending church. The pastor needs to make clear about the false doctrines and dangers of heretical cults.”
"A person converted by heresies and cults has two basic characteristics. First, those believers who lack intellect, rationality, and critical thinking are easily kidnapped by heresy cults. Second, those who are too naïve and would accept everything unconditionally, can be brainwashed without effort."
- Translated by Shuya Wang
Case Study: Pastor Shares How to Help Family Victimized by The Church of Almight God Cult
