‘Purity’ or ‘harm and control’? Inside the Shincheonji church
Published By admin with Comments 0
Over the past two years I’ve received multiple invitations to join Shincheonji’s Bible course and evangelism events. I’ve grown up Christian so I didn’t find the invitations odd. But I repeatedly declined them.
However I was curious about the number of Pacific people joining this Korean church. Why were they so devoted to the teachings of 93-year-old Korean man Lee Man-Hee, who doesn’t speak English and claims to be the only person who can interpret the Bible? He also claims here everyone outside of Shincheonji has been corrupted by the devil and can’t enter heaven.
Faith is a personal choice though and many Christian churches and religions receive criticism from those with differing beliefs, so I kept an open mind about Shincheonji.
Then over time, I noticed the people I knew who had joined Shincheonji were changing. They were withdrawing from relationships with those outside of the church – and from me. The more I looked into the church, the more questions I had.
The first time I was invited into the temple of Shincheonji, I asked to use the bathroom. Walking down the hallway, I noticed the carpet was spotless and the walls impeccably clean.
One side of the hallway was lined with framed photos, perfectly spaced, showing the more than 200,000 followers in Shincheonji’s international ministry. Some of those frames captured the estimated 300 members of New Zealand’s Shincheonji churches in Auckland and Wellington. They were at Bible study classes, church services where every member was dressed the same – white shirts and black skirts or trousers, and pink ties for the males.
On the back of the bathroom door was a sign reading: “People in heaven should smile a lot, walk without waddling, greet each other well and speak nicely. [They] must have bright smiles and use beautiful language…
“Let’s say words like these: positive words, words of love, words of forgiveness, words of sacrifice, words of vitality! Let us remain in words that please God.”
It was a picture of perfection. As if heaven was on earth. In hindsight, it was exactly how I would describe my first impression of Shincheonji’s members. It also felt odd. As someone who has grown up in churches, “perfection” is the last word I’d use to describe any Christian church.
And after a months-long investigation, I wouldn’t use that word to describe Shincheonji either
Ex-members told me they were advised by leaders not to look up Shincheonji on the internet. A quick Google of the word “Shincheonji” or “New Heaven, New Earth” (its English Name) may explain why. There are links to articles, blogs, podcasts and documentaries made here and around the world alleging that Shincheonji is a cult. Ex-members describe experiencing or witnessing harm, manipulation and control within the organisation.
In July, I happened to be in Fiji when I became aware of Shincheonji’s “peace arm” known as Heavenly Culture World Peace and Restoration of Light (or HPWL). I saw photos showing dozens of Pacific leaders standing with Shincheonji’s founder, Lee Man-hee, at a regional peace summit.
A world map inside Shincheonji Auckland’s temple building shows the church exists in nine Pacific countries. A former senior leader told us that during her five years with the church, more than two dozen Pacific churches in New Zealand alone signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with Shincheonji. One South Auckland pastor told us that Shincheonji members attended his church service to offer a partnership with the Korean church.
Laura Muir, a Christchurch-based former senior leader in Shincheonji, told me Pacific people are the fastest growing demographic in Shincheonji New Zealand.
Content retrieved from: https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/12/17/purity-or-harm-and-control-inside-the-shincheonji-church/.
