South Korea's Shinchonji caused public outrage by gathering as usual to have consequently helped spreading the pandemic. In China by taking the opportunity of the pandemic, Shinchonji launched very wide network promotion of the cult which highly alerted the Chinese Church. There is also news about Shinchonji's branches in Shanghai, Changchun, Beijing, Dalian and Shenyang etc. Its promoting methods and developing rate have brought harm to mainstream Church damaging the image of Christianity which needs great attention.
Recently, one victim told of his experience with Shinchonji for a year and half in east China. He had attended its systematic classes so understands the way of their promotion, but he also suffered from its harm resulting in his family broken up and economic losses. Later he quitted because he could not accept the teaching of "Lee Nam-hee's physical immortality". However, he could no longer recover the lost time with and the debt to his family.
Brought to Shinchonji by friends
The victim narrated that his mother was a Christian so he occasionally went to church as a child and heard her tell him to "go to church and pray, God will protect you", "but I am not a true Christian."
Since leaving home for education and later for employment, he rarely went to church, but the religious impression was still with him. Coincidentally, one of his best friends, who was also a believer, asked him out to meet a sister from the northeast, and began to study bible together.
It is believed many people are curious why are some people attracted to Shinchonji? The victim said that people were emotional animals. When he came into contact with Shinchonji members, they were very friendly so he contacted them time after time to listen to their bible teaching.
In the course of explaining the bible, Shinchonji will also come up with a Bible verse that contrasts the interpretation from the Three-self Church by comparing their interpretation, and say, "We explain more thoroughly here."
"Their members are particularly loving and passionate whom in the normal society are difficult to encounter. They show care and bring gifts to people-to impress you through this extraordinary passion."
He found that one of the promotion methods of Shinchonji was similar to that of pyramid marketing in which started by friends and family. In his Shinchonji group, many people are a family together in it. A member will take their classmates and friends in as it is easy to build trust.
The message from the cult
In a period of almost a year and half from being dragged down by a friend to leaving Shinchonji, he had completed all the courses of Shinchonji, and reached to a backbone leader's position going through the process from 'turning over the floor' (a slang), the gospel room to the primary, intermediate and advanced position. The slang 'turn over the floor' means bringing new people in. It usually takes place in KFC, café or other places to first chat for mutual understanding and getting the other's ideas. After meeting like this for three or five times and if it is felt appropriate, person can be invited to enter the gospel room to learn 'specialized' courses for six days a week. It is generally a morning, an afternoon or an evening of the day, level by level, and each stage has the corresponding exams in addition to mandatory notes taken for each class.
Invitation to the gospel room means the systematic "brainwashing" has begun. First step is listen to some teachings different from the mainstream Church interpretation. Then, listen to parables, the Old and New Testament, and Revelation. By now, they will speak of symbolic meanings of "dragon" and "beast" and vaguely reveal that someone has set up the new heaven and new earth by God's revelation, and guide people to believe that Lee Nam-hee is that person. The cult also claims that in South Korea there are already many people believe and acknowledge them that they do a lot of public welfares and "big things". Some VIPs are believers.
At the stage of gospel room, those who are active and stable in the cult teachings are asked to "go to bear fruit". At the beginning of drawing new members in, there will be older members to accompany them. Some will lurk in the Three-self churches. Some go to family gatherings, and some to universities to join various student communities to carry out activities like photography, street dance, mountaineering and reading in order to draw people in.
The victim tells me that Shinchonji likes to speak of biblical parables, comparing chapter verses from the beginning of the bible right to Revelation, step by step, till finally convincing people that Lee Nam-hee is the man who leads them build a "new heaven and earth"-he is the revealer of Jesus in this era. Moreover, their promotion means is advanced usually very attractive to young people. In order to attract people they play with emotion by making appointments with people to talk and understand their difficulties and matters.
The group he joined has a total of over 200 people with the majority is young. 25-30-year-olds account for about half. Shinchonji's targets are mostly young people and successful people. For the latter, they are willing to pay great efforts as such people are also a great source of income for them. From the moment of joining the gospel room, participants will have to donate "tithes" and make it feel inappropriate to attend worship only and not to give. As the curriculum deepens, the variety of dedication will increase including the construction of the cult headquarters.
"When donating, the cash is to be replaced with brand-new notes. The people present are basically all giving otherwise will be regarded as an outsider. They will also imply that the donation is supposed to be generous for more blessings." Some who can't work but are to give. A lot of people swipe credit cards and put themselves in debt so cannot live a normal life. Most of them are part-timers.
"Either you provide money or you pull people in otherwise you will be cut off from the tree of life. They use the so-called God's will to threaten people and control their minds."
Most people in Shinchonji believe in their faith. Some of them also have doubts, but cannot quit or are hindered by face value not to have the courage to leave. The organization will tell believers that those who are hostile towards the organization are evil, "the church" is God's instruction, and Lee Nam-hee is the messenger sent by Jesus-full of intimidation.
Joiners, who have devoted their time, energy and money, always want to wait for an answer, to become one of the 144,000 people, and therefore don't want to come out. Moreover, there are not many people who can think for themselves and all their time is taken up.
In order to control believers, they claim to have a "life book" and use it as a basis to register private information including family and work addresses, copies of identity cards, copies of household books, family members and economic income.
Troubles after quitting
As he is unable to accept Lee Nam-hee's physical immortality, all the more, he realized that he had wasted a lot of time regardless of his family and real life, he left decisively.
In the organization, he was taught not to contact his family and friends but to lie to those around him in the so-called principle of "being flexible like a snake". He was told those who oppose Shinchonji are devils. They made him thinking about listening to lectures and pulling people in all day long. Through their teachings, many people no longer work properly nor even marry and have children. "They say the Kingdom of Heaven is about to be fulfilled and God is not happy with people enjoy the world but rather start to run."
Every day at five o'clock in the morning, they begin to gather to make people do not have time to work. People who think of work will be described as "greedy for the world." Those who stay can't be idle as they have to find a way to pull people in every day or they will be despised and criticized by management.
Although he left, he had paid a heavy price for it. After joining Shinchonji, he had very low sense of family responsibility and never attended his children's education with no financial responsibility at all. Every day, when he woke up he ran to the "church". He had no idea what had happened at home. These led to constant quarrels between him and his wife only to end up in divorce.
The experience also gave him some negative views about Christianity, "Religion is good intention, but it's rather offensive for someone to make selfish gain out of it."
Shinchonji will also make an impact by reaching out to VIPs and teaching people to lie. In South Korea, when they were under investigation for being responsible of the outbreak in the country they provided false lists, and instructed believers if asked say they no longer believe, which made it impossible for the authorities to verify. In this regard, he hopes that the news media will increase the exposure of Shinchonji in order to improve awareness and discernment. "If it hadn't been for this outbreak, Shinchonji would not have been able to get this attention."
Editor's comments:
Shinchonji's promotion methods are diverse. Under the outbreak, they have also built an online prayer group for the outbreak and distributed a "praying for Wuhan" WeChat group QR code. They let people who joined the group start to listen to Shinchonji classes and then some members will follow up to pull people in. They also have online counseling to attract those emotionally affected by the pandemic. Or they may provide free bible studies. They also sneak in online groups through the invitation information given by other churches. Once in the groups, they will post their information or make friends privately.
Shinchonji is an organization that constantly pulls people in. They believe that only by constantly pulling people in can they enter the 144,000 places, can become a priest and can receive enter eternal life. That is apparently a utilitarian mentality. Now everyone is resting at home so it becomes their golden time for pulling people in. Therefore, they will highly focus on their promotion.
As to cults, perhaps the mainstream Church do not only guard against it, but also equip believers in its routine ministry by teaching them how to distinguish heresy, building on the foundation of the bible in order to fundamentally resist cults.
- Translated by Charlie Li
【专访】在异端新天地一年半时间，这位亲历者发现了什么？ 韩国新天地因在当地造成聚集性疫情而引起公愤，在中国借助疫情实施网络传教而被众教会提防，也有消息曝出新天地在上海、长春、北京、上海、大连和沈阳等地都有分点，其传教手法和发展速度给正统教会带来了危害，损害了基督教的形象，需引起重视。 近日，一位受害者讲述了他的经历，他在华东某新天地组织内一年半时间，听过其系统的教导，了解其传教方式，也深受其害——导致家庭破碎、遭受经济损失。后来他因无法接受新天地对于“李万熙肉体永生”这个教导而离开了，却再也无法追回那逝去的时光和对于家庭的亏欠。 被好友带进新天地 这位受害者讲述，他的妈妈是基督徒，小时候偶尔去过教堂，听妈妈叮嘱过“要去教堂、要祷告，神会保护你”，“但我并不是真正的基督徒。” 离家上学并开始工作后，就很少去教会了，但那种印象还在。刚好，他的一位好友也是信徒，就以圣经学习为由，将他约出去，认识了一个来自东北的姐妹，开始学习圣经。 相信不少人都好奇，为何一些人会被新天地吸引呢？对方说，人都是情感动物，他接触新天地后对方非常友好，一次次地接触，听他们讲圣经。 在讲圣经的过程中，新天地人员还会拿出某个圣经经文，对比三自体制内教会的解释，以及他们的解释，并说“我们这里讲的更加通透。” “他们的人特别有爱心和热情，在正常的社会上很难遇到，呵护冷暖，给人带东西、夹菜，通过这种超乎一般的交际热心来打动你。” 他发现，新天地的一个传教方式类似传销，都是从亲朋好友下手。在他去的新天地组织里，很多人都是一家人一起在里面，一个人会带自己的同学和朋友进去，这样容易建立信任感。 所听信息 从被朋友拖下水到离开新天地差不多一年半的时间，他已经学完新天地的所有课程，达到骨干级别，经历过从翻地、福音房到初级、中级和高级的过程。所谓翻地，就是带新人过来，一般到肯德基和咖啡厅等地方，先聊天、互相认识，了解对方的想法。如此见面，三五次后若觉得可以，那人就可以进入福音房开始学习专门课程，每周六天，每天一般是一个上午、一个下午或一个晚上，层层进行，每个阶段都有相应的考试，听讲则都要做笔记。 到了福音房，表示系统的“洗脑”开始了，首先听一些不同于正统教会的解释，完了讲比喻、新旧约和启示录，那时会讲“龙”、“兽”的预表，并隐约启示有人已经成立神所启示的新天新地，并引导人相信李万熙就是那个人。新天地还说，在韩国已经有很多人相信并认可他们，他们做了很多公益事业和“大事”，有的大人物还是信徒。 在福音房里，那些表现较为积极、信心稳定的加入者，会被要求“去结果子”。刚开始传道，会有人带着，有的去三自体制内教会潜伏，加入到教会的团体里；有的去家庭聚会；还有的到大学里，以加入社团的方式，开展摄影、街舞、登山和读书会等活动。 那位受害者告诉笔者，新天地非常喜欢讲圣经上的比喻，对比章节，从刚开始讲到启示录，步步引导，最后让人相信李万熙就是带领他们建立“新天新地”的人，是耶稣在这个时代的启示者。而且，他们的传教手段先进，很会吸引年轻人，为了拉拢人打感情牌，找人谈心、了解对方的困难和心事。 他去的新天地组织里一共200来人，年轻人居多，25-30岁的占到一半左右。新天地的传教对象多是年轻人和事业有成的人，对于后者，他们很愿意花心思，这也是他们的一个收入来源。从进入福音房开始，参加者就要交“十一奉献”，并让人觉得只参加礼拜而不奉献是不合适的。随着课程的深入，奉献的种类也会增多，包括总教建设等。 “奉献的时候，钱要换成崭新的，在场的人基本都奉献，否则就是异类。他们还会旁敲侧击地让人多奉献，说可以得到更多祝福。”不能工作却要奉献，不少人刷信用卡、欠债，无法过正常的生活，大部分人都是兼职。 “要么能提供钱，要么能拉人，否则就说把你从生命树上砍掉，用所谓的神的想法威胁人、控制思想。” 新天地里的大部分人比较相信自己所信，有的内心也有怀疑，但没办法出来，或碍于情面，没有离开的勇气；或出于恐惧，怕被认为是背道者、恶人，内心充满束缚。他们会告诉信徒，有敌想法的人是恶人，并说“教会”就是神所指示的，李万熙就是耶稣派来的使者，充满恐吓。 加入者由于奉献了时间、经历和金钱，总想着等一个答案，成为144000人中的一员，因此不想出来。再者，能够思考的人不多，他们的时间都被占去。 为了控制信徒，他们自称掌握着“生命册”，并以此为由登记私人信息，包括家庭和工作地址、身份证复印件、户口本复印件、家庭成员和经济收入情况等。 离开后的困扰 因不能接受李万熙肉体永生，更意识到自己浪费很多时间，不顾家人和现实生活，他果断离开了。 在里面，他被教导不要跟家人和朋友联系，打着“灵巧像蛇”的名义跟身边的人撒谎，说反对新天地的人是魔鬼，让人整天只想着听课和拉人。通过教理，很多人不再正常工作，甚至不结婚生子。“他们说，天国就要成就了，享受世上的东西神不喜悦，要奔跑。” 每天凌晨五点多，他们就开始聚集，让人没有时间去工作，有这样念头的人会被说成是“贪恋世俗”。留下来的人不能闲着，每天得想办法拉人，否则会被鄙视、被管理层批判。 虽然已经离开，他却为此付出了沉重的代价。加入新天地后，他几乎没有任何家庭责任感，不管如何教育孩子，不承担经济责任，每天醒来就往“教会”跑，家里发生什么事情也不知道。这些导致他和妻子争吵不断，只能离婚。 这个经历也让他对基督教产生了一些负面的看法，“宗教本是好的，但是有人以此为自己谋利，让人很反感。” 新天地还会通过接触社会上有地位的人来制造影响力，并且教人撒谎，在韩国，他们因为新冠肺炎疫情而接受调查的时候提供了假名单，并告诉信徒如果被问到就说自己早已不信，这让有关部门无法查证。对此，他希望新闻媒体能增加新天地的曝光度，以提高大家的认知和辨别能力。“要不是这次疫情，新天地也未必能被这样关注。” 笔者后记 新天地的传教方法多样。疫情之下，他们还推出为疫情祷告的群，发送“为武汉祈福”的微信群二维码，进群后让人开始试听新天地的课程，再有人来跟进收割；还开展心理咨询，以吸引在疫情中心灵忧虑恐惧的人；或者宣传免费圣经学习课程，还通过其他教会公布的入群信息混入，再发布信息或者私下加好友。 新天地是一个不断拉人头的组织，他们相信只有不断拉人才能进入144000名额，才能成为祭司长而进入永生，这是一种功利心态，如今人人休息有时间在家，成为了他们拉人的黄金时间，所以要集中进行传教。 对于异端邪教，也许正统教会并不只是防范，还要在平时就装备信徒，教导他们如何辨别异端，在根基上建造，才能从根本上抵挡异端邪教。
South Korea's Shinchonji caused public outrage by gathering as usual to have consequently helped spreading the pandemic. In China by taking the opportunity of the pandemic, Shinchonji launched very wide network promotion of the cult which highly alerted the Chinese Church. There is also news about Shinchonji's branches in Shanghai, Changchun, Beijing, Dalian and Shenyang etc. Its promoting methods and developing rate have brought harm to mainstream Church damaging the image of Christianity which needs great attention.
Recently, one victim told of his experience with Shinchonji for a year and half in east China. He had attended its systematic classes so understands the way of their promotion, but he also suffered from its harm resulting in his family broken up and economic losses. Later he quitted because he could not accept the teaching of "Lee Nam-hee's physical immortality". However, he could no longer recover the lost time with and the debt to his family.
Brought to Shinchonji by friends
The victim narrated that his mother was a Christian so he occasionally went to church as a child and heard her tell him to "go to church and pray, God will protect you", "but I am not a true Christian."
Since leaving home for education and later for employment, he rarely went to church, but the religious impression was still with him. Coincidentally, one of his best friends, who was also a believer, asked him out to meet a sister from the northeast, and began to study bible together.
It is believed many people are curious why are some people attracted to Shinchonji? The victim said that people were emotional animals. When he came into contact with Shinchonji members, they were very friendly so he contacted them time after time to listen to their bible teaching.
In the course of explaining the bible, Shinchonji will also come up with a Bible verse that contrasts the interpretation from the Three-self Church by comparing their interpretation, and say, "We explain more thoroughly here."
"Their members are particularly loving and passionate whom in the normal society are difficult to encounter. They show care and bring gifts to people-to impress you through this extraordinary passion."
He found that one of the promotion methods of Shinchonji was similar to that of pyramid marketing in which started by friends and family. In his Shinchonji group, many people are a family together in it. A member will take their classmates and friends in as it is easy to build trust.
The message from the cult
In a period of almost a year and half from being dragged down by a friend to leaving Shinchonji, he had completed all the courses of Shinchonji, and reached to a backbone leader's position going through the process from 'turning over the floor' (a slang), the gospel room to the primary, intermediate and advanced position. The slang 'turn over the floor' means bringing new people in. It usually takes place in KFC, café or other places to first chat for mutual understanding and getting the other's ideas. After meeting like this for three or five times and if it is felt appropriate, person can be invited to enter the gospel room to learn 'specialized' courses for six days a week. It is generally a morning, an afternoon or an evening of the day, level by level, and each stage has the corresponding exams in addition to mandatory notes taken for each class.
Invitation to the gospel room means the systematic "brainwashing" has begun. First step is listen to some teachings different from the mainstream Church interpretation. Then, listen to parables, the Old and New Testament, and Revelation. By now, they will speak of symbolic meanings of "dragon" and "beast" and vaguely reveal that someone has set up the new heaven and new earth by God's revelation, and guide people to believe that Lee Nam-hee is that person. The cult also claims that in South Korea there are already many people believe and acknowledge them that they do a lot of public welfares and "big things". Some VIPs are believers.
At the stage of gospel room, those who are active and stable in the cult teachings are asked to "go to bear fruit". At the beginning of drawing new members in, there will be older members to accompany them. Some will lurk in the Three-self churches. Some go to family gatherings, and some to universities to join various student communities to carry out activities like photography, street dance, mountaineering and reading in order to draw people in.
The victim tells me that Shinchonji likes to speak of biblical parables, comparing chapter verses from the beginning of the bible right to Revelation, step by step, till finally convincing people that Lee Nam-hee is the man who leads them build a "new heaven and earth"-he is the revealer of Jesus in this era. Moreover, their promotion means is advanced usually very attractive to young people. In order to attract people they play with emotion by making appointments with people to talk and understand their difficulties and matters.
The group he joined has a total of over 200 people with the majority is young. 25-30-year-olds account for about half. Shinchonji's targets are mostly young people and successful people. For the latter, they are willing to pay great efforts as such people are also a great source of income for them. From the moment of joining the gospel room, participants will have to donate "tithes" and make it feel inappropriate to attend worship only and not to give. As the curriculum deepens, the variety of dedication will increase including the construction of the cult headquarters.
"When donating, the cash is to be replaced with brand-new notes. The people present are basically all giving otherwise will be regarded as an outsider. They will also imply that the donation is supposed to be generous for more blessings." Some who can't work but are to give. A lot of people swipe credit cards and put themselves in debt so cannot live a normal life. Most of them are part-timers.
"Either you provide money or you pull people in otherwise you will be cut off from the tree of life. They use the so-called God's will to threaten people and control their minds."
Most people in Shinchonji believe in their faith. Some of them also have doubts, but cannot quit or are hindered by face value not to have the courage to leave. The organization will tell believers that those who are hostile towards the organization are evil, "the church" is God's instruction, and Lee Nam-hee is the messenger sent by Jesus-full of intimidation.
Joiners, who have devoted their time, energy and money, always want to wait for an answer, to become one of the 144,000 people, and therefore don't want to come out. Moreover, there are not many people who can think for themselves and all their time is taken up.
In order to control believers, they claim to have a "life book" and use it as a basis to register private information including family and work addresses, copies of identity cards, copies of household books, family members and economic income.
Troubles after quitting
As he is unable to accept Lee Nam-hee's physical immortality, all the more, he realized that he had wasted a lot of time regardless of his family and real life, he left decisively.
In the organization, he was taught not to contact his family and friends but to lie to those around him in the so-called principle of "being flexible like a snake". He was told those who oppose Shinchonji are devils. They made him thinking about listening to lectures and pulling people in all day long. Through their teachings, many people no longer work properly nor even marry and have children. "They say the Kingdom of Heaven is about to be fulfilled and God is not happy with people enjoy the world but rather start to run."
Every day at five o'clock in the morning, they begin to gather to make people do not have time to work. People who think of work will be described as "greedy for the world." Those who stay can't be idle as they have to find a way to pull people in every day or they will be despised and criticized by management.
Although he left, he had paid a heavy price for it. After joining Shinchonji, he had very low sense of family responsibility and never attended his children's education with no financial responsibility at all. Every day, when he woke up he ran to the "church". He had no idea what had happened at home. These led to constant quarrels between him and his wife only to end up in divorce.
The experience also gave him some negative views about Christianity, "Religion is good intention, but it's rather offensive for someone to make selfish gain out of it."
Shinchonji will also make an impact by reaching out to VIPs and teaching people to lie. In South Korea, when they were under investigation for being responsible of the outbreak in the country they provided false lists, and instructed believers if asked say they no longer believe, which made it impossible for the authorities to verify. In this regard, he hopes that the news media will increase the exposure of Shinchonji in order to improve awareness and discernment. "If it hadn't been for this outbreak, Shinchonji would not have been able to get this attention."
Editor's comments:
Shinchonji's promotion methods are diverse. Under the outbreak, they have also built an online prayer group for the outbreak and distributed a "praying for Wuhan" WeChat group QR code. They let people who joined the group start to listen to Shinchonji classes and then some members will follow up to pull people in. They also have online counseling to attract those emotionally affected by the pandemic. Or they may provide free bible studies. They also sneak in online groups through the invitation information given by other churches. Once in the groups, they will post their information or make friends privately.
Shinchonji is an organization that constantly pulls people in. They believe that only by constantly pulling people in can they enter the 144,000 places, can become a priest and can receive enter eternal life. That is apparently a utilitarian mentality. Now everyone is resting at home so it becomes their golden time for pulling people in. Therefore, they will highly focus on their promotion.
As to cults, perhaps the mainstream Church do not only guard against it, but also equip believers in its routine ministry by teaching them how to distinguish heresy, building on the foundation of the bible in order to fundamentally resist cults.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Interview: Personal 'Horrible' Experience of Korean Cult Shinchonji for a Year and Half
