The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a controversial religious group based in South Korea, has garnered significant attention both locally and internationally. Lee Man-hee, the church’s founder, is now 91 years old. It advertises that it has united over 200,000 human shields in South Korea, as well as another 30,000 members across the globe. Only their practices, their philosophies, and their teachings raised alarm bells. Other Australian universities, like Adelaide University and Melbourne’s RMIT, recently sent out alerts.
Lee Man-hee, the creator and ultimate leader of the Shincheonji Church. His supporters see him as the “promised pastor.” He just as arrogantly promises that he will take 144,000 selected souls up to heaven with him on that “day of judgment.” He humbly believes this momentous event will occur during his lifetime. This ideology has brought a deep and rabid following to their cause. It has raised big, new questions about the church’s tactics and its power over parishioners.
Gloria, an ex-member of Shincheonji, recounted her experiences and the initial lure of the cult. She described her first encounter with Shincheonji as friendly and inviting. Though she had largely abandoned her faith, this positive experience left her open to its peculiar interpretation of biblical texts. “They say that if you show it, then you’re not overcoming yourself,” Gloria remarked, highlighting the pressure placed on members to suppress negative feelings.
In the Shincheonji mythos, its followers are likened to “trees of life.” Those worldviews Members must then use to change the world, or as early Members called it, the “word of life.” Under this model, members are referred to as “leaves” that join new members, called “fruits.” Gloria added that at the height of her engagement, she was spending upwards of 12 hours a day on church work.
The church’s organizational structure and aggressive recruitment strategies have come under fire. Gloria shared her frustration about what she calls coercive and manipulative strategies. She began questioning these methods after four and a half years in the group, stating that “if you’ve got someone who is busy all day, then they don’t have time to stop and question things.” She shared her experiences with members vigilantly observing applicants as they interacted with each other.
Ella George, an expert on cult dynamics, explained, “The leaf will always follow the fruit wherever they go inside that classroom to make sure that the fruit doesn’t talk to another fruit.” This level of scrutiny can extend even to restrooms, as George noted that “sometimes it could be even creepier, and they follow them to the toilet.”
Gloria’s concerns echo broader apprehensions about the church’s impact on individuals’ lives. She blasted the organization’s double-standard of creating an inclusive environment at the same time as working to create an “us vs. them” mindset. This mindset can cut members off from outside perspectives and strengthen their loyalty to Shincheonji.
In opposition to these concerns, proponents counter that joining such groups is a voluntary decision. Mark Dreyfus stated that addressing issues related to cults should be “a matter for individual state and territory governments.” However, the long-term impacts on members within groups like Shincheonji can be severe.
The church’s many community outreach programs usually work under different names. As Gloria noted, once people are sucked into these things, many don’t realize what’s driving them right away. “Once they start getting you on-side, they’ll start teaching you a bit more of what they really want to teach you,” she explained.
“In fact, critics say that not being upfront about the sect-like nature of the organization when recruiting new members is coercion in itself. ‘That is coercive if you do not tell people what sort of organization you are from in the beginning when recruiting someone,’ Gloria stated.”
As Shincheonji further extends its influence in South Korea and beyond, the discourse around its controversial practices grows louder. Others see it as a dangerous, illegitimate religious movement. Some consider it a doomsday cult that preys on people’s weaknesses for profit.
