Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Shincheonji/comments/16mjpg9/i_also_left_shincheonji/

It has been a bit over 2 weeks since I declared that I will no longer be a part of Shincheonji to my church. I wasn't sure if I wanted to write something here (worries about e.g. taken out of context, not explaining/covering things adequately) but I hope my experience can be of some help.

I entered the church in Feb 2020 and was BJN of the Education Dept until August 2023. I wrote up a letter addressed to my branch church and sent it to a group chat I created adding all the contacts I had on telegram.

A bit of background

I was born into a Christian family but I struggled to believe in God. Being a science student, I thought it was impossible to know/verify that there is God and how we can know which god to believe in among many religions.

Fast forward to 2019, I got fished on the street and led to Shincheonji bible study. I was amazed by the teaching because I thought at that time, it was able to answer the questions I had about God and religion, but as a newcomer, I was a bit cautious about SCJ because it felt like they were worshipping one man.

While in SCJ

When covid happened, I did a lot of translation work. Back then there was no chatGPT and even though there were web translators like Google Translator and Papago, I personally preferred to translate on my own so I got to study a lot. I searched a lot of things using the bible and dictionary as the standard. Even searching for the meaning of each individual word, hanja/Chinese character, the history of early Christians, scientific evidence of Noah's ark, Jesus etc., I wanted to do a good job and to provide the best education material possible. And also this was supposed to be our spiritual food. I always prayed before translating, asking for heaven's guidance and also prayed that whoever reads can receive a lot of realisation. I did not want any misunderstanding that could cause someone to stumble in their faith. Through translation/studying, I realised that my life of faith as a Christian today was much easier than those who came before me. I was thankful and felt God's grace for allowing me to realise the word. Ever since then, I have been very active and poured my heart and effort into my task and evangelism thinking about how CHJN fought and overcame. I even thought about giving up my studies or career later to become a GSN/instructor with the heart of wanting to share this gospel and help others to realise that there is God, just as how I was able to come to faith.

This year

This year, while trying to balance my tasks and my studies, I failed a hurdle exam for my final year. I was sad about it but I believed God allowed it to happen and it happened for a reason. "Maybe it happened so I can do more of God's work?" is what I thought because we were lacking interpreters at that time and was planning to work for SCJ full-time so I was able to get back up quite quickly. But my parents forced me to move back in with them (they knew I was a part of Shincheonji. we argued often on the doctrine). They didn't want me to do any SCJ activities. It was hard being away from my spiritual family, being away from the church, but I caught up on service, educations, and meetings when my parents were asleep (did all of this voluntarily, no one checked up on me) and also secretly worked on my task and translation work for future edu. So in other words, I had no negative feelings towards SCJ up until this point and I have never thought of leaving SCJ - rather, I would find ways to keep my faith and stay in SCJ because I truly thought this was the place of truth, God's kingdom.

In August, my parents and I travelled to Korea for vacation. So I felt betrayed when they told me let's visit a cult counselling centre. I remember being really upset because they lied to me and had planned this behind my back. But even then, I was determined to keep my faith so I just sat there and didn't even look them in the eyes and planned to buy a plane ticket secretly to go back to Australia.

I think I cried at least once a day (I am usually not an emotional person). Initially, it was out of anger and frustration. But that later turned into the disbelief that SCJ was teaching against what God intended and thus, doing the work of anti-Christ. It also pained me whenever I thought about the members whom I cared for and counselled, the friendships I made inside of S, and how I was going to tell my church that I am leaving. I think this happened over a period of roughly 2 weeks?

How I came to the realisation that SCJ is a cult

How I realised SCJ is not the place of truth was from comparing the education materials I translated, CHJN's word, and the bible (always reading in the whole paragraph, not just the verse). I remember not wanting to rely on external sources such as reddit or the many youtube links that my parents sent me.

When you are in SCJ, you are really a frog in a well (우물 안 개구리). You only see what SCJ wants you to see. And because you believe SCJ is the truth deep in your heart, even if you see or hear things that should be red flags, you self-brainwash yourselves and eventually still end up thinking SCJ is the place of truth. This was me even when I saw articles or watched interviews about Kim Nam-hee, Shin Hyun-wook, or anything that is anti-SCJ. I always thought people can make up stories and give false testimony to make LMH or SCJ look back. Newcomers these days don't even know who these people are.

I think I also felt that emptiness that some people shared here. It's quite true because you do get along with the people inside as groups or departments. You also make friendships as well. I still think the people in my branch church are really lovely despite blocking/cutting me off. From what I experienced, they have that noble heart of loving people's souls and a pure heart towards God but it's not because SCJ is the truth or the place where God is. My branch church, after the new head GSN came, encourages marriage - you don't have to reach the age of 28 (female) or 30 (male). SCJ also maintains the life of faith of members and there are many other ways to tie them to SCJ and make it harder to leave. But for me, the word is more important. While carrying a life of faith in SCJ and even now, my vision has been to carry faith that is according to God's word.

I am really thankful to my parents. I think I am really lucky that I came to the cult counselling centre set by who used to be one of the 7 educators, who was in SCJ for 20 years. Now that I realise SCJ is wrong, he's helping me to understand the bible properly so I am quite happy. I think if I didn't have this, I might have felt really empty and either given up life of faith completely or be tempted to go back to SCJ. Now I am certain SCJ is a cult that skews the word of God. I am really sad when thinking of the people who are working really hard inside of S thinking it is for God but it is ultimately for LMH's glory and cash flow. SCJ members think what they are doing is for God and hope for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life (eternal blessings) but it will be hard for them to take in that what they are doing is completely opposite. From Galatians 1:

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

I also met a lot of ex-SCJ members all from different tribes. It's quite shocking how some things are different by tribe, and whether you are in Korea or overseas. Such as paying 110만원 if you do not evangelise or groups collecting money when it's SSN's birthday. And one of them used to be Culture BJN and pretended to be one of the journalists during last year's 100,000 graduation. And from another person who used to work in Myanmar: the world peace tour was all made-up as he was the one organising LMH's visit... and more.

In terms of the Word:

BDS, considered to be the backbone of SCJ doctrine, is not biblical. I think someone already pointed out the fact that John the Baptist is not a betrayer. And SCJ uses 2Thes 2:1-3 as a way to justify there is BDS for the second coming. When I did translation work, I would also read other versions to enhance my understanding. For example, Rv 15:5 in NIV it says the tabernacle of the covenant law, rather than the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. But if you see the Berean Literal Bible, it reads:

And after these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

When it comes to different versions of the bible, having done translation work, I believe that if you read it in context, it doesn't matter which version you read. Even if the wording is different, the message it is trying to get across is the same.

Back to 2Thes 2:1-3. Paul gives words of warning of deception when it comes to the coming of our Lord. SCJ is used to this version of 2Thes 2:2

not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

Here it says whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter. We should have been alarmed ourselves when it says prophecy. If you read other versions:

NLT:

Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.

BSB:

not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.

CEV:

not to be easily upset or disturbed by people who claim the Lord has already come. They may say they heard this directly from the Holy Spirit, or from someone else, or even that they read it in one of our letters.

GNT:

not to be so easily confused in your thinking or upset by the claim that the Day of the Lord has come. Perhaps it is thought that we said this while prophesying or preaching, or that we wrote it in a letter.

I only chose a few but you can see the rest. link: https://biblehub.com/2_thessalonians/2-2.htm

Another one is Mt 13:30, the parable of weed and wheat:

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

SCJ uses this verse to say that we are harvested or we need to be harvested to the barn. But read again and see the order of events.

At that time I will tell the harvesters: Here, 'I' is Jesus, right? and the harvesters are the angels.

What happens first? Harvesting the wheat or collecting and bundling the weeds? And who is tying the weeds in bundles to be burned? Is it (false/general) pastors who are telling people not to be harvested? If it is the angels who are harvesting, are they really using the wheat they collected to go back to harvest more in the same field? Are they further harvesting, looking for remnant wheat from the bundles of weeds they tied?

It's not just these verses but you need to examine the scripture much more closely

• what is the 'another advocate' in Jn 14, 16. SCJ General Assembly Education did two GA educations on this and also changed its wording on it.

• the understanding of spirits, especially the Holy Spirit and the work of spirits

• the concept of salvation (how salvation is attained)

• the meaning of the Book of life, the kingdom of priests, and the multitude in white

• the whole book of Revelation

To make SCJ doctrine pointing to LMH valid, it's important for them to teach about the work of the spirits so they can continue to say that the spirit has entered/worked through LMH. So you will see that they don't believe in the Trinity. SCJ will argue that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are separate entities so that the Spirit is working through LMH.

I believe in what Gamaliel said in Acts 5. SCJ is also subjected to the words of Rv 22:18-19.

But what I am worried about is:

• that people who haven't even heard about SCJ are still vulnerable and also those who are being evangelised by their family/ACQs who are in SCJ

• cult producing cults:

  • Recently a GSN in Seoul James tribe created a sect with ~20 members saying that LMH only received 10% of the revelation and he himself received the rest. Doesn't it sound similar to the relation between TT and LMH?

  • There is 신천지 and there is also 새천지 (Saecheonji) - both read as new heaven and new earth but LMH's Shincheonji uses Chinese hanja 신 while Saecheonji uses the modern Korean word of 'new'. Then the whole argument using cult family tree made sense and how other cults such as Unification church, Church of God, and JMS also use the same doctrine just a different leader I watched 'I am God' documentary on Netflix after I left SCJ. After watching it, it made me think why LMH would even start doing this work. LMH has been under cults since he was in his 20s and poured his time, and effort into following Park Tae-son, then volunteering in construction for TT, and then was one of the 12 disciples of Baek Man-bong (one of the 7 messengers), who also appointed 24 elders and called himself the Counselor who came in the name of the Lord, the one who overcomes, one of the 2 witnesses. LMH called him Lord. LMH may have felt vengeful? after realising he wasted his 20s to 50s under all these cults and also thought it was possible for him to do the same.

• Suicide/PTSD/Mental illness among ex-members

  • I read about the situation in Czech Republic. In Korea, there have been also cases of ex-members who ended their lives after realising SCJ is a cult and that they felt ashamed and found it unbearable that their peers built their careers, bought a home and had a family; a normal life while they spent time, effort and money for LMH. I worry this could happen in more countries.

• Head GSN selectively deleting chat messages

  • I am not sure why but it's a bit unnerving that he would selectively delete messages. He has historically cleared chat messages whenever I was at risk of persecution from my parents. A month ago, he would give me borderline questionable advice on what to do about my parents and then delete only those messages. On the day I declared I was leaving SCJ, I sent him a personal message in Korean making my stance but also thanking him for caring/looking after me since he came. But his responses were unusual. I thought he would have cleared all of the chats but he selectively deleted some and kept some.

Final say/suggestions:

• I am really thankful to my parents who 'coerced' me to realise the truth. I am also thankful that I only spent 3.5 years (some might say it's still long but I met a girl who was in SCJ for 10 years, spent all of her 20s). If you have friends or family in a cult, I think it's important not to be so aggressive (although it kinda worked out for me) or satirical. I think it builds more resistance even though you are speaking the truth.

• I hope many of you who are willing can share your stories to your local churches, universities and workplaces. Although Reddit has been helpful, I told myself anyone can make multiple accounts and can make up stories.

• At one point after realising SCJ is wrong, I considered giving up my faith in God completely. But someone told me about Joseph's story. Did Joseph know he was going to be the vizier (second-in-command) when he fell into the pit, or when he was sold off as a slave? Did God abandon him when it happened? Some things taught in SCJ such as why Jesus is the Messiah and God's 6000 years of work are true (according to the bible) and I believe in the words of Prov 16:9 and Rom 8:28. It is God who allowed me to go to SCJ 3 years ago and it is also God gave me the mind to realise its false teaching this year. So I believe it is God who will awaken those who are in SCJ, not by my efforts or ability.

• This means I am not going to message those who I know first but will always welcome anyone who wants to really know and double-check for yourselves before you commit your whole life to it. But I pray that you will check soon, not like 10 years from now, and regret it deeply from the damages already made.

tdlr: I didn't have any bad feelings towards SCJ and my church. I was quite devoted. But coming to Korea, I have seen the reality of Shincheonji and I am never going back. SCJ skews the understanding of the bible to fit their agenda. I pray that many SCJ members, especially those whom I love and cared for, can come out a day sooner.