Why So Many People Study with Shincheonji. Why Doubt it?

Dear reader,

Thank you for taking these topics to heart.

For the last two hundred years, accounts of supernatural entities (angels, Jesus, a spirit of prophecy) have appeared to apocalyptic leaders with detailed explanations about the last chapter of Christianity - information about the Messiah's return to earth and the true meaning of ambiguous prophecies.

The visions are intriguing because they unlock puzzling Bible predictions on the end-times.  Ironically, they give answers to questions the Bible itself does not answer on its own.  This makes it interesting.  Further, the information is used by their leader to convince others it must be from God.  Leaders then recruit people with detailed studies about their revelation-vision, which becomes their primary focus.

With spiritual discernment, we know that just because explanations come from a supernatural experience or vision, it does not necessarily mean it is true.  Anyone who studies recent Christian history knows that many sincere leaders have been deceived by spirit entities and visions.  The Apostle Paul warned that Satan and his messengers can masquerade as legitimate servants of God (2 Cor. 11:14,15).

These apocalyptic leaders also contend that they have been given a unique anointing or have had seals opened and explained before their eyes.  Therefore, all Christians must now listen to them to receive eternal life and be a part of final salvation.  

The new information from the leader brings a new freshness to the Bible. One young lady I know admitted that she started studying with Shinchonji because she was attracted to the freshness and newness of it all.  The Bible had become routine at that point in her life.

Others on the SCJ testimonial page have said that it was amazing to hear Shinchonji give such clarity and sureness when talking about biblical prophecies.  They wrote that no Christian minister was able to answer their Bible questions.  Only SCJ's explanations and details were found to be clear.  

Others have joined SCJ with a sincere heart to be a part of what God is doing.  To paraphrase a SCJ member, ¨If you hear that Revelation is being fulfilled in front of your eyes, why wouldn't you want to test it out for yourself?¨ The zeal and passion in the group often impresses people as well.  

So, why would many average Christians or Christian leaders question the veracity of these visions to end-time leaders?  Why doubt SCJ?  What causes devoted believers not to join them?

First, information directly from Jesus Christ´s revelation warns of deception, false messengers and spiritual lies from deceptive spirits all masked as Jesus´ final representative or revelation (Mt. 24:4,5, I Tim. 4:1, Lk. 21:8, I John 4:1, 2 Pet. 2:1, etc.).  This means that the Christian world is to stay away from any final messenger or spokesperson who appears in Jesus´ name.    

It is equivalent to a father warning his son never to open the door to masked strangers.  Yet, many masked strangers continually appear claiming to be sent by the father.  The warnings protect the son from harm.  The same is true with Jesus Christ and his words about final leaders in the end (Lk. 21:8).

Secondly, even though Christians have varying ideas about the end-times, one point that is evident in the Bible is that Jesus Christ returns himself without a mask, not as an invisible spirit via a human leader (I Thess 4:16, Acts 1:11, Mt. 24:30).  The same resurrected Jesus is the one who returns (Acts 1:11).  When leaders declare that Jesus Christ´s spirit is working through them, embodying his return, it is a different Jesus.

Third, Shincheonji follows the same pattern as other groups in history whose revelations and spiritual knowledge distort precious truths from Christ.  This casts doubt on the spiritual sources behind the information.  We observe this pattern in harmful movements in Christian history, such as Gnosticism, and in recent organizations such as the Watchtower Society.

These groups emphasize secret or revealed visions from God, yet the information distors elementary truths about salvation, Jesus of Nazareth, or some aspect of God´s identity.  Shincheonji does this with the Trinity, Jesus´ identity, the Holy Spirit, and redemption (i.e. more focus on being ¨in the know¨ than salvation from sin).

Fourth, another reason Christians distrust final leaders is because they become the final authority in their group.  They exalt themselves above the Bible (in practice, not theory) because they claim a unique anointing from God, which makes them the official interpreter/teacher of prophecies, parables, and other passages. This means the Scriptures can be made to mean anything the interpreter reveals them to mean.

The most obvious problem is when outside Christians see that meanings are ¨poured¨ into the Scriptures instead of letting the Scriptures give us the meanings.  One Shincheonji instructor told one individual to put aside everything he thought the Bible was revealing and only listen to the revealed word in SCJ.  In Christian experience, this is backwards.  God´s voice in the Scriptures correct end-time revelations (2 Tim. 3:16, Mt. 4:4,7,10), not the other way around.

Lastly, Christians disregard messages from visions that are contrary to God's heart and character.  When two people know each other well, it is easy to recognize messages which are contrary to the way they think or talk.  A case in point is when someone hacks a friend´s e-mail account and sends messages that they would never write.  The content proves the author is someone else.

In summary, although leaders with revelations from the invisible world bring freshness and new explanations to Bible prophecies, it is important to be alert when other inconsistencies and signs appear.

In the articles that follow, we attempt to look at some of these and other points in more depth.

Thank you for your interest, and God bless.

Shincheonji´s Deceptive Practices.

Dear reader,

How would you feel if you learned that a missionary was using distorted conversion stories to obtain financial support?  What if a youth minister used false degrees to get hired at a church?  Or, what if Christians invented stories about other religious leaders to enourage others to discredit those groups?

These questions deal with Christian conduct and behavior (or Christ-centered ethics).

One simple test to measure Christian ethics is the question, ¨What would Jesus Christ do, say, or think about the situation?¨ Although no devoted Christian is perfect, we all desire to model his kindness, forgiveness, honesty, love, etc.  In other words, believers should never act or promote that which opposes his character.

When we test what is happening (and what has happened) in Shincheonji, we discover that members resort to deceptive practices to recruit others and hide their identity.

In my own case, I remember a family member inviting me to a Bible study online by a seminar student (SCJ teacher) who needed to teach others to graduate from their seminary.  This is a line other SCJ members have used too.  Some people have testified that their SCJ instructor avoided telling them their organization´s name, or they used fictitious names.

One SCJ couple infiltrated churches to invite others under the guise of a normal Bible study.  A former SCJ member told us of a Shinchonji instructor who posed as a pastor in a non-denominational church.  Still another person mentioned that SCJ has ¨maintainers¨ who take the study with newcomers and pretend they are learning the teachings for the first time.

When I confronted one SCJ teacher about this, they replied that deception is justifiable because Christian churches are full of spiritual lies, traditions of men, and Satan's seed (teachings).  They said deception can lead Christians to SCJ and even outsmart the devil´s schemes.  They also said their identity should be kept secret because of so much critical information on the internet and in the media about SCJ.

However, to devoted Christians, these arguments are weak and unconvincing.  

Using deception goes against Christ´s righteous standards and even common ethics.  In Romans 12:17, Paul instructs believers to do what is right ¨in the eyes of everyone¨.  When people who are not Christians learn of SCJ´s deceptive practices, it is a poor testimony.

In Eph. 4:25 and 1 Pet. 2:1, those in Christ are instructed to never lie to other believers and to get rid of all deceit.  This is an underlying and basic principle in the Christian life.

Think for a moment how you would feel if someone from a religious group used deception to recruit you?  It actually backfires.  It casts doubts on the group´s credibility in the other areas too.  One Christian lady noted that SCJ´s deceptive practices made her not want to listen to anything else they taught.

In addition, SCJ´s argument that using deception is needed to outwit the kingdom of darkness is unimpressive.  

In Jesus´ time, the world was full of darkness and evil influences in the Roman empire.  Yet, the apostles and early Christians relied on Jesus´ example and sacrifice, the beauty of his message, his miracles, and the power of the Holy Spirit to convince outsiders (I Thes. 1:5, Rom. 1:16, I Cor. 2:4, Ac. 1:8).  In the book of Acts, the disciples spoke boldly and openly about Jesus.

If SCJ´s revelation is true, they should be able to rely on the truthfulness of the message to convince others. Jesus said that his sheep hear his voice (Jn. 10:16,27), which leads to another question.  Would the real Jesus approve of using deceit to attract Christians?

To devoted followers, it is spiritually contradictory and seems like something from lying spirits.  Deceit makes Christians more doubtful of Shincheonji since righteousness and unrighteousness do not mix (2 Cor. 6:14).

One Shinchonji instructor said that they are willing to do anything (even ¨cut off someone´s hand,¨ to quote Jesus´ words) to bring others into Shincheonji.  But, surely there is a limit.  The end does not justify the means, especially when related to something as significant as Jesus' kingdom.

One of the clearest moral teachings in Israel was that all forms of lying and deceit are detestable to God (Prov. 6:16-19).  Such conduct negatively impacts people who are important to God.  Lying involves withholding information, hiding something, or misguiding others for an ulterior purpose.

Christians outside SCJ can quickly discern that using deceit to spread truth is a sign of error.  The Apostle John writes, ¨I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth¨ (I Jn. 2:21).

For more information on this topic, please listen to the podcasts on this blog.

Listen to Podcasts Evaluating Shincheonji/Shinchonji.

Three family members took the time to create the podcasts below (please scroll down).  Here are a few comments to add to what they point out.

1. Podcasts: The Doctrine Devoid of Repentance/God´s Holiness and Justice.

They mention how end-time groups focus heavily on prophetic knowledge and de-emphasize repentance and the solution humans need - Jesus' remedy for sins in our place.  This is the focus in the New Testament revelation - the importance of being ¨united to Christ¨ and ¨having the Son¨.  Although Manhee Lee's two books in English acknowledge that Jesus died for our sins, the real emphasis is on the ¨revealed knowledge/word¨ as the final requirement for salvation (See pages 328-333 in ¨Creation of Heaven and Earth¨).

¨Those who receive the word of revelation from the new Apostle John, believe it, and obey are freed from their sins¨ (The Truth Regarding Revelation's Fulfillment, p. 5).  ¨No one attains salvation simply by claiming to have been saved or to be orthodox....Only those who believe in and keep the revelation of the New Testament will go to heaven¨ (The Truth Regarding Revelation´s Fulfillment, pp. 57, 94).

2. Podcast: Shincheonji's Fruit of Deception.

They mention how Shinchonji uses and justifies deception. Most followers of Christ (and even non-Christians) see this as a bad testimony.  

3. Podcast: A Different Jesus.

Throughout the history of Christianity, revelations from the spirit world have been giving end-time prophets a different definition of Jesus Christ, God, or the Holy Spirit.  Instead of letting the written word correct spirit-guided revelations, end-time leaders use spirit-guided revelations to correct what Christians throughout the centuries have seen in the written word.

Here are the broadcasts.

      

Bible Verses Used to Defend Deception.

Dear reader,

According to the Scriptures, God made people in his image and gave us a conscience (Rom. 2:15, Job 27:6). The Apostle Paul, one of the greatest missionaries of all times, wrote that his methods were blameless and tried to do everything with a clear conscience (Ac. 24:15-17, I Cor. 4:4, 2 Cor. 1:12).

One lady who studied with Shinchonji admitted that she struggled with her conscience.  She was instructed to be secretive, elusive, or deceitful to other Christians regarding Shincheonji.

When confronted about this point, one Shinchonji instructor tried to justify deception using the Bible.  He wrote that God's ways are different from ours (Is. 55:8,9).  Abraham lied about his wife and was considered righteous.  Jacob deceived his family and was honored by God. Moses killed an Egyptian and was chosen by God, and Paul became everything to win everyone (I Cor. 9:19). They also cited Mt. 9:30, Mt. 10:27, Mt. 12:15-16, Mt. 17:9, and 2 Cor. 6:8.

When the Scriptures are taken as a whole, we see that deception is not a godly method.  On the contrary, God instructs believers to put off falsehood (Eph. 4:25) and get rid of all deception (1 Pet. 2:1).  Further, when we study the passages and examples cited, they are being used out of context.

1) Isaiah 55:8,9 does not mean that God allows people to be deceitful (i.e. about Shinchonji's Bible studies). God's point is that his ways are higher, not lower, than ours. God's standard of holiness and righteousness is much higher. Heb. 6:18 teaches us that it is impossible for God to lie.

2) Abraham's deception about his wife (Gen. 12, 20) was not approved by God (Is. 43:27). He lied about Sarah because he was acting cowardly and lacked trust in God's protection, which is why people often lie - to get out of a sticky situation instead of trusting in God. Galatians 3 and Romans 4 show that Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith against all odds, not because of his deception.

3) In the same way, Jacob was not honored by God because of his cunning actions. On the contrary, at a critical moment in his life, he was personally confronted by God (Gen. 32).  This encounter forced him to come to terms with his dishonesty by answering a question about his name.  Jacob had to be broken.  In return, God declared that Jacob's name would be changed to Israel.

4) Moses was a murderer, but the Scriptures do not praise Moses for this action. The point is that God used people throughout the Old Testament not because of their sinful actions but in spite of them. God's grace redeems even the worst of sinners and sinful situations and turns them around for his glory. This shows how God's purposes can overcome our weaknesses and failures.

5) As the Messiah, Jesus was discerning enough to withhold information from his audience, but this is different than lying to the religious leaders. Christ confessed before the high priest that he had spoken openly about his teachings in the synagogues (Jn. 18:20). Jesus had no ¨deceit in his mouth¨ (I Pet. 2:21,22).

6) Does the Apostle Paul's phrase in I Cor. 9.19 of becoming ¨a slave¨ to everyone justify trickery?  Paul was referring to working within the customs of these groups to win them. His conduct was much like missionaries today. They adapt and work within a different culture as a way to win people.  Paul also testified that he never used trickery or deceit (2 Cor. 4:2) and his conduct was pure and blameless (1 Thes. 2:3-10).

When we reflect on the way Jesus exemplified morality, honesty, and love, it is easy to discern that his voice would not promote lies, trickery, or deception to spread truths about Revelation and his return.

Experiences with Shincheonji and their Studies.

Dear reader, 

Below are some edited excerpts of e-mails which we have received and have kept anonymous.  They are from people who have had different experiences with Shinchonji/Shincheonji 

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I began to feel uncomfortable when my Christian friends wanted to attend my SCJ studies and the SCJ leader told me to be evasive with them.  This felt strange and made me wonder if Jesus would agree.  I started to feel odd too when I thought about the way we were supposed to spread the Shinchonji teachings.  It didn't feel right and I knew my Christian family would be shocked if they knew about this.      

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I was introduced to this group by my sister back in the summer of 2009. It was the whole one-to-one Bible study pattern. In the beginning, I didn't think anything was suspicious; I was almost fascinated how they were able to "connect-the-dots" about certain terminologies presented in the Bible. I remember learning about "birds", "fire", "trees", etc. However, when they started talking negatively about churches and pastors and how the "seed of Satan" was in them, that's when the red flag came up for me. 

About two months later, I told the guy who was teaching me that I wanted to stop, he got angry and told me where else could I get the truth...With prayer, a help from my best friend, and some research, I stopped attending the Bible study in December 2009....I just wanted to encourage you to continue to spread awareness about Shinchonji and bring people back to the Gospel they've heard at first. Thank you so much. A sister in Christ.

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I stopped taking the studies after I did some more research.  I didn't like how they lie and don't tell people right off the bat that they are SCJ. They justify themselves saying that they have to be in disguise because people already have preconceived notions on SCJ that "are not true". Also, their studies (from beginning to end) point to the revelation of one man. It's all a set-up to lead to this conclusion and make people believe in the teachings of this man (i.e. explanations of parables, what everything symbolizes, how the Jews rejected Jesus because they didn't recognize him, how the "word" sounded different but still have to accept it, etc.). They emphasize the Word of God and neglect other important aspects of the Christian life: prayer, praise and worship, and service. They also have a lot of wrong interpretations.
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My wife left me and kids three years ago because of Shinchonji. I am Korean and know about Manhee Lee's history.  When he was a young man, he went to Joun Do Kwan's group.  This leader claimed to be God and Mr. Lee spent many years in this group.  After that he was associated with two or three other (end-time) groups.  There is (are) too many problems in Shinchonji.
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When I was in Korea, I had attended several of these studies with two other family members. It was just the three of us and a teacher. The studies started out with just going through the OT looking at verses that prophesied about Jesus' first coming, and how that was fulfilled. The lessons didn't seem threatening, and they were presented in an easy to follow format - with lots of Scripture. I found the studies interesting, and wanted to hear more because they were just so matter-of-fact and nothing "felt" wrong. I don't remember if I ever asked the name of the group or church they were associated with. When I got back home, I didn't continue the studies until my husband and I were married and then we started them online again with the three original members. 

Things were ok - but then we got into the book of Revelation, and our interest kind of started to fizzle out. While I think that interpreting Revelation is a big task for anyone, we just didn't quite "get" how this group was interpreting Revelation - it seemed like maybe they were reading a lot into it. I don't remember too much specifically, but I remember sometimes thinking, "Well... maybe that's what it means... but maybe not..." I think that my husband maybe voiced the fact that he wasn't comfortable with all of it - and he felt like there was too much of an emphasis on KNOWING things and not enough on just having faith in God. He pointed out that anyone who has a desire to know God and understand His Word is going to - God isn't going to hide from anyone who is earnestly seeking after Him! I agreed with him, though a part of me was still curious about how this study ended - now I'm glad we didn't stick around to find out. 
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Something recently happened with some friends, who are in Shinchonji, that has left me greatly distraught. These friends have taken 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 and as well as Matthew 7:13-14 to mean that they are the only lovers of Truth, this God's Word, and that only those that believe as they do have been chosen to be saved at the fullness of time upon the return of our Lord. However, we know that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20) and that all true believers are of One mind and One spirit (John 17:21; Romans 15:5-6; 1 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:4; Philippians 2:2; 3:15-16) in Christ Jesus.   

During an online Bible study, another person and I were led through the Bible by my friend (in Shinchonji) going from one verse to another through a topic that he had chosen as he enthusiastically called on us to read certain passages testing our 'knowledge' of the Word by asking us periodically where certain verses were found, at which point I began feeling very uncomfortable and nervous if I was unable to produce the right answer. The 'study' felt very controlled and in the flesh not led by the Holy Spirit.

By the end, my spirit was so grieved. My friend asked me to pray and I simply couldn't. When the study was over, I asked my friend if we could talk privately and told him how I had been made to feel. He told me he was grieved that I couldn't cite verses or that I had not known the answer to certain questions. I felt that He had judged the Word of God I had in my heart, which only God knows. By His grace, I desire nothing more than to have His Word in my heart and to meditate on it day and night. (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 27:4) For many years due to illness and still now, I am unable to read the Word as much as I desire because of pain (of which my friend knows nothing about - 1 Peter 4:1). At this point, I was grieved to the point of tears but praise God for His Word that began filling my mind. Romans 8:1 being the first verse. 

Romans 8

1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

After the conversation, I continued to seek the Lord in prayer. I wrote my friend attempting to make peace in the matter but have yet to hear back. What grieves me the most is that I sense no repentance on his part but simply pride and Phariseeism, exalting himself thinking he has been given special revelation from God and that only he and those that are part of his group and come under his teaching are saved. If it were the Holy Spirit in him (for true brethren are One in Spirit), he too would feel grieved and would have made an attempt to make peace and would have responded to my efforts to do so. I had asked him certain things which he often ignored (Mt 7:20). God exhorts us to make every effort to keep the bond of peace among the brethren with the grace He gives us (Ephesians 4:3) 

Through this experience, the Lord has confirmed to me that the many untrue doctrines (1 Timothy 4:1) and teachings of men that are rampant in these last days are all an attempt to stop the spreading of the gospel. I ask for your prayers at this time and for my friends, against the wiles of the enemy and for God's will to be done. In Jesus' name. Amen. 
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Two family members have become persuaded by SCJ teaching.  As you might suppose, my wife and I have been taken by surprise, and are not a little heartbroken.  After some time went by, they began to try to convince us—out of fear, I guess, that we were not part of the 144,000.  We consented to listen to a recording of one of their teaching sessions, but they became irritated by the questions and observations we offered after listening.  At one point, the teacher said, six times in a row, that we had to forsake our own thinking, that our own thinking was bad, that our own thinking would get in the way, etc.  Through this I realized that mindless reverence and submission seem to be a goal for this group...The real headscratcher is that they claim they are "just studying the Bible."  We reply that they are in fact being given Manhee Lee's questionable interpretations.  They reply that they are "just studying the Bible."

I wanted to share some notes from a 1987 study about how and why people defect from groups like SCJ.  I didn't include in my notes the main reasons that people leave, but they are mainly these: (1) perspective gained from time spent away from the group, (2) a desire to join a spouse or significant other who leaves the group, (3) disappointment that the group is not achieving its goals, (4) a feeling of being poorly treated by others in the group—not so much by fellow members as by immediate supervisors, and (5) a perception that the leaders of the group are not practicing what they are preaching.

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I was in SCJ and finally decided to leave the organization after realizing that the teachings were not true. It took me over a year, after 'crossing over' and attending their services, to leave quietly on my own terms.  It is a fresh breath of air knowing that the simple truths are all clearly stated in the word already and Jesus Christ is our Savior.

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when I was in SCJ in october of 2010, almost 3 years ago now, they had about 100,000 members then. lee manhee gave orders to all churches that they need to double in size by 6 months. and when he gives orders, everyone obeys as he "is" jesus. fast forward 3 years. didn't happen. i'm sure there are well over 144,000 people, but nothing's happened. so they would give excuses saying that the people inside the church are not real followers or giving false numbers. if the followers don't "count" as part of the 144,000...then that's also faulty bc heaven is supposed to be perfect. that's two pretty solid signs to me that something's not right (Taken from Shinchonji:Fact or Fiction).
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A Decade in Shinchonji: Interview with a Former SCJ Member.

Dear reader,

Many testimonies on Shinchonji's website explain why people join Shinchonji (see SCJ's website for testimonies).  However, it is also important to consider why some leave Shinchonji.

After talking to a former member of the Shinchonji Church, who was involved in SCJ for almost a decade, this person sent a written response to different themes related to Shinchonji's movement.  The response is published here below.  

What are some important things about Manhee Lee (MHL) and being a member of SCJ?

Members are told on an almost daily basis that their SSN (Man Hee Lee) loves them and works very hard for them and sacrificed his life to give them the precious words of truth but there are some puzzling contradictions.

1. He is unwilling to prove to anyone for any reason by miracles of any kind that he has Jesus' spirit on him and is the only voice of biblical truth left on the planet, which is unprecedented. If you look in Scripture, even Christ himself started his ministry with the miracle of the water and the wine.
2. During all major events the members are required to come and be there early with smiling faces and welcoming clapping. When he is at a temple, ¨amens¨ ring so loud it's hard to hear any English translations. 
3. During my own graduation, it took well over two hours of moving people mere centimeters to get the picture perfect. MHL was called in for the last 5 minutes and left 2 minutes after the picture was taken.
4. I also learned of another graduation held during a colder season where the lovely young ladies in the hambok's were made to wait outside in the cold and the wind to get the graduation picture perfect, which they were glad to do because one must be willing to sacrifice for A PICTURE?? 
5. MHL is 82 years old now and has had some health issues. I was told that he had actually been physically declared dead but was brought back to life. This was never spoken of from the pulpit, so a rumour it remains, but the only miracle heard of and conveniently unsubstantiated.

What is the church structure like and how are members supervised?

1. There is no Trinity.  The Father and the Son are one but the holy spirit is under the condition of holy spirits as in angels not “The Holy Spirit” as understood by most. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that is on MHL after his revelation on the hill top.

2.  A percentage of all tithes are sent to the headquarters as part of their contribution to the church body as a whole. Members are told the books are open and anyone can see at anytime where their money is going.
3.  To keep people going and working hard, members are told the 144,000 is getting so close and if they work QUOTE “just a little harder” then the fulfillment will happen and the spirit of the martyrs will come on them and they will live forever. The rest of the world is covered under the great white multitude, as spoken of in Revelations 7. The thing is the number is now over 100,000 and there are quiet rumours being spoken of that it has to be “the SEALED” not just 144,000 members of SCJ and NO ONE knows if they are part of the sealed.  So, in effect, this could go forever...there could be a billion members.  But, if there aren't 144,000 sealed, well, it's not going to happen. Each member is part of a tribe and many of the tribes are close to completing the 12,000 they need to complete their tribe. Whether or not those members are truly sealed or not is another matter.
4. Along with the 144,000 catch is the idea that if you just work a little harder you will be one of the sealed. So people sacrifice ALL their time, energy, money, family and health to do the work. And at the end of the day there is no guarantee of any kind that the sacrifice means you will get to be part of the 144,000. Paranoia and anxiety are some of the feelings people have inside but hidden under the smile of being in the right place for the right reasons.  
I felt miserable all the time about not doing enough. Sleep deprived and poor mental health. No member would EVER admit to this as that would mean they were less than God wants them to be. Be glad you are part of the truth and NEVER NEVER complain about ANYTHING or you will be considered a betrayer of the truth. MHL tells wives to take care of their husbands and children to obey their parents but...at the level of their cell leaders are told that they need to work harder and in order to follow the COMMANDS of MHL which are considered the words of Jesus from GOD then something has to give and mostly it is family and school that are sacrificed. I wanted to protect individuals but have seen many heart breaking examples of people doing things to work for the church that are clearly unwise and in some cases not scriptural. 
5. I was always frustrated by the lack of written material. People were expected to take notes and listen to sermons online at the members' only website. The COMMAND was 3 times for each sermons along with the mandatory Sunday and Wednesday meetings, which are monitored with a fingerprint scanner at every temple, cell group meetings, studying with potential new people and Mannam events.  The schedule was packed and members are asked to hand in their personal schedules so that the leaders know what the people under them are doing most of the time. 
6. Members are told what materials they cannot look at. There are websites, and books, actually all books about the Bible are regarded as lies and theology books are banned because they are not the correct interpretation of the Bible and will corrupt the member and the pure Word as received from MHL.
7. Saying anything to a leader in a meeting about ideas that may be better or asking why members are, in effect, expected to dig a ditch in the morning and fill it in in the afternoon are seen as going against MHL and, therefore, makes your thought something from the evil one and you have betrayers thoughts which must be repented of.
8. There are also conflicts about Mannam.  I was told by another member that many people are unhappy about Kim Nam Lee's role in the church at the moment. It has always been strictly observed that if someone is in Mannam that an SCJ member may not recruit them into SCJ.

Describe what it is like coming into the church and how members are recruited?

1. A potential member is considered “a fruit” and each person must work as hard as they can to gather as many fruit as possible. Although many would never confess to this, fruit are fought over as to who exactly brought that person in. It takes as long as a year before a person actually is sitting in the regular services. First, one person works on someone to study. This is done by most cults so it is difficult to get this started. The Jehovah Witnesses and Mormon's both use the study technique and, because people are suspicious of this, so many lies are used. I used to use the line that they were doing a seminar course and needed to do a study with 10 people to graduate from the course. Others use many different angles, but it all amounts to lying to get people to start studying.
2. “A fruit” must study three times a week at the gospel room level to be registered by the member as an actual fruit and the studies must be reported (what lesson are they on and how did each lesson go). The fruit will be unaware of this but then other things will start to happen. The fruit will meet other people called 'maintainers' who will say or do things that confirm they are indeed doing the right thing.
3. Members are pressured to evangelize and bring their fruit to a kangsanim (a certified teacher by SCJ standards) to continue studying. The goal is to have them study four days a week for six months one to two hours a day. The member and 'maintainers' must work very very hard to make this happen on top of all the other burdens placed on their backs. All so they can make the “fruit” like them. A fruit is also required to bring someone in so that they may graduate and so the cycle continues. The pressure is incredible but with faith all things are possible, so the expectation is always there.

4.  Compare this busyness in SCJ and its burden on members to Jesus' words in Matthew 11:30 about his yoke being easy.

Talk about Mannam and its connection to Shinchonji.

1. I had to watch a video on Mannam to find out it was started in 2003. The aim is to do good and bring all people together. Many Mannam members in SCJ are ignorant of many things that outsiders know about the group like the mote of “When light meets light there is victory” is an anagram and the Mannam logo is the combination of all 12 tribe colours and that Man Hee Lee, who is the “honorary chairman” and the combination of Kim Nam Lee's names give Man+Nam= Mannam.
2. All the upper level planning meetings of Mannam are done in the SCJ temple buildings and only Mannam members who are SCJ may attend those meetings. These meeting always have in attendance the high profile Mannam members who I found denied their association with SCJ if asked.
3. Funding for events comes from SCJ. The upper level members of the organization are SCJ the organizers of groups such as Korean classes, Tai Kwan Do classes, photography classes, basketball, running club and cooking club are all headed by SCJ/Mannam members. They may be two different organizations but the direction of Mannam is clearly directed by SCJ.

What was expected to happen at the September 16^th event at the Olympic stadium in Seoul? 

There are videos on youtube regarding the event and you are encouraged to look at both the official and critical views of the event and make up your own mind.

1.The event was something that already busy members were told was the most important thing and they should not give up what they were doing but add to the plate by actively seeking foreigners and telling them about this great amazing event where there would be a free ride to and from the event, free lunches, and a free t-shirt. 
2. The lunch was not very good and many people were herded to dark gloomy corners to scarf down a lunch with no place to sit. There were many more people than expected, so lots of people did not get their t-shirts and the ride was free...but the price was all day at an event designed to distract and look confusing.
3. Many people did not even get into the stadium. Soccer teams that were asked to come at 6 a.m. never even got the chance to play. In fact, only one game was played and that was SCJ's team against the Mannam team from Seoul. Guess who won.
4. There were too many people in the stadium and the chaos was created on purpose. Most of the stands were taken up but SCJ people who chanted and did the wave almost continuously throughout the day, in sports uniforms matching the colours of their different tribes. If people didn't get the idea that SCJ was a cult before, this certainly helped make the decision. CULT...the tribe members never mingled with the foreigners at all and there was an abundance of security all over the place.
5. Even though the stands were crowded beyond capacity, there was room where all the dignitaries were seated. The event began at 10 am but I suspect - from having attended two other events similar to this - that most SCJ members had been there since well be for 8 or even 7 am. Man Hee Lee arrived just a little before 10am in a nice car with a driver and walked on a red carpet to a seat with a silk cushion, surrounded by the dignitaries who had been invited for the biggest photo/video opt ever undertaken. Given refreshments and lovely young ladies smiling in beautiful gowns, with media watching and reporting from above.
6. The mask games were like being in North Korea and I know one foreigner that was in the mask games and said that he hoped God was pleased with his effort that he sat for almost 12 hours flipping cards. 
7. I had been told on many occasions before the event that the truth about Mannam and SCJ would be explained at the event and that the lying would end. It didn't and for reasons of conscience felt this was very wrong. 
8. It was also rumoured that something great would happen at the event.  Many military personal that were there heard the rumour that a famous music group would be playing at the end of the night. And SCJ members were looking for the sign that perhaps MHL would do something truly miraculous.  But, looking at it, having that many people together basically to worship the ego of one man is a miracle, just not the miracle most were looking for. 
9. After the event it was expected that everyone who attended the event would have someone from the church maintaining them and bringing them to the truth. A surge, if you will, of new converts that just needed to be taught. The opposite was true. Many people were very angry with what happened.
10. I stood by the entrance to the stadium with a group of military who were supposed to be participating in the sports events. They were to do a parade past the dignitaries and MHL. It was a wait of almost 3 hours. In that group of military was a family who had twin boys around 8 years old. They waited and asked if they could leave as they needed to get their children home and to bed for school the next day. They were cajoled and tricked into standing there until the 5 min walk by the grand stands and were asked to release red and white balloons.  It was something to have a 100,000 people cheer as you walked in, but not worth lying to a family desperate to get home.
11. A video on youtube made by a man by the name of Michael drew some conclusions from the event that a) SCJ seemed to be very much a cult and b) Mannam was indeed, as suspected, a creation of SCJ. He was fair in his observations and never disrespectful in any way, but I was told that Michael and others who made any kind of negative report about the event to be in league with Satan and pushing the destroyers' agenda. SCJ members are not supposed to watch the lies that they produce.
12. The event ended with a grotesque dance between MHL and Kim Nam Lee, which was explained to me, when enquires were made, that it symbolized the marriage between Christ and his bride or Mannam's new partnership with SCJ. I found this in poor taste as MHL has a lovely wife who has stood by him all this time. And I felt nothing but shame and humiliation that her husband would parade around with a younger, richer and more socially influential member of SCJ as the actor of this little drama.
13. In talking from the pulpit the following Sunday, MHL said he wished that every Sunday could be like September 16.  That was it.  Shortly after, I let the leader of the cell group know it was time to leave for reasons of conscience.